Introducing Changing Cultures and Climates, a new online resource for equity, diversity, and inclusion

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), in partnership with the North American Arabidopsis Steering Committee (NAASC), is excited to announce the creation of an online hub for collecting resources aimed at improving diversity and inclusion in the plant sciences. 

The mission of Changing Cultures and Climates is to provide information that supports and promotes diversity, inclusivity, and equity in the international plant science community so that it grows to more accurately reflect that of our larger, global society. 

The site is a living collection of impactful literature about culture and gender matters, information about programs and initiatives that focus on increasing and sustaining diversity in plant science, and a safe space to learn more about one another and to discuss topics around diversity, equity, and inclusion that impact our community.

The objectives of Changing Cultures and Climates (CCC) are:

  • To incorporate a safe virtual space for Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) and other minoritized folk to share experiences and access resources.
  • To create a rich and interactive venue that empowers all plant scientists to become better informed.
  • To provide resources for actively addressing the impacts of institutional racism on STEM environments (and plant biology specifically).

As a living hub, we welcome suggestions for additional resources from the plant science community; please email Katie Rogers at krogers@aspb.org or send submissions via this form. As the resource hub grows, we hope that actionable change will take place in our community, and collaboration with additional plant-related societies will increase. We are eager to share success stories in the future.

This is an important initiative for ASPB and NAASC, and we appreciate your engagement, feedback, and input. Many thanks for your commitment to helping our community become more diverse, more welcoming, and more inclusive.

Thank you, 

Judy Callis (ASPB Past-President), Joanna Friesner (Executive Director at NAASC), and Terri Long (NAASC Inclusivity Scholars Subcommittee Co-Chair) 

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