IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023 - 99

WOMEN IN GRSS
STEPHANIE TUMAMPOS AND SHAWN C. KEFAUVER
The IEEE GRSS IDEA Committee:
Championing Diversity in Adversity
A
fter more than two years of hard lockdowns and
restricted mobility, the whole world carefully returns
to normalcy. With this, the IEEE Geoscience and
Remote Sensing Society (GRSS) Inspire, Develop, Empower,
and Advance (IDEA) Committee took the opportunity
to attend two conferences in person, continuing
its campaign for inclusivity and diversity.
Stephanie Tumampos, who currently volunteers as
the committee's social media ambassador and also the
host of the organization's podcast, " Down to Earth: A
Podcast for Geoscientists by Geoscientists, " physically
went and contributed to the championing of women in
the field of geosciences and remote sensing at the Living
Planet Symposium 2022 (LPS 2022), held in Bonn,
Germany, from 23 to 27 May, and at the organization's
annual gathering, IGARSS 2022, held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, from 17 to 22 June.
In this article, we recap the events that transpired
during these gatherings and highlight the lessons
learned and ways forward toward a voice for those who
can't speak out themselves.
LPS 2022: CHALLENGES OF WOMEN
" It's never easy to be a girl or a woman, " Stephanie
Tumampos said in front of a crowd that gathered and
crowded the middle section of the plenary hall of the
World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany, where
the agora session, " Cultivating an Inclusive Future in
Remote Sensing and Earth Observation, " was held (Figure
1). LPS 2022, attended by almost 4,500 participants
composed of students, faculty, and professionals from
both public institutions and private companies, was a
huge success not only due to the impressive attendance
but also because of the research showcased and the important
topics discussed in different agora sessions.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MGRS.2022.3229303
Date of current version: 9 January 2023
MARCH 2023 IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE
One of these agora sessions, simultaneously held
together in different parts of the plenary hall, was the
session organized by the Ladies of Landsat and Sisters
of SAR and supported by the committee, titled " Cultivating
an Inclusive Future in Remote Sensing and Earth
Observation. " This was the only topic of its own in the
whole conference. Six women sat in front with two more
speakers presenting online and spoke about the struggles
that women face in terms of opportunities, work environment,
and work-life balance. Aside from the GRSS
IDEA's representative, the panelists were composed of
Dr. Yana Gevorgyan from GEO; Dr. Meghan Halabisky
from the University of Washington and Digital Earth
Africa; Dr. Polyanna da Conceição Bispo from the University
of Manchester; Sabrina Szeto of Women+ in Geospatial;
Meenal Dhande of Geospatial World Media; Dr.
Genevieve Patenaude of Earth Blox; and Dr. Fang Yuan
FIGURE 1. Stephanie Tumampos (right) speaks to the LPS
2022 audience during an agora session on 24 May 2022 titled
" Cultivating an Inclusive Future in Remote Sensing and Earth
Observation, " organized by the Sisters of SAR and Ladies of
Landsat and supported by the GRSS IDEA Committee. (Source:
Shawn C. Kefauver.)
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IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - March 2023

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