DEIA in the Scholarly Landscape: A 2024 NISO Training Series

Scope

This training series is designed to cater to individuals at all stages of their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) journey. Whether you are at the beginning stages of DEIA work or you are an experienced leader spearheading a well-established DEIA program, this training offers everyone an opportunity for progress. This training series will cover topics such as expanding representation in the industry, understanding the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) as it relates to DEIA, implementing standards and processes in the industry to promote equity, and taking steps to address past harms and deconstruct inequitable systems. Each session will feature guest speakers who will offer expertise on advancing DEIA work in scholarly publishing; attendees will have the opportunity to learn from and engage with these experts – and with each other – in a collaborative forum. This is an interactive series where attendees will be able to strategize with and learn from their peers in small discussion settings. Attendees will emerge from the course with insights from established professionals in their field, an expanded network of peers with a shared commitment to DEIA, and actionable steps to advance DEIA within their organizations.

Overall Learning Objectives

1. An understanding of how systemic inequities inhibit work progress, and steps for mitigating those inequities.
2. Knowledge of how to identify and interrupt bias and inequities in an evolving scholarly landscape.
3. Each session will provide attendees with concrete steps to move their organizations forward no matter where they are in their DEIA journeys.

Training Facilitator

Steph Pollock, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead, American Psychological Association’s Journals Program

Stephanie (Steph) Pollock, MPS (she/her) is the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead for the American Psychological Association’s Journals Program. In this role, she directs and implements EDI initiatives for the APA’s 89 journals, working with APA staff, editors, and governance - as well as groups outside of APA - to promote equity and improve representation in science and scholarly publishing. With more than 12 years in the publishing industry, Steph has advanced key equity and inclusion initiatives for APA Publishing through such recent projects as APA’s EDI Toolkit for Journal Editors and APA Journals’ Editorial Fellowship program. She is a co-author on the C4DISC Antiracism Toolkit for Organizations, a member of the Association of American Publishers' DEI Practitioner Network, and the incoming Co-Chair for the Society of Scholarly Publishing’s DEIA Committee. Steph identifies as a white cisgender woman who was born in and lives in the eastern United States; she is committed to using her platforms and the power she inherits from these identities to advance social justice and amplify the voices of people with lived experiences of oppression.

Disclaimer: Steph is serving as co-facilitator of this training series in an individual capacity, not affiliated with her role at the American Psychological Association. The views expressed in this series are her own and do not represent the official views of the American Psychological Association.

Training Facilitator

Damita Snow, Director of Accessibility & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy, Publications & Standards, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)

Damita Snow, CAE, ENV SP, (she/her) is the Director of Accessibility & Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy, Publications & Standards, at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). She is the founder and former chair of ASCE’s Staff Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Council. In addition, she has served as a co-chair for the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee at the Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP), where she currently holds a position on the board.

Snow’s leadership experience extends to her roles as the Community Engagement Committee and the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee chairs for Association Media & Publishing (AM&P). She was also a member of the Research Committee arm of the Foundation at the American Society of Association Executives Foundation (ASAE).

Previously, Snow co-chaired the Publications Special Interest Group for the Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives (CESSE) and was a member of the Annual Meeting Committee. At present, she is a board member of Black Associations Executives (BAE), as well as the coordinator for the 2024 Women in Artificial Intelligence Global, Responsible AI, Speaker Series.

Guest Speakers

Confirmed guest speakers include Atinuke Adediran (Fordham University), Cristina Bartolomei (American Chemical Society), Rebecca Benner (SSP Early-Career Committee Co-Chair), Carlos Cardenas (NBCRNA), Samantha Evans (International Association of Accessibility Professionals), Racquel Jemison (American Chemical Society), Shaina Lange (American Society of Nephrology and C4DISC DEIA Committee Co-Chair), Monica Dillingham Pemberton (American Council on Education and Association Women Technology Champions Board Member), and Dianndra Roberts (Royal College of Psychiatry and Scholarly Kitchen Chef).

Be sure to check back for additions and updates!

Course Duration and Dates

The series consists of eight (8) weekly segments, each lasting 90 minutes. Specific dates are:

• June 6, 13, 20, 27
• July 11, 18, 25 (no class July 4)
• August 1

Each session will be recorded and links to that archived recording will be disseminated to course registrants within 2 business days of the close of the specific session. We strongly encourage attendees to download these files to ensure continued access.