‘Ordinary’ Champions
Mentorships help our staff develop a greater sense of belonging and cultivate work satisfaction, positively influencing the institute’s culture.
At the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), we value and rely on contributions from a diverse workforce and community. We respect and celebrate the attributes, identities, beliefs, expertise, and perspectives that make each individual uniquely who they are, and believe that these differences enable excellence and promote our collective success. Diversity and inclusion are interrelated and deeply intertwined, which is why success in either requires a commitment to both. For these reasons, staff at the institute are focused on strategies that contribute to both diversity and inclusion.
A diverse workforce is made up of individuals with a wide range of characteristics and experiences. This includes age; ethnicity; gender; gender expression; language differences; marital status; nationality; occupation; parental status; physical abilities; neurodiversity; race; religion; sexual orientation; skin color; socio-economic status; work and behavioral styles; the perspectives of each individual shaped by their nation, experiences, and culture—and more. Each person is unique, whether they appear so or not.
Inclusion: the act or practice of including and accommodating people who have historically been excluded (due to their race, gender, sexuality, or ability)
Our focus on inclusion puts the concept and practice of diversity into action by creating an environment of involvement, respect, and connection—where the richness of ideas, backgrounds, and perspectives are harnessed to create value. Inclusion recognizes that we are “one” even though we are not the same, that all people are born “in.”
Read about the actions we take to make our aspirations for a truly representative workforce a reality.
Mentorships help our staff develop a greater sense of belonging and cultivate work satisfaction, positively influencing the institute’s culture.
STScI’s Diversity Officer Sharron Gatling explains how STScI is paving the way for a stronger, more collaborative workplace.
Read an in-depth interview with Sharron Gatling, STScI’s first diversity officer, and learn about her upcoming initiatives to support our staff.
Staff created programming to support our understanding of and response to diversity, equity, and inclusion topics at the institute.
Each of us has a responsibility to help create safer environments for the people around us.
How employee-led initiatives are influencing the institute’s culture.