The Pennsylvania State University Physics Department Earns Award from Physics & Astronomy SEA Change Program

College Park, MD, April 14, 2026—The Penn State Department of Physics in the Eberly College of Science has earned a Bronze Award from the Physics and Astronomy SEA Change Committee (P/A SEA Change) for its work to create a more inclusive, diverse, and supportive physics department.

Commenting on this award Carmen Carmona, associate professor of physics and Chair of the Climate, Inclusion and Diversity Committee said, “This award is the result of a genuine collective effort of members across every level of our department: undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and staff have come together to identify where we fall short, listen to what our community actually needs, and develop a concrete plan for structural change. We are just getting started. In the years ahead, we are committed to fostering community, mutual respect, and an inclusive climate. Our goal is to build a department where inclusion and equity aren't just values we talk about, but ones we practice every day, and where everyone truly belongs.” 

“Penn State Physics has demonstrated thoughtful reflection on their realities, using this reflection to craft an action plan that will improve the conditions for undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. These improvements are across their ecosystem and are anticipated to better support Pennsylvanians. We warmly congratulate this department for earning their Bronze recognition.” said Alexis Knaub, Director of P/A SEA Change.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) SEA Change Awards program aims to advance institutional transformation that supports success for all in STEMM — science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine — fields. SEA Change Awards recognize institutions and their academic units for interrogating the policies, processes, culture, programs, and practices that promote or impede success for all. For more, see https://seachange.aaas.org.

The P/A SEA Change process is a non-trivial undertaking during which the participating department first undergoes a comprehensive self-assessment, critically examining its demographics, policies, procedures, culture, and climate. Next, the department creates a five-year action plan with measurable outcomes to address some of the structural and systemic challenges identified. A review panel evaluates the department’s self-assessment and action plan and provides feedback, and then the P/A SEA Change Committee decides whether to award the department a Bronze Award that is good for five years. Finally, P/A SEA Change continues to provide check-ins and guidance on the action plan as it is implemented across the next five years. 

Physics and Astronomy SEA Change

SEA Change empowers participants to identify and address barriers that will enhance student and faculty retention, and foster resilience aligned with each institution's unique mission and goals. Participants join a supportive community of peers where they complete a self-assessment and create bespoke action plans rooted in data and the realities and opportunities of context. The Physics and Astronomy focuses on postsecondary physics and astronomy contexts. P/A SEA Change is a collaboration of professional physics and astronomy societies: American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), American Astronomical Society (AAS), American Institute of Physics (AIP), American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM), American Physical Society (APS), AVS (Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces, and Processing), National Society of Black Physicists (NSBP), National Society of Hispanic Physicists (NSHP), the Physics and Astronomy Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research, Optica, and the Society of Physics Students (SPS).

Contact: David Wolfe, Director of Communications, dwolfe@aapt.org
(301) 209-3322, https://www.aapt.org