IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2023 - 128

Inclusion Chair was appointed for the GRSS 2023 flagship
conference, the International Geoscience and Remote
Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), for the purpose of viewing
the conference through a DEIAB lens. IGARSS 2023 provided
gender-neutral bathrooms and implemented both a
family room and a lactation room. These conference facilities
are important steps forward in providing a facility and
an experience that are more inclusive and accessible and
where our broader geoscience and remote sensing community
feels at home.
UNCONSCIOUS BIAS WORKSHOP WITHIN
THE GRSS LEADERSHIP
As mentioned previously, companies and organizations
that invest in DEI training and workshops can reap benefits
in terms of productivity and innovation, to name a few.
Meanwhile fostering inclusion and belonging broadens
the organization's membership and enables the exchange
of ideas and partnerships across the wider scientific community.
However, an important topic that needs a deeper
dive to advance DEI within groups is understanding that
our differences also come with biases.
As a step further toward DEI, the GRSS leadership initiated
an Unconscious Bias Workshop that involved the
Society's Administrative Committee (AdCom). This workshop
was delivered by Felicia Jadczak of She+ Geeks Out
(SGO) on 15 July, the last day of the GRSS AdCom meeting
in Pasadena, CA, USA. The workshop was attended by
45 AdCom members. During the workshop, the foundations
of DEI were introduced, followed by a tool kit that
detailed the types of unconscious bias, how to spot these
biases, and steps on how to interrupt bias.
Some of the AdCom members who participated in
the workshop already had an understanding of DEI and
its definition, while others were earlier in their journey.
Meanwhile, the topic of unconscious bias was fairly new to
almost everyone who joined the workshop. The main
message presented in this workshop was that most of the
biases we have are involuntary and, as such, are referred to
as unconscious biases. It is essential to note that unconscious
bias is a natural human behavior-whether we like it or not.
Unconscious bias can be similarly compared to the wellknown
idiom, " Birds of the same feather flock together. "
This means that we chose to unintentionally or intentionally
move toward those with whom we have more in common.
Because of this, we learn stereotypes that automatically drive
and affect our understanding and interactions with other
people. It is important to acknowledge that we can never
eliminate bias. If we can recognize and familiarize ourselves
with these unintentional biases, it will lead us to initiate
strategies to interrupt such biases.
The 2.5-h Unconscious Bias Workshop ignited an engaging
discussion with the AdCom members-from the
confirmation bias where one tends to cherry-pick information
and interpret it to confirm one's beliefs; to the gender
bias where one prefers a gender over another; to the affin128
ity
bias where one makes decisions as a result of personal
connections. According to feedback collected after the
workshop, some AdCom members felt more comfortable
speaking about DEI and were eager to have additional interactive
sessions to spot and mitigate unconscious bias. In
addition, some AdCom members suggested that more time
could have been dedicated to the workshop and that future
workshops should include interactive sessions where situations
are enacted and interventions are explored. The GRSS
leadership will consider feedback on this first introductory
workshop as it continues to develop awareness around DEI.
As SGO pointed out, the real work commences once the
workshop ends. It is important that Society leaders execute
good intervention strategies and encourage members to do
the same. In addition, familiarizing oneself with bias and
recognizing that we all have biases encourages us to remain
open and impartial and to resist falling into assumptions.
Of course, the takeaway message from this workshop is to
practice and train ourselves to consciously identify biases.
Again, this workshop provided an introduction to unconscious
bias for GRSS AdCom members. This foundation
can be built on by members carrying this knowledge
forward as the GRSS continues to develop strategies to advance
the goals of DEIAB.
CONCLUSION: THE GRSS DEI
CONTINUES THE JOURNEY
Just as the ISS fosters a sense of belonging and shared
purpose among its diverse crew, the GRSS recognizes the
vital role of DEIAB in cultivating an environment where
everyone feels welcomed. This sense of belonging will excel
in innovation to better understand our interactions with
Earth's ecosystems.
The journey toward a more diverse and inclusive geoscience
community within the GRSS does not end here; it is an
ongoing commitment that requires collective effort. Initiatives
such as the DEIAB Ad Hoc Committee and the Unconscious
Bias Workshop demonstrate ongoing efforts to create
an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members.
By actively addressing and discussing unconscious biases in
the workshop, the GRSS is emphasizing the need to open
the dialog and continue to engage on the topic. Moreover,
the DEIAB Ad Hoc Committee will work to create institutional
changes embedded in Society governance, policies,
and procedures.
If, after reading this, you have any input on how the
GRSS can serve you better as a member and advance
inclusiveness and belonging in the Society, please e-mail
president@grss-ieee.org.
REFERENCES
[1] " Diversity defined, " Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion,
Toronto, ON, Canada, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://
ccdi.ca/our-story/diversity-defined/
[2] " Diversity, equity, and inclusion definitions, " Univ. of
Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://
IEEE GEOSCIENCE AND REMOTE SENSING MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2023
https://ccdi.ca/our-story/ https://ccdi.ca/our-story/ https://www.washington.edu/research/or/office-of-research-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/dei-definitions/
IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Magazine - September 2023

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