Dept. of Atmospheric Sciences commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA)

Diversity is a core value and foundational concept in the Department of Atmospheric Science (ATMO) in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaii of Manoa (UHM).

Catalyzing the power of diversity enriches all of us by exposing us to a range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, define and deliver solutions. ATMO prepares professionals to work in an increasingly diverse and global society by promoting equity and justice for all individuals. We actively work to eliminate barriers and obstacles created by institutional discrimination.

Diversity creates opportunities for people to engage, understand and respect others whose perspectives, values, beliefs, traditions, and world views have been shaped by experiences and backgrounds that may be different from their own, particularly those from historically marginalized and underrepresented groups. These differences may include, but are not limited to: race, ethnicity, culture, religion, language, socioeconomic status, citizenship, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, and physical abilities.

Diversity-related challenges faced by the meteorological and climate fields today include the lack of equitable access to information and technology, limited participation in an increasingly digital political and economic environment, and the preservation of cultural voices.

ATMO demonstrates departmental commitment to diversity by:

• Actively recruiting and sustaining a diverse student body utilizing nontraditional pathways
• Hiring and sustaining a diverse faculty and staff, including:
• Integrating diversity-related knowledge, skills, and modalities into learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. These areas include:
  • Identifying and addressing information issues and needs of underserved populations
  • Identifying and addressing global information issues and needs of different nations
  • Enabling access to information and promoting information literacy
  • Organizing information for accessibility and empowerment
  • Designing information systems and products for all members of the community
  • Managing diverse work environments that maximize multiple perspectives
  • Conducting research in areas that have impact for a diverse population. These include such topics as:
  • Native Hawaiian an indigenous systems of knowledge
  • Information needs of marginalized populations

ATMO actively welcomes and engages students, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds and reflects the importance of diversity through leadership and innovation within education, research, and the information professions.

ATMO embraces diversity and recognizes our responsibility to foster an open, welcoming environment where students, faculty and staff of all backgrounds can collaboratively learn, work and serve. We value the academic, social, and broader community benefits that arise from a diverse campus and are committed to equity, inclusion and accountability.  We commit to engaging in an ongoing dialogue to thoughtfully respond to the changing realities of our increasingly interconnected world. We will continually strive to work together to address the challenges of the future in a way that removes barriers to success and promotes a culture of inclusivity, compassion and mutual respect. The competencies gained through diverse experiences across campus prepare all of our students, staff and faculty to thrive personally and professionally in a global society.

This Diversity statement is adapted from the Diversity Statements from the University of Washington’s Information School and the University of Houston.