Updates

September 9, 2020:  As part of Council actions, an ad hoc committee to investigate aspects of DEI issues was created. This committee is now actively meeting and reviewing possible actions that SEPM can take to make sure that SEPM is an organization that welcomes everyone and eliminates discrimination of any kind while following its mission to disseminate information about the science of sedimentary geology, its research and application. Howard Harper, Executive Director

From the President and Executive Director

The Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM) recognizes and affirms that systemic and institutional racism occurs throughout our communities.  We must recognize that conscious and unconscious bias exists throughout our broader society, and that preferential violence against, and killing of, Black citizens must stop.  As one of the posters in a recent Washington DC protest stated, “the system is not broken, it was built this way”.  In other words, we must recognize that systemic and institutional racism is not a bug, it’s a feature, one that is deeply rooted in our collective culture, history and institutions.  SEPM should therefore stand firmly against systemic and institutional racism and violence against Black citizens and any other minority, and with and for the principals embodied in the Black Lives Matter movement.  The SEPM Council, with input from the membership, will be developing an action plan for going forward.

The SEPM Council met online June 2nd and is working on an official leadership statement in support of Black Lives Matter and against discrimination or harassment of any kind, as stated in our Code of Conduct.  In the meantime, we endorse the general views expressed on change.org , where geoscientists have created a petition that calls for development of a robust anti-racism plan for the geosciences as a whole.

SEPM ISGC 2021

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

SEPM now has confirmed dates with the Flagstaff High Country Convention Center for the 
International Sedimentary Geoscience Congress 
for April 11-14, 2021.  

Mark your calendars!

SEPM is hoping that by next year we will all be eager to see and interact with our colleagues face to face again without health concerns. 

However, there are now a lot of things to work out with the rescheduled ISGC so please have patience as SEPM, the SEPM Council, and the ISGC Technical Program committee deal with all of these items.  We plan to have follow up details within the next two months (May-June).

Details about the Technical Program, Student Participation Grants and the NSF Student Grants are being worked out so please be patient until we can let everyone know about those details. We will be in contact soon to all of the session chairs and accepted presenters.  

Stay safe and healthy.