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Matt McGill: As a student in atmospheric science and having a degree in atmospheric science

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with a focus on developing remote sensing instrumentation, their aren't very many places 

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you can pursue that line of work, and Goddard is one of the preeminent places

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for earth science, atmospheric science, and instrument development.

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I'm Dr. Matt McGill; I'm a research scientist in the Earth Science Division.

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I am currently and have been since the inception a member 

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of the Goddard Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Advisory Committee, 

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and I also support D&I activities for 600 and 610.

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A very wise person said,

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"look, don't forget people don't check who 

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they are when they come through the gate each day." You come into the center with your

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demographic and all your baggage, and people come to the center with 

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all the problems and frustrations of life outside the gates, they can't leave that at the gate. 

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they can't leave that at the gate. But we, you know we tend to forget 

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that especially on the science side, we tend to forget that people come here with all that 

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baggage, and the, "who they are" in the real world. 

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That is important and 

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having a strong D&I/EEO presence at the center,

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their is one way to try and remind people that their 

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are problems and frustrations that people are faced with outside our offices. 

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Well personal research experiences, I've had many we'd develop, I've been 

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able to develop many remote sensing instruments here, including one that

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operated on the Space Station for almost three years. 

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In terms of learning experiences I think the thing I've learned the most 

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and I try to convey to others is that, 

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trusting and empowering a team is the key to success. 

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I think that D&I/EEO does impact our mission success, not necessarily 

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in like a flight project mission success way, but in the overall center or agency 

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in what we call "mission success." And I think I've seen that 

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apply a lot to the younger folks. They can participate in the

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D&I/EEO activities, the advisory committees, and as a result they

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become known to management early on. You present as part of those activities, 

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you talk to management, you work with them, so later on when those employees 

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have to interact with center management for proposals, project, 

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whatever is going on they become known, "oh yeah I know you," and

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theirs a comfort level then, both ways, and I've seen that help in many cases. 

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Well the Goddard culture does present a lot of hindrances

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and a lot of help, its true. Their are many hindrances, 

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you know: bureaucracy, too many rules, "I.T." Security, all that

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stuff that we all deal with. As far as help, I think it usually 

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comes down to personal connections. Once folks are

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here, if you develop personal connections and get known, then

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those other folks help you overcome institutional biases or challenges

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or anything else and you're able to succeed on your own merits, but it's usually 

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through personal connections or they help, and you get that here at Goddard if you 

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seek it out. We have mentors often, 

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I think on the science and engineering side, and,

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but the personal connections, once people know your capabilities, your abilities, 

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that overcomes a lot. 

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Compared to other centers I've visited, I think Goddard is unique. One

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thing that Goddard has is simply a vast array of disciplines; you

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can do almost anything here on this center. We have every sort of engineering, every sort of 

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science; project management. So I think there's a, just a vast

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array of disciplines you can get involved with the projects here at Goddard.

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Be involved in the D&I/EEO activities on center, the

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advisory committees. We have a hard time getting people to

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especially on the science side, we have a hard time getting people to step away from their 

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computers and participate in these activities but the

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ability to meet people across the center, learn that theirs a bigger center here 

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and again meet management, become 

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familiar with management, that is a huge benefit

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especially for younger employees. Getting them to recognize 

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the value of that and take time out to participate in it is a challenge, 

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so if you can do it, if you have the opportunity, do it.

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