Yesterday, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Leshner Public Engagement Fellows called upon AAAS to adopt a strong, enforceable policy to address harassment. This message was disseminated through a public letter and social media campaign, encouraging AAAS members and the scientific community alike to sign their support. Melissa Kenney, ESSIC / CICS-MD associate research professor and 2016-2017 Leshner Fellow was among the leads.
The letter calls for a strict policy against awarding honors to individuals who engage in harassing behavior, including sexual harassment.
“Instituting such a policy would send a clear message to the scientific community that attaining the highest levels of achievement in science is incompatible with behavior that harms, degrades, and discriminates,” the fellows write.
In addition to her work with ESSIC and CICS-MD, Kenney is also an affiliate at the Department of Geographical Sciences. Her research broadly addresses how to integrate scientific knowledge and societal values into policy decision-making under uncertainty. Recently, a team of UMD researchers she co-led received a $750,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.
To read and sign the letter, click here.
