NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION OF GEOSCIENCE LEADERS: THE IMPACT OF GSA'S OTF PROGRAM TOWARDS SUCCESSFUL GEOSCIENCE PATHWAYS (Invited Presentation)

During the last few years, the geoscience community has had an ongoing conversation on how professional societies could design a pathway that could lead to more successful stories from students from diverse backgrounds. A decade ago, the (GSA) Geological Society of America implemented the OTF program (On To the Future) to support first-time conference participants financially and assign meeting mentors. This program has impacted numerous students over the years. It is considered a beginning stage in forming leaders within the geoscience community, and it has also served as a foundation to offer other professional development to OTF participants and alumni.

In this talk, we will explore the authors' journeys from their beginnings as OTF participants with underrepresented backgrounds to their recent roles as chairs for the Diversity in the Geosciences committee at GSA and how this experience is informing their leadership as chair of the committee and other scholarship. In addition, we will discuss the implications of supporting programs like OTF and the need for similar initiatives to foster a more diverse and inclusive geoscientific community.