Black Lives Matter.

June 5th, 2020

As leaders within the Rutgers Earth system science community, we share the sadness and the anger felt throughout the United States at the recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, David McAtee, and other Black men and women, and at the entrenched structures of racial injustice that they highlight. We add our voices to those of our University President, Chancellor, Deans, and professional societies calling for justice and dignity for everyone.

We applaud police forces in New Jersey that have chosen to march with the protesters calling for justice, and we are deeply concerned by the incidents of violence against peaceful protesters and journalists that have occurred elsewhere. Free speech is a cornerstone of our democracy, and it is essential to the practice of science, which requires open, critical exchange of views. In the words of Carl Sagan, “real patriots ask questions.”

As Earth system scientists, we recognize that our scientific community still has a long way to go to meet the ideals of diversity, equity, and inclusion to which we aspire. Nearly 90% of geoscience PhDs in the US are awarded to White people, and over 96% of tenure-track geoscience faculty at top research universities are White. We can and must do better.

On behalf of the Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and our respective departments, we commit to ensuring that all our departments follow best practices for inclusive hiring processes, and we commit to fostering a more active dialogue within our community to ensure that the voices of people of color are heard. We know there is much more we have to do — and we know that it starts with listening.

Donna Fennell
Associate Chair, Department of Environmental Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Bill Hallman
Chair, Department of Human Ecology
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Bob Kopp
Director, Rutgers Institute of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (EOAS)
Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Robin Leichenko
Chair, Department of Geography
School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Julie Lockwood
Chair, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Gregory Mountain
Chair, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Oscar Schofield
Chair, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Lynne Trabachino
Associate Director, EOAS, and Chair, EOAS Committee on Diversity and Inclusion
Rutgers University-New Brunswick