AEESP Newsletter Published three times yearly by the Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors February 2020 President’s Letter Volume 55 No. 1 BY KARL LINDEN University of Colorado Boulder Dear AEESP What ensued in the days following was a trial-by- 3 AEESP News Community: fire education in harassment for me; served up by my insightful and experienced women graduate The President’s Letter is 8 Member News students. One senior grad student intervened that usually filled with news evening and confronted the visitor by phone, and ideas of initiatives of banning him from coming back to the lab the AEESP. These columns next day and demanding he meet with me imme- are meant to inform and diately upon my return. After personally connect- inspire you all. Today I ing with the students involved, I contacted the want to inspire you in a different way through dis- visitor with our unified message: We know what cussing a problem in our community that we have you are up to and we are taking action. We gave Highlights not had the chance to directly address. We have a the harassed student time off and contacted more harassment problem. All of us know someone or experienced faculty and appropriate offices at the have had some personal experience with harass- university to get support and understand our op- President’s Letter PAGE 1 ment in our professional lives. It’s time for AEESP tions. I made a few mistakes along the way and as an organization to address it. Spotlight PAGE 3 was immediately righted and appropriately edu- Harassment can take many forms. I recently had cated by my women students. Handling this took PAGE 4 Foundation Grant Report an experience with my research group that really days of time including contacting the industry’s Faculty Appointments PAGE 6 woke me up to this issue. We work a lot with in- legal representatives so they could take action dustry and collaborate on technology develop- with their employee (which they did rapidly and Member News PAGE 8 ment and testing. A male industry representative decisively), along with numerous individual and came to the lab to observe the testing we were research group meetings. Working with the uni- doing with their product. He then offered to take versity Office of Victims Assistance and Office of the two female students who were working on Institutional Equity and Compliance, I provided the project out for a beer. I was out of town and support for the students involved, held subse- due to return the next day. As it turned out, only quent meetings about this with my research Need to renew your 2020 one of the students could join him in the outing. group, faculty and other students affected, and or- AEESP membership? This particular student was due to graduate soon ganized a department seminar on “Skills for ad- Go to “Membership > Online Renewal” and this presented a great opportunity for her to dressing gender bias and harassment and on the AEESP Website: do some networking, to get some mentorship supporting peers”. and possible insights into industry research op- AEESP.org The fallout of this experience for the student af- portunities. During their outing, the industry rep- fected was a hesitancy to trust those in power resentative offered jobsand opportunities, and an with jobs and offers of support, an apprehension invitation to go out to dinner together to discuss of meeting up with people and networking, won- the opportunities further. The invitation and dering if this would happen again. This is severely AEESP Newsletter pending discussions were prefaced with a plea to damaging to an early career and taints our profes- keep what they discussed a secret and to not tell Submissions sion. her advisor (me) about these plans and offers. Please send news, conference This obviously predatory behavior was picked up Unfortunately, this was not my only experience. announcements, job postings, letters on. Concerned that a rejection of these “offers” At conferences and meetings outside the univer- to the editor, and other contributions would anger the visitor, the student texted her sity environment, we all work to give students the to the newsletter to Laura Arias boyfriend to meet her at the end of the visit in best opportunities for networking and outreach Chavez at [email protected]. The case there was any problem or aggression. She as we can. This includes taking them to lunches also texted a senior lab member to ask what she with other researchers, students and professors next newsletter will appear in should do, scared and nervous, knowing this was we want them to meet, or consultants or industry June 2020. not right. Continued on page 2 2 AEESP News AEESP Newsletter February 2020 representatives, depending on their career goals and aspirations. There are so many inspiring peo- ple among us! I specifically make sure to strategi- cally plan conference evening outings, often with other research groups, scoring free food and drinks hopping around to various consulting en- gineering parties and events, and taking every op- AEESP portunity to introduce my students to interesting industry and professional colleagues. I also stick with my students closely and we work as a team, making sure everyone is accounted for, heading between bars and events. An all too common The AEESP Newsletter is published three scene, and one I have experienced at conferences I times a year in February, June, and October frequent regularly with my students, is inappro- by the Association of Environmental priate and highly improper behavior by male in- Engineering and Science Professors. Issues dustry professionals, sometimes who are quite are published online at: well-known, toward our female students. We should not stand by and watch this happen any- www.aeesp.org/news more. It is imperative that we call this behavior out and create increased awareness around this Early winter Rocky Mountain National Park hike in Newsletter submissions, comments, and form of harassment. My typical way of handling Colorado with a few students in the Linden Research letters to the de itor may be sent to: this is to call our group and the students affected Group out of the event and make sure everyone gets Laura Arias Chavez back to their residence safely. But I now realize thought I was knowledgeable and caring; but I Newsletter Editor this is not enough. know I need to do more. c/o AEESP Business Office These are just two examples of the kind of preda- The AEESP Board has been talking about 1211 Connecticut Avenue, NW tory behavior that often happens when women what we can do to help educate our community Suite 650 try to develop professional networks. The prob- about harassment. This has been a significant Washington, DC 20036 lem is pervasive, and we must increase our vigi- topic at our last two board meetings. As a Phone: 202-640-6591 lance and call out those who perpetuate this start, we have decided to have AEESP join the [email protected] behavior. The i ssue i s well documented in our Societies Consortium on Sexual Harass- community. In 2018, the NASEM came out with a ment in STEMM (https:// poignant report that should be on your elec- educationcounsel.com/societiesconsortium/). Letters to the president may be sent to: tronic bookshelf: “Sexual Harassment of Women: This organization of over 110 members provides Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Aca- research, resources, and guidance to address Karl Linden demic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine”. You sexual harassment in the member societies, as Dept. of Civil, Environmental & Architectural can download it here (http://nap.edu/24994) It Engineering well as more broadly in the fields they is a comprehensive report about sexual harass- University of Colorado Boulder represent. From their website: “The mission ment in science, engineering and medicine, in- 607 UCB and role of societies is to set standards of 4001 Discovery Drive cluding toward graduate students and post-docs. excellence in STEMM fields, requiring high qual- Boulder, CO 80303 Please use this as a starting point to talk with your ity research, teaching and practice and high stan- Phone: 303-492-4798 students; distribute it to them and your col- dards of professional and ethical conduct. That is Email: [email protected] leagues. I challenge you all to spend at least one only possible in a community that includes all tal- research group meeting discussing these issues. I ent and is actively intolerant of sexual and inter- Please send address changes to: also suggest hosting a seminar during your nor- secting bases of harassment.” As a board we will mal seminar series time, addressing this topic learn more what this society is doing and make Brian Schorr with support from professionals within your uni- sure our membership has resources they need to AEESP Business Office versity. This issue is just as important as hearing better understand and confront these issues. Key 1211 Connecticut Ave NW, Suite 650 from the latest researcher in our field. to their mission is that our community needs to be “actively intolerant” toward all forms of harass- Washington, DC 20036 Finally, I invite you to share your experiences ment, and we all must pledge to do just that. phone: (202) 640-6591 with our community via Twitter using the hashtag email: [email protected] #MeTooAEESP — link us @AEESProfs to As always, I appreciate your feedback and com- your stories in blogs or news pieces, or just tweet ments about my newsletter column or anything AEESP Membership Application online: about your experiences directly. I am sure we are going on with AEESP.