This panel discussion was co-organized with the USPA DEI Committee and the Polar Science Early Career Community Office, and the following content is from the USPA website.
At the USPA’s Annual Meeting in December, the USPA announced the launch of the USPA Family Care Program (FCP). The FCP was created to support and recognize the additional financial and logistical burdens placed upon families within the permafrost community.
As part of this initiative, the FCP is hosting a panel discussion on families in the permafrost community with a focus on balancing childcare and work responsibilities, including travel for conducting fieldwork and attending conferences. The event will be held on April 11th, 2024 at 2-3pm EST. Please join us for an engaging discussion on the unique experiences and challenges faced by families conducting permafrost research. Our panelists will share their personal experience, insights, and strategies for balancing career aspirations with family life.
This event will also offer an opportunity to ask questions regarding USPA’s new Family Care Program including caregiver awards to support travel-related work such as fieldwork and attending conferences. A call for applications will be announced in April 2024. Note that while the panel focuses on childcare the awards are eligible to support any type of human care, please visit the webpage for more information or reach out to program chair Melissa Ward Jones (mkwardjones@alaska.edu) to answer questions.
USPA members and non-members are welcomed and encouraged to join this discussion. If you are able, we suggest a donation of $5-10 to the USPA Family Care Program to support families in permafrost-related fields.
Date: April 11, 2024 (Thursday)
Time: 2:00 to 3:00pm EST | 12:00pm to 1:00pm MT | 10:00am to 11:00am AKPanelists:
Melissa Ward Jones, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jessica Ernakovich, University of New Hampshire
Sarah Evans, Appalachian State University
Eva Stephani, United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Liz Hoy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Content of Panel: Please join us for an engaging discussion on the unique experiences and challenges faced by families in permafrost science and engineering fields. Our panelists will share their personal experience, insights, and strategies for balancing career aspirations with family life.