FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 3, 2018

 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The International Association for Geoscience Diversity (IAGD) has joined the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) as an International Associate. The IAGD's admission to the AGI Federation was formally approved by the AGI Executive Committee earlier this year.

 

Initially what began as a grassroots advisory group to support geoscience instructors working to accommodate the needs of students with disabilities in introductory geoscience courses, the IAGD has grown to an international organization leading the effort to promote access and inclusion from academia into the geoscience profession. Today, the goal of the IAGD remains the same: to mitigate barriers that have traditionally excluded students and geoscience professionals due to a temporary or permanent disability. To do this, the IAGD mentors K-12 teachers, higher education instructors and teaching assistants through instructional development workshops and collaborative course design, leads accessible field courses for students and faculty with disabilities, and collaborates with professional societies and representatives from geoscience industry to improve inclusive workplace practices.  

 

"AGI envisions a world that looks to geoscientists for creative solutions to societal problems and values a diverse geoscience workforce in which all are empowered to reach their highest potential," said AGI Executive Director Allyson Anderson Book. "Having the IAGD as an International Associate strengthens the AGI Federation's credibility in the areas of accessibility and inclusion, and we are proud to formalize this partnership."

 

The IAGD's Executive Director, Dr. Chris Atchison, added, "The IAGD was established to support and encourage the talents and abilities of anyone interested in pursuing a career in the geosciences. Partnering with the AGI Federation will not only allow us to elevate the need for greater awareness of access and inclusion in the geosciences for our students, colleagues and co-workers with disabilities, but also convert awareness to action by bringing together the key leadership from professional societies who can make a positive impact on accessibility within our discipline."

 

To learn more about the IAGD, AGI's fifth International Associate, go to https://theiagd.org. For a list of AGI's 52 Member Societies and information about other membership categories, go to https://www.americangeosciences.org/member-societies.

 

The IAGD is a global network of geoscience faculty, staff and students, industry representatives, disabilities education researchers, and anyone interested in fostering accessible science. The IAGD strives to minimize the barriers to full participation for persons with disabilities by providing training and support to create and implement universally-designed instructional strategies inclusive communities of research, and accessible professional work environments. 

 

Founded in 2008, the IAGD is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

 

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is a nonprofit federation of 52 scientific and professional associations that represents more than 260,000 geoscientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.

 

AGI is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the geoscience community and addressing the needs of society. AGI headquarters are in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

 

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AGI Contact:

Joseph Lilek

571.483.5445

 

IAGD Contact:

Christopher Atchison

 

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