Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences

Diversity and Inclusion

DEEPS is devoted to cultivating an open and inclusive environment that is welcoming to people of all backgrounds, including but not limited to physical and mental ability, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, political views, religious beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender.

Diversity and Inclusion

DEEPS is devoted to cultivating an open and inclusive environment that is welcoming to people of all backgrounds, including but not limited to physical and mental ability, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, political views, religious beliefs, national origin, sexual orientation, and gender.

A core mission of DEEPS is to promote equity and diversity within the department, Brown University, and within the broader science community.

We acknowledge that, like many fields, the Earth sciences are part of a larger history of racism and imperialism that has been used to uphold systems of oppression. Furthermore, we recognize that it is our responsibility to mindfully work towards dismantling these systems, supporting diversity, and combatting historical prejudices through a variety of anti-racist, anti-homophobic, anti-sexist, and other inclusive actions.

About the DIAC

The DEEPS Diversity, Inclusion, and Action Committee (DIAC) meets regularly and organizes department-wide town halls, readings and discussions, and training events to cultivate diversity and inclusivity.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Undergraduates from around the nation are invited to come to Brown University this summer to engage in cutting-edge research in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences.

“ Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island, on the lands which are within the ancestral homelands of the Narragansett Indian Tribe.

We acknowledge that the Narragansett Indian Tribe was dispossessed from their lands by the forces of settler colonialism, and we acknowledge our ongoing responsibility to understand and respond to the legacy of those actions. We acknowledge that the Narragansett and other Indigenous peoples have called Providence home for centuries and continue to do so today.

We acknowledge with humility and respect the Narragansett Indian Tribe whose ancestors stewarded these lands with great care, and we commit to working together to honor our past and build our future with truth. ”

Brown University Land Acknowledgement

Recent News

 More DEEPS News
Brown Daily Herald

Gender gap in physical science persists, Herald poll finds

A recent Brown Daily Herald poll found that female students are less likely than their male counterparts to study the physical sciences at Brown. DEEPS Chair, Professor Meredith Hastings discussed how representation and the “leaky pipeline" contribute to this issue, and highlighted ways it is being addressed. “We definitely have seen the numbers go up across the board,” Hastings said, adding that more work is yet to be done, such as addressing exclusionary behaviors.
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AGU23 Outstanding Student Presentation Awards

Two DEEPS Graduate Students Receive AGU's 2023 Outstanding Student Presentation Awards

Anahi Carrera won within the Education section for her AGU presentation titled, "Underrepresentation of first-generation college students in the geosciences - A diverse group to support in the post-Affirmative Action era." Alexia Rojas won within Tectonophysics for her AGU presentation titled, "Long Term San Andreas Fault Offset Re-Examined Through a Multichronometer Study of a Key Piercing Point." We are very proud of Anahi and Alexia for their achievements and recognition from the community!
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Brown Daily Herald

Women faculty discuss informal advising, ‘underappreciated’ service to Brown community

The University’s Task Force on the Status of Women Faculty’s April 2023 report found that women faculty feel their service to the Brown community is “undocumented and, as a consequence, underappreciated.” Professor Jan Tullis commented on the role of women mentors, especially for those in STEM, saying that “there’s been a tendency over time … for women students to feel more comfortable coming to me as an advisor … especially about personal things, but also (about) academic things.”
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