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Evolving NOAA’s Tsunami Warning Center Workforce Towards Improved Service Equity

Description: 

Establishing trust is essential to effective communication of emergency information, and evidence supports the idea that trust is more easily built when the receivers are able to relate well to the communicators. The U.S. National Weather Service, parent agency of the two U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers within NOAA, is making a great effort to improve the diversity of its workforce as well as its culture of belonging and inclusion. These changes are aimed at building a workforce that better reflects the communities we serve, and supporting greater service equity, including more effective reach to underserved communities.

Here, we aim to connect with the research community by demystifying the careers of operational tsunami duty scientists as well as drawing connections between research and real-world impacts. Tsunami monitoring is fast-paced multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work that incorporates seismology, oceanography, volcanology, landslide science, and others as well as requiring good communication skills. We will highlight the wide swath of potential career paths that might lead to our centers, and the importance of having varied expertise and experience in tsunami staff members. Importantly, we also seek input from the science community to better identify and remove barriers to understanding and entering this exciting career path.

Session: Transforming our Seismological Community through Inclusive Mentorship and Diverse Narratives

Type: Oral

Date: 4/18/2023

Presentation Time: 03:00 PM (local time)

Presenting Author: Summer J. Ohlendorf

Student Presenter: No

Invited Presentation: 

Authors