Presented By: Museum Paleontology
Accessible Field Paleontology: Building Community through Universal Design in the Field
Tara Lepore
Accessible Field Paleontology: Building Community through Universal Design in the Field
Taormina (Tara) Lepore, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mallinson Institute for Science Education
Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Western Michigan University
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 - University of Michigan Paleontology Seminar
Field paleontology is a standout experience in the training and education of many paleontologists. It is to our benefit to build accessible, welcoming field paleontology experiences so all may learn and thrive in the field. Disabled people in particular face barriers to full, equitable field participation, but efforts have been made to create and assess disability accessible field experiences in geology and other field sciences. Field paleontology is one area where the science education and accessibility literature as well as practical availability of accessible field work is less widely reported. In this talk, I encourage our community to ask: What can we do, as paleontologists, to be at the forefront of accessible and equitable field experiences for all?
As a paleontologist and a discipline-based geoscience education researcher, I will discuss my path in science and the rationale for this type of work. A brief overview of the relevant accessible science education and outreach literature on accessible field work will be discussed, as well as current research efforts to build affirming classroom and field environments that utilize Universal Design and the theoretical frameworks of humanizing STEM and culturally relevant pedagogy, all with a disability focus. Finally, this talk will highlight a recent accessible field paleontology experience in the metro Denver area at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, where field participants engaged in both the local paleontology and in accessible pedagogy, and the access needs of all participants were considered at the forefront. Universal Design and the related theoretical frameworks can help us consider everyone who is present in a field paleontology experience, and can truly lead to a more accessible, inclusive, and thriving paleontological community at large.
If you can't attend in person, please email us for a Zoom link at: [email protected]
Taormina (Tara) Lepore, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Mallinson Institute for Science Education
Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
Western Michigan University
Friday, Oct. 23, 2026 - University of Michigan Paleontology Seminar
Field paleontology is a standout experience in the training and education of many paleontologists. It is to our benefit to build accessible, welcoming field paleontology experiences so all may learn and thrive in the field. Disabled people in particular face barriers to full, equitable field participation, but efforts have been made to create and assess disability accessible field experiences in geology and other field sciences. Field paleontology is one area where the science education and accessibility literature as well as practical availability of accessible field work is less widely reported. In this talk, I encourage our community to ask: What can we do, as paleontologists, to be at the forefront of accessible and equitable field experiences for all?
As a paleontologist and a discipline-based geoscience education researcher, I will discuss my path in science and the rationale for this type of work. A brief overview of the relevant accessible science education and outreach literature on accessible field work will be discussed, as well as current research efforts to build affirming classroom and field environments that utilize Universal Design and the theoretical frameworks of humanizing STEM and culturally relevant pedagogy, all with a disability focus. Finally, this talk will highlight a recent accessible field paleontology experience in the metro Denver area at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, where field participants engaged in both the local paleontology and in accessible pedagogy, and the access needs of all participants were considered at the forefront. Universal Design and the related theoretical frameworks can help us consider everyone who is present in a field paleontology experience, and can truly lead to a more accessible, inclusive, and thriving paleontological community at large.
If you can't attend in person, please email us for a Zoom link at: [email protected]
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