Thanks @rabernat @kmpaul @dcherian I wish I was able to speak up in the meeting, but it definitely took some reflection to understand what I was feeling and where it was coming from. It was still hard to speak up after the fact because I did not know how receptive anyone would be to my comment. I was very relieved that your responses were authentic and considerate. Conversations about diversity are never easy, and I think it is important that we can be vulnerable during them (highlighting to the difference between a brave space and a safe space). I hope that me speaking up and your genuine responses make it easier for other underrepresented scientists to speak up if and when they have experiences they would like to share.
@dcherian I think expanding the 2020 survey is the ideal way to implement this. At @kmpaul’s suggestion, we are planning on meeting with NCAR’s CODE team to discuss diversity in internship and ways to implement proper surveys. Though, this will have to wait until August, when our current summer internships end, to really move forward with this particular aspect of the discussion.