Academic Affairs & Diversity at LDEO

Welcome to the homepage for Academic Affairs & Diversity. As a leading world-class research enterprise and home to more than 400 exceptionally talented employees, LDEO is committed to fostering a healthy and vibrant work environment for all. The newly created office of Academic Affairs & Diversity has been a response to the recommendations of the ADVANCE program, a  $4.2 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award given to the Earth Institute, aimed at increasing the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minority scientists at Columbia University through institutional transformation.

LDEO’s unique position within the Earth Institute as a center for scientific research as well as a campus by itself makes it an ideal place to launch ADVANCE and to set the stage for diversity initiatives that will ultimately be integrated into the greater community. This program has been hailed as a success and reflects commitment to diversity at Columbia University, with LDEO leading the way. President Lee Bollinger’s 2008 Diversity Statement for Affirmative Action included the following about our NSF-ADVANCE program:

“…We are especially proud of the Columbia Earth Institute’s ADVANCE program,... Not only has ADVANCE enhanced the diversity of our faculty, it has also strengthened Columbia’s ties to emerging and established scholars across the country through the Marie Tharp Visiting Fellowship Program…”

The newly created position of Assistant Director, Academic Affairs & Diversity is housed in the Office of the Director and reflects the commitment of the Director and other senior management towards our goal of creating a more diverse community at Lamont. While diversity is an important focus of this office, the ultimate goal is to improve the quality of the work environment for all.

We hope this website provides you with useful information about this office. Please feel free to contact us with any feedback, comments or suggestions.