The University of Queensland’s School of Mathematics and Physics’ (SMP) long-term commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion has been recognised with a Gold Pleiades Award.
The biennial Pleiades Awards are an initiative of The Astronomical Society of Australia, recognising organisations in Australian astronomy who implement and promote equal opportunity and diversity.
UQ astrophysicist Dr Sarah Sweet, a member of the SMP EDI Committee, led the preparation of the application.
She said the award – an upgrade from a Silver Pleiades Award awarded to SMP in 2023 – was recognition of the school’s hard, ongoing work in this space.
“The whole SMP team has been promoting equity and building a positive workplace culture for years now, so we’re incredibly delighted to receive this recognition,” she said.
“And we’ve been approaching it in a variety of creative ways.
“For example, we’ve led UQ in developing innovative ‘quiet classes’ to benefit students who are neurodivergent or would generally benefit from a quieter learning environment.
“We’ve also increased the fraction of continuing women academics from 11 per cent in 2017 to 28 per cent in 2024, through initiatives like proactive targeted recruitment.
“And we maintain strong engagement with annual UQ Pulse surveys and biennial school climate surveys, to understand workplace culture and inform priorities for future EDI Committee initiatives.”
Dr Sweet emphasised the truly school-wide effort involved in taking out the gold award.
“This amazing win has only been possible because of the strong, proactive leadership in this space by the SMP executive team and broad buy-in at all levels," she said.
“Only five gold awards were awarded this year, out of 21 eligible organisations across Australia, so SMP at UQ is truly one of the best places to work in the nation.”
Despite taking out the top gong, the team aims to keep up the momentum.
“At the end of the day, we want to make SMP an inclusive place for everyone,” Dr Sweet said.
“There are always new opportunities to improve equity, diversity and inclusion, and we’re excited to craft and promote new initiatives.
The full list of awardees can be found on the Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Astronomy Chapter of the Astronomical Society of Australia website.
