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LETTER FROM THE GSA PRESIDENT
GSA Meeting the Challenges

of a Changing World

“The best-laid schemes of mice and men In June, GSA issued a statement (https://
Go often askew…”—Robert Burns www.geosociety.org/statement) affirming
Just as we began to implement our excit- our solidarity with our fellow Black,
ing Decadal Strategic Plan, GSA found Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)
itself in the midst of the largest social colleagues and their families in facing
changes in recent memory coupled to a injustice. GSA supports the intents of the thousands of papers were presented. I
global pandemic. Fortunately, our well- changes and initiatives we are seeing within attended both EGU and NCGSA and gave
crafted strategic plan contains the neces- the geoscience community, such as the an address at the latter. I found the science
sary elements to address all of these chal- Notimeforsilence petition, and we’re actively as good if not better than when I attended
lenges. The social changes that are upon us focusing on improvements within our own in real time. Why? Because speakers
demand greater attention to how geoscien- organization. GSA Council continues to received far more questions than before,
tists do science and interact with and prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion and more dialog ensued. I missed the in-
accept colleagues. GSA needs to try to be (DEI) because it is the right thing to do and person meetings to be sure, social and col-
as diverse and inclusive as possible and leads to better science. laborative. Yet, I think opportunities will
clearly address any identified bias within As we do better, perhaps more young evolve from this pandemic, and GSA is
our organization if we wish to remain People of Color will entertain the geosci- moving to take advantage of them. Staff
viable, relevant, and robust. ences as a career path. The geosciences have been conducting webinars on subjects
historically have not been as attractive to as wide ranging as geoscience careers and
GSA CODE OF ETHICS STATEMENT People of Color as other STEM disciplines. virtual field methods, and we anticipate
AND ETHICAL COMPLAINTS I will be serving on a panel discussion our annual meeting, GSA 2020 Connects
GSA expects our members to adhere to about what geoscience societies may do to Online (https://community.geosociety.org/
interactions that speak to collegiality, help this situation at our 2020 annual meet- gsa2020/home), will be terrific if members
inclusiveness, and respect. Certainly con- ing. I refer you to the following link for give the virtual medium a chance. Do
cerns raised by the “Me Too Movement” details on what we are already doing and come! Present. Learning the online plat-
apply to geosciences as well. To this end, how you might be able to participate: form will not be onerous—even I can learn
GSA implemented a comprehensive Code https://www.geosociety.org/documents/gsa/ it. I am convinced more of our conferences
of Ethics and Professional Conduct (https:// diversity/dei-action-202006.pdf. or at least parts of our conferences will be
www.geosociety.org/gsa/membership/ presented online after COVID-19 becomes
code-of-ethics/gsa/membership/code-of- COVID-19 AND THE FUNDAMENTAL part of history. Too many geoscientists will
ethics.aspx) this past year. We developed a CHANGE IN HOW GEOSCIENCE have come to accept virtual as the norm,
methodology for handling ethics com- MAY BE DONE IN THE FUTURE much as universities and colleges will have
plaints we receive regarding GSA member The fundamental core missions of our to have more online courses normatively.
conduct. Should such conduct, whether Society consist of promoting geoscience,
inside or outside of our venues, have seri- hosting meetings to present science, and MEMBERSHIP
ous merit, an ad-hoc ethics panel (our eth- facilitating our members to network and As GSA president, I’ve wanted to bring
ics officer, our executive director, and past forge scientific collaborations and publish more applications-based science into GSA
presidents) assesses the findings of fact and outstanding scientific contributions. Only to both enrich the intellectual life of the
then brings them to Council for a decision. the last of these missions has been rela- Society and to attract members. To this
I urge all members to review our new tively unaffected by COVID-19. All our end, I challenged GSA’s members and its
ethics policies, which are online at https:// administrative meetings, from Council Divisions at my Presidential Address (GSA
www.geosociety.org/ethics. on down, have been done virtually since 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona,
March. All the in-person GSA spring USA) to become leaders in new initiatives
BLACK LIVES MATTER Section Meetings were cancelled except for to address how humanity can adapt to
Most recently, our nation has been pain- our South-Central Section Meeting, held in large-scale environmental changes caused
fully made aware of how serious institu- Fort Worth, Texas, USA. We did pivot the by future climate disruption. GSA's
tional racism has persisted across America. Duluth, Minnesota, USA, North-Central Geology and Society Division has accepted
Our Black students and colleagues literally Section Meeting (NCGSA) from in-person this challenge, and I look forward to seeing
face what has been described to me as “an to a successful virtual meeting. Our 2020 what they will be doing to this end at our
existential decision” should they decide to annual meeting will also be online. future meetings. I did identify cultural dif-
pursue fieldwork in rural or even some sub- GSA is not alone. The annual European ferences between application and discovery
urban locations in America. To be honest, it Geosciences Union (EGU) met virtually science that may be more of an impediment
took me a while to digest this information. instead of in Vienna, Austria, but even so, than intellectual differences in attracting

12 FY2020 GSA Annual Report