The AIP National Task Force to Elevate African American Representation in Undergraduate Physics & Astronomy (TEAM-UP)
TEAM-UP has spent the last two years investigating the reasons for the persistent underrepresentation of African Americans in physics and has released a report with its findings.
The Time Is Now: Systemic Changes to Increase African Americans with Bachelor’s Degrees in Physics and Astronomy
In this groundbreaking report, TEAM-UP has uncovered long-term systemic issues within the physics and astronomy communities that contribute to the underrepresentation of African Americans in these fields and makes important, actionable recommendations for community wide efforts to reverse this trend.
Follow TEAM-UP
Follow us on Twitter: @AIP_TEAMUP and check out our Twitter Chat series, #TEAMUPTalks in our Twitter Moments.
AIP TEAM-UP in the news
- Are physics and astronomy about to experience a cultural shift?, BigThink, February 2020
- Goal: Double the number of African-Americans in physics and astronomy, Physics Today, February 2020
- Task force recommends US$50-million fund to bring African Americans into physics and astronomy, Nature, January 2020
- African American physics students need more support, says report, Physics World, January 2020
- Why Are There So Few Black Physicists? A New Report Describes What Needs to Change, Gizmodo, January 2020
- Making physics and astronomy more welcoming to African-American students, MIT News, January 2020
- Astronomy's existential crisis, Axios, January 2020
- Boosting the number of students from underrepresented groups in physics, Nature, October 2018
Upcoming events
The Task Force Report will be disseminated broadly within the physics community and among other stakeholders (January – March 2020)
- Plenary talk on the TEAM-UP Report by Dr. Tabbetha Dobbins, Rowan University, American Physical Society National Mentoring Community Conference, February 7, 2020, Orlando, Florida
- Session on “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Recommendations from Physics and Astronomy” at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Meeting in Seattle, Washington, February 14th.
- Session on the TEAM-UP Report at the American Physical Society (APS) March Meeting, Denver, CO, Date and Time TBD
Figure 4-01.png
The Proportion of Physics Bachelor's Degrees Awarded to African Americans and Hispanic Americans
Click image for larger version.
Figure 2-01.png
Number of Bachelor's Degrees Earned in Physics 1955-2018
Click image for larger version.
TEAM-UP Task Force Members
The AIP TEAM-UP Task Force members at their in-person meeting on September 14, 2018. (From Left to Right. Top Row: Rachel Ivie, AIP; Mia Ong, TERC; Bo Hammer, AIP; Quinton Williams, Howard U.; Sharon Fries-Britt, UMD. Bottom Row: Brian Beckford, U. Mich.; Tabbetha Dobbins, Rowan U.; Arlisa Richardson, Chandler-Gilbert U.; Mary James, Reed College; Ed Bertschinger, MIT; Arlene Modeste Knowles, AIP. Not pictured: Jedidah Isler, Dartmouth College; Sylvester James Gates, Brown U.)
AIP Task Force Co-Chairs:
Mary James, A. A. Knowlton Professor of Physics & Dean for Institutional Diversity, Reed College
Ed Bertschinger, Professor of Physics, Former Institute Community & Equity Officer, MIT
TEAM-UP Task force Members:
Brian Beckford, Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow/Asst. Physics Prof., Univ. of Michigan
Tabbetha Dobbins, Associate Professor of Physics, Rowan University
Sharon Fries-Britt, Professor of Higher Education, University of Maryland
Sylvester James Gates, Ford Foundation Professor of Physics, Brown University
Jedidah Isler, Assistant Professor, Dartmouth College
Mia Ong, Senior Research Scientist, TERC
Arlisa Richardson, Physics Professor, Chandler-Gilbert University
Quinton Williams, Chair and Professor of Physics, Howard University
AIP Project Staff:
Philip “Bo” Hammer, Senior Director
Arlene Modeste Knowles, Diversity Task Force Project Manager
Partial funding for TEAM UP provided by the Research Corporation for Science Advancement.