Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Maryland Sea Grant strives to be an inclusive organization that welcomes people of any race, religion, age, disability, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, place of origin, veteran-status, gender identity, and sexual orientation as members of our staff, partners, and constituents. Throughout our tenure, we have aspired to be broadly inclusive. However, we recognize a more intentional and committed approach is critical to achieve our mission and create lasting change. Diversity in our workforce brings the greatest breadth of ideas, cultures, experiences, and backgrounds to increase the sustainability of the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland Coastal Bays. We are a stronger organization when we attract diverse voices, and a more effective one when we heed all concerns.
 

Diversity Statement  •  Core Values  •  Organizational Excellence  •  Our Commitment
 

Diversity Statement

Maryland Sea Grant reaffirms our commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice through collaboration with all communities. We commit to doing more to connect with and support Black, Indigenous, and people of color. We commit to work with people from all backgrounds and experiences so we can become a more educated, understanding, and compassionate community. We commit to expand our thinking, our workforce, and our actions to create a more equal and just society. We understand all perspectives are needed to address the complex environmental, economic, and social problems facing Marylanders who live around the Chesapeake and coastal bays and their watersheds. Building diversity in our workforce and partnering with diverse communities brings together the greatest breadth of ideas, cultures, experiences, and backgrounds so we can build a more sustainable environment. Diversity in our activities through expanded partnerships and leveraging of resources strengthens our program’s and Maryland communities’ resilience.

Core Values

To serve the needs of our diverse constituencies, Maryland Sea Grant strives to:

Develop broadly collaborative relationships. We commit to inclusive relationship building with people from all backgrounds and experiences and to work with all who are dedicated to restoring and sustaining the Chesapeake and coastal bays and their watersheds.

Catalyze translational and transformational science. We will address scientific topics that advance innovation, inform decision-making, develop new products, and foster new economic opportunities.

Deliver innovative and integrative education and outreach. We will strive to promote inclusive programs and integrate education and awareness in our core areas of research, education, and extension. We will create opportunities and deliver programs and products that integrate these core areas so we can empower scientists, policymakers, managers, educators, students, communities, and committed citizens as they collectively work to understand issues and act as stewards of the Chesapeake and coastal bays and their watersheds.

Be locally, regionally, and nationally relevant. We will support research and engage in activities that have a wide-ranging impact.

Achieve organizational excellence. We will responsibly manage our program, support professional development opportunities for our staff, and serve our constituents with distinction.

Organizational Excellence

We view ourselves as a service organization whose strengths in administration, communication, extension, education, and research unite to advance our mission. Achieving organizational excellence requires a commitment to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture and we commit to these values to meet program goals and achieve programmatic success. In addition, we must reach the broad talent of Maryland’s academic and scientific communities and link this expertise to diverse constituencies. We strive to engage our audiences in issues critical to community resilience and issues that affect the ecological health of our watersheds, coastal, and marine systems.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We share the values of the National Sea Grant Office, the federal administrator of the National Sea Grant College Program, which we are a part. Specifically, we strive to:

• Create a welcoming environment where individuals feel accepted, valued, and safe regardless of status;
• Create an environment that encourages the open expression of ideas;
• Insist on respectful behavior because words and actions, or the lack thereof, have powerful meaning;
• Initiate conversations that address implicit bias within our organization and the communities in which we work;
• Listen to and learn from our colleagues and stakeholders with different cultural and/or ethnic backgrounds to more effectively amplify diverse perspectives;
• Recognize how we as individuals and as an organization unfairly benefit from or are hindered by systems that perpetuate injustice and racism and hold ourselves accountable to address systemic racism and other systems of oppression through regular reflection, conversation, and evaluation as part of our program meetings.
• Become a leader and an ally among our partners to address issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our office operations and programming.