Women and people of color are severely underrepresented in many STEM departments, especially in physical sciences and engineering. In addition, people with intersecting marginalized identities, including sexual and gender minorities and people with disabilities, often experience unsupportive environments. Professional societies and universities have issued reports full of recommendations for improvements, but change is slow and difficult.

In some fields and at some times, Penn State has been a leader in equity and diversity efforts. Demographic data tell a story, and the stories of individuals provide additional important data. In this talk I will present such data over nearly 60 years with the goal of helping departments in physics and other STEM disciplines create environments where all people can thrive.