Women in Wetlands section and the Human Diversity Committee combine efforts for this webinar for our groups to discuss challenges and advancements in our respective sections.
The multifaceted nature of wetland ecosystems requires a disciplinary-diverse community of practice (e.g. ecology, hydrology, biogeochemistry) to advance our understanding of them. However, the diversity of wetland practitioners remains below par. Barriers to entry represent a significant obstacle to inclusion in the community of practice due to the lack of role models to guide their advancement. One such barrier is the sometimes field-intensive nature of wetland practice, which can place gender and racial minority practitioners into geographically or socially isolating conditions which stimulate discomfort and fears for safety. Negative experiences in these spaces can lead to disengagement which perpetuates the lack of diversity in the wetland sciences.
The goal of this webinar is to educate and encourage wetland practitioners to thoughtfully engage in efforts that minimize barriers to entry for the wetland’s sciences. Panelists will discuss the persistent barriers that discourage gender and racial minorities from further engaging in wetland sciences. We will also discuss ways that panelists have found success and broadened participation. We hope that this webinar inspires internal reflection, motivates engagement, and encourages participation from all.
Speaker: Alexis "AJ" Jackson
PhD Student and NSF GRFP Fellow, Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure and Environment
Alexis “AJ” Jackson is a 4th-year PhD student at the University of Florida, specializing in the impacts of hydrology and vegetation on wetland soil carbon across various spatial and temporal scales. AJ is a NSF GRFP Fellow and serves as a UF Water Institute Ambassador, where she engages in outreach and collaborates with graduate students to promote community.
Speaker: Dr. Swapan Paul
PWS, Senior Wetlands Ecologist and Lead, Sydney Wetland Institute, Sydney Olympic Park Authority, Australia
Dr Swapan Paul PWS, Sydney, Australia, has been a Co-chair of the DEI Committee of SWSPCP. He is also a Committee Member of the SWS Education & Outreach Committee. Swapan is an Adjunct Researcher and as a professional, Swapan is an aquatic ecologist by training, with decades of experience and presently working on Blue Carbon restoration program in Australia. Swapan has been living in Australia for the past three decades, but he comes originally from the Indian sub-continent.
Speaker: Chelsea Nitsch
Head Technician within the Global Change Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Chelsea Nitsch is the current Chair-Elect and Social Media Coordinator for the SWS Women in Wetlands chapter. She graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2023 with a MS in Biology, focusing on nitrogen cycling and long-term carbon sequestration within wetland soils. She is currently working at the federal level as a Head Technician within the Global Change Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, MD.
12-1 PM CDT (Central time)
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