PLANETARY EXPLORATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 12, Number 39 (September 12, 2018)

PEN Website: http://planetarynews.org
Editor: Mark V. Sykes 
Co-Editors: Elisabeth Adams, Karen Stockstill-Cahill
Email: pen_editor at psi.edu

o--------------------------SPECIAL EDITION----------------------------o

ANTI-HARASSMENT MESSAGE FROM NASA ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE 
SCIENCE MISSION DIRECTORATE THOMAS H. ZURBUCHEN

Dear Colleagues,

I am writing concerning an issue that I am relentlessly passionate 
about: building effective and innovative teams that achieve amazing 
results for NASA Science. To achieve excellence, we need focus and 
commitment from the best and brightest of all backgrounds. This goes 
hand-in-hand with my strong belief in the value and imperative of 
diversity and inclusion. As the Associate Administrator for Science 
and as an educator, husband, father and friend, I have personally 
experienced the value of diversity in my life. On the flip side, I 
have supported many individuals who have been hurt by harassment, and 
I have seen the devastating consequences it has had on them and on our 
community. 

We are all responsible for addressing harassment in the workplace. All 
too often bystanders have failed to intervene, allowing predators to 
continue harassment for years or even decades. 

On September 11, 2018, Administrator Bridenstine signed the "NASA 
Policy Statement on Antidiscrimination in NASA Conducted or Funded 
Program, Activities, and Institutions". Let me reinforce the 
Administrator's policy that discrimination on the basis of race, color, 
and national origin, sex (including sexual harassment), disability and 
age is not acceptable. 

Harassment is a serious violation of professional ethics, and should be 
regarded and treated as such within NASA, as well as our contractor and 
associated academic communities. I would like to encourage everyone 
related to NASA science to report harassment claims directly utilizing 
the information provided in the NASA policy statement signed by 
Administrator Bridenstine. The Administrator's policy can be found at: 

https://missionstem.nasa.gov/docs/Bridenstine_Title_IX_Policy_Statement
_TAGGED.pdf 

and guidance for filing a harassment complaint can be found at: 

https://missionstem.nasa.gov/filing-a-complaint.html

As we go forward, I want to be clear that everyone is welcome within 
NASA Science. However, harassing behavior has no place here. Every 
scientist, engineer and mission support contributor has a right to be 
treated with respect. NASA strives to create a workplace environment 
that is free of harassment and discrimination, and we expect every 
university and contractor with which we do business to strive for the 
same. 

I call on everyone in our community to join me and our team at NASA 
Science to continually reassert through our words and actions that we 
are committed to these values. 

Sincerely,

Thomas H Zurbuchen, Ph.D. 
Associate Administrator, 
Science Mission Directorate

This letter is available at:

https://smd-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/science-red/s3fs-public/atoms/files
/Anti-Harassment-Letter-Signed.pdf

 
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