Session L06: Excellence in Education Award Session

2022 Excellence in Physics Education Award Recipient: TEAM-UP: A Bold Initiative to Increase African American Students Earning Bachelor's Degrees on Physics and Astronomy

In 2017 the American Institute of Physics (AIP) commissioned a two-year task force (TEAM-UP) to examine the persistent underrepresentation of African American students earning bachelor's degrees in physics and astronomy. Data shows that African American students entering college with the interest, motivation, and pre-college preparation to major in physics and astronomy do not persist in our disciplines at the same rate as they persist in other quant-heavy sciences and engineering disciplines. In this talk we report on the background that led to AIP's commissioning the TEAM-UP task force study and give an overview of the findings and recommendations from the TEAM-UP study and report. The task force found that the reasons for this persistent underrepresentation are in large part due to a lack of investment by the physics community in providing these students with key support: 1) to develop a strong sense of belonging in the physics community, 2) to develop a sense of identity as a budding physicist or astronomer, 3) to become academically sophisticated learners in supportive and inclusive classroom and laboratory environments, and 4) to overcome financial and other social/psychological challenges. Research shows that such support can be critical in student persistence in the major. Creating an environment that promotes the success of African American undergraduates cannot be achieved by lone champions or an occasional welcoming course environment, but instead requires a coordinated shift in the culture of physics and astronomy departments supported by individuals, departments, universities, professional societies, and funding agencies.   

Excellence in Physics Education Award Recipient (2022): Beyond the TEAM-UP Report: Implementation Workshops, Departmental Engagement, and Next steps toward Achieving the Doubling Goal

The AIP TEAM-UP Report, The Time Is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African Americans with Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics & Astronomy, highlighted the reasons for the underrepresentation of African American/Black students at the undergraduate level in physics and astronomy, outlined evidence-based recommendations for addressing those reasons, and issued a challenge to the community to double the number of African Americans earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy per year by 2030. In order to achieve this goal, cultural and systemic issues must be addressed and departments, professional societies, individuals, policy makers, and funders will have to work together to support and sustain these changes.

Following the release of the TEAM-UP report, AIP received a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation to organize two TEAM-UP (Report recommendation) Implementation workshops for a select group of physics and astronomy departments committed to cultural change, and to work with them to develop strategic plans for systemic change that supports the success of African American students. These departments have now been working for a year to learn about systemic racism and inequity affecting Black students in physics and astronomy, assessing their particular departmental cultures, and drafting plans for creating inclusive, equitable departments that attract and retain African American students.

In this talk, I will describe the TEAM-UP Implementation workshops, sharing information from the talks and workshop survey; provide an overview of the year-long engagement with the core physics and astronomy departments; and give insights on the process, what we’ve learned, and how other departments can begin to tackle systemic change that supports African American students.   

2022 Excellence in Physics Education Award Recipient: Teaming Up to Change the Culture in Physics

The TEAM-UP report argued that doubling the numbers of African Americans earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and astronomy requires changing the culture in these professions. Such change cannot be accomplished by individuals, departments, or professional societies alone but requires that all work together. Moreover, the traditional approach of strategic planning is inappropriate when there is no agreement about the existence and nature of the problem to be solved, or the problem is not viewed by everyone as requiring solution.

Research in the social sciences has identified ways to drive cultural change in organizations and even across society at large. Based on studies in higher education, the TEAM-UP report provided a set of research-based recommendations on cultural change management for professional societies, departments, and individuals. Numerous projects devoted to equity, diversity, and inclusion in physics and astronomy are advancing these recommendations. This talk will provide a snapshot of research-based cultural change efforts in these fields starting with TEAM-UP.