Engagement opportunities in the Thriving Departments Inclusion Series
Collective learning webinars
Come together with other participants from across the physics community for 75-minute, virtual webinars to explore topics related to departmental culture and sustainable change. Each session highlights a key issue related to departmental change in physics, helping to build field-level momentum while introducing practical strategies that you can adapt to your own contexts and institutions.
From attending these webinars, you can expect: short expert presentations and panel discussions, interactive audience question-and-answer periods, exposure to effective practices and emerging ideas across the field, and more!
Our collective learning webinars explore topics related to departmental culture and sustainable change.
Student success in physics extends far beyond grades and academic performance. How can departments better support students’ sense of belonging, well-being, identity development, and long-term engagement in the field?
Student success in physics extends far beyond grades and academic performance. How can departments better support students’ sense of belonging, well-being, identity development, and long-term engagement in the field?
What does it take to build a physics department where all members feel a sense of belonging, support, and shared purpose?
Topical cohort series
These short, three-week-long virtual cohort experiences will give you deeper opportunities to explore a focused topic related to thriving departments and professional success in physics, emphasizing skill development and practical implementation.
From attending the topical cohort series, you can expect: facilitator-led, small-group discussions, structured activities and guided reflection, collaborative problem solving and action planning, and more!
Some examples of topics these series may discuss are: effective mentoring practices, building productive mentor–mentee relationships, navigating change and resistance in academic environments, inclusive recruitment and retention strategies, and departmental climate improvement strategies.
Topical cohort series for 2026 and 2027
Participants are welcome to join any topical cohort that may be of interest to them. These three-week-long virtual cohort experiences will give you deeper opportunities to explore a focused topic related to thriving departments and professional success in physics, emphasizing skill development and practical implementation. Spaces are limited.
This cohort will support participants in exploring assumptions around introductory physics within their institutional context and identify relevant stakeholders to engage in conversations to intentionally build systems-level change efforts, improve department climate, and navigate internal resistance to modernizing introductory courses.
In three, interactive sessions, we introduce a framework to help participants analyze and critique common approaches to equity work. Participants will leave with a better understanding of why typical efforts fail and a roadmap to guide more productive efforts.
Join this interactive, three-week topical cohort to explore the relationship between physics identity, departmental culture, and sustainable change in graduate education.
Through these sessions, participants will explore how this student group’s background influences their academic path and campus interactions, emphasizing the roles of advisors, professors, mentors, and administrators in creating an equitable environment.
This interactive workshop examines how equity-centered faculty communication can foster environments where all students are recognized as capable contributors to the physics community.
More ways to get involved in the Thriving Departments Inclusion Series
The Thriving Departments Inclusion Series has multiple opportunities for you to advance your leadership skills and promote inclusive, welcoming communities in physics.
Submit your proposal to serve as a facilitator for the Thriving Physics Department Inclusion Series to transform physics departments. As a facilitator, you will lead a topical cohort series – short, three-week virtual learning experiences designed to foster deeper engagement around focused topics related to departmental transformation and professional success in physics.
The Thriving Physics Department Inclusion Series seeks to highlight innovative and impactful research and programs taking place on our member campuses that advance student, faculty, and staff success, belonging, and well-being. These efforts will be featured in the Inclusion Series webinars and included in other outlets to inspire, guide, and support departments in creating spaces for transformational culture and climate change.
Discover benefits of participating in this initiative
Physics faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as graduate students and postdocs, physics professionals and practitioners, and anyone interested in strengthening physics communities to be more accessible, welcoming, and collaborative can benefit from joining the Thriving Departments Inclusion Series. Develop skills and practices for addressing the challenges your are facing and will encounter in the future as you contribute to transforming physics departments into more accessible and welcoming environments.
Stay in touch
Learn about the Thriving Departments Inclusion Series, ways to participate, and more.
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