Community at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation

Learn about resources and events that support equitable and inclusive environments in optics and photonics

Welcome to the community

Visit the onsite Community Lounge daily to attend networking events, meet with friends and colleagues, or relax and recharge.

On this page, you will also find a variety of available resources.

Artful tree with many colors in the background, representing the diversity of our community

Attend diversity and inclusion talks throughout the conference

Click each event to find the most current time and location details.

18 June	Diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic programming and ongoing practices at NOIRLab
18 June	Impact of dual anonymous peer review on ESO telescope time allocations
18 June	Gender equity and diversity in astronomy and adaptive optics: what has changed since 2014 and what more can be done
19 June	On the relationship between astronomy and indigenous lands and peoples
19 June	Panel Discussion: Gender Balance in the Conference
19 June	Kealahou: the ongoing reimagining and reconstruction of CFHT’s Queued Service Observing system

Onsite childcare and SPIE Family Care Grants

JOYSUPPO Daycare Service will provide onsite childcare free for attendees 10:00-17:00 Monday-Thursday, 17-20 June. Complete the application/consent form to reserve space (requests for additional childcare service can be submitted in the Notes section of the application form).

SPIE believes that individuals with significant caregiving responsibilities should have an equal opportunity to share their research and participate in conferences and symposia. Apply for an SPIE Family Care Grant

Meet organizers onsite at the Community Lounge

Ranpal Gill

Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Charlotte Guthery

Keck Observatory

Brialyn Onodera

National Solar Observatory (NSO)

Alison Peck

National Science Foundation (NSF)

Danielle Rowland

National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO)

Nour Skaf

University of California, Santa Cruz

Alysha Shugart

Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Stacey Sueoka

National Solar Observatory (NSO)

Sandrine Thomas

Vera C. Rubin Observatory

Recent progress. Ongoing efforts. Continual improvement.

Women in Optics—our story is far from over

44% of the SPIE Board and 43% of Standing Committee roles are now filled by women
14.2% of SPIE Senior Members and 12.2% of SPIE Fellows are female
In 2024, 38% of our Society Award recipients were women
You can help! Nominate yourself or others for the Women in Optics notebook, SPIE Senior Members, SPIE Fellows, and SPIE Society Awards. Help to elevate women to leadership roles within the Society and get them featured as event speakers. Together we can!

A group of women gathers in the Community Lounge

Advocacy and accommodations

All in-person SPIE meetings will now have:
o Quiet room (prayer, decompression, meditation)
o Privacy room for nursing mothers
o Gender neutral restrooms whenever possible
o Anti-harassment signage and policies co-sponsored with Optica

Learn about SPIE Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

SPIE believes in the development of collaborative environments that value participation from individuals with different ideas and perspectives, which ultimately have a positive impact on the science of light. At our events, we aim to provide resources, guidance, and education to build a more inclusive optics and photonics experience for all of our attendees. Find out more about what SPIE is doing in this space.

A group of diverse attendees at a community event at SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation

Diversity tools and tips

Filled with links to articles and templates, these PDFs extend learning: