ECoGSS: A student-led departmental symposium integrating research and critical discussions of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Departmental research symposiums serve vital roles in graduate student professional development. These events provide opportunities for students to develop and receive feedback on science communication skills in a safe, familiar environment, while instilling a sense of department camaraderie and collegiality. However, symposiums rarely focus on topics related to historical and contemporary issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Without active engagement in these conversations, symposiums remain narrowly focused on research output, lacking broader discussions on the practice of science, i.e. critically assessing workplace climate that potentially bars contributions from marginalized groups, and consequently fostering change at the local, department, and scientific community level. Here we highlight how the Environmental Conservation Graduate Student Symposium (ECoGSS) at UMass Amherst provides a space for graduate student professional development and internal departmental reflection for improvement on DEI matters.

ECoGSS was initiated in 2017 to engage graduate students in science communication, connect them with non-academic professionals, and showcase the diversity of conservation science research at UMass. To improve department-level collaboration and camaraderie, it was imperative that ECoGSS highlight discussions on community and DEI in both the department and the field of conservation science. ECoGSS has achieved these goals by (1) providing feedback on student research presentations, (2) offering a platform for student-led panel discussions, (3) connecting students with conservation professionals in networking workshops, (4) forming relationships with allies in the department for institutional support and aid in facilitating discussions on improving department climate, (5) connecting researchers across departments and outside UMass to facilitate discussions on critical perspectives in conservation science, and (6) collecting feedback from symposium discussions to recognize and prioritize workplace climate initiatives. ECoGSS provides a blueprint for a graduate student-led symposium that showcases student research, improves communication and networking skills, and centers discussions of DEI issues within conservation science.