Genetics Society of America
The Genetics Society of America, supported by the Board of Directors and the Equity and Inclusion Committee, is committed to building an equitable future for the Society, journals, conferences, early career scientist programs, and the larger scientific community.
This Vision for Inclusive Conferences has been prepared by the Genetics Society of America’s Equity and Inclusion Committee, which comprises members of GSA scientific communities supported by staff. It should serve to normalize and cultivate inclusion across all GSA conferences and to provide a foundational level of information from which to work. It will be updated to grow and change alongside us.
Driven by GSA’s commitment to equity and inclusion, the GSA Equity and Inclusion (E&I) Committee designed the Inclusion Ambassador Program in 2023. This program, piloted at two conferences in 2024, aims to foster a more welcoming and inclusive environment for conference attendees by promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The primary responsibilities of Inclusion Ambassadors are modeling inclusive behavior, promoting DEI programming at the conference, and providing information on GSA’s Code of Conduct and DEI efforts. By doing so, Ambassadors help create a safer and more welcoming space for all attendees.
You can volunteer to be an Inclusion Ambassador when you register for a GSA Conference (Upcoming: The 66th Annual Drosophila Research Conference, and the 25th International Worm Meeting). For questions, email equityinclusion@genetics-gsa.org.
Browse DEI scholarship sessions that were presented at GSA conferences by visiting our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion playlist on YouTube.
Stay up to date on Equity and Inclusion Committee activities through the GSA blog Genes to Genomes.
Equity and Inclusion Update: Inclusive Conferences and Building Neighborhoods
The GSA E&I Committee provides an update on their recent activities.
GSA’s Early Career Leadership Program sends a weekly newsletter, and Equity and Inclusion Committee members occasionally contribute short resources on DEI-related topics:
Parent Scientists during the Pandemic by Shan Meltzer
Promoting DEI on an Individual Level by Anna Allen and Sarah Bay
Diversity on Several Axes: Intersectionality in STEM* by Derek Applewhite
Navigating academic environments as a disabled person by Stephen Klusza
Broadening citation practices by Matthew Hahn
Diversity, equity, and inclusion on the job market: How to tell who’s walking the walk, not just talking the talk by Lesley MacNeil
Improving communication skills: A key step towards self-advocacy and academic career development by Quan Yuan
Be Collaborative, Be Respectful, Be Legal, and Be Safe by Rebecca Tarvin
Tailoring language to include instead of exclude by Sarah Bay
Embracing the multicultural academic environment by Ci Fu
An Open Invitation to Open Science by Stephen Klusza
Practicing failure in diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging by Hannah Grunwald
Redefining “normal” language by Karen Hales
The Pressures of a Being First-Generation Graduate Student by Rochelle Yap
