Q What does being an engineer mean to you? A I am motivated by my desire to make the world a more just and equitable place. My chosen vehicle for making a difference has been engineering and science research and education. Throughout my career, I applied what I learned as an engineer to researching sickle cell anemia, a painful and deadly disease that disproportionately impacts Black people. I wanted to do what I could to contribute to finding novel therapeutic approaches to this disease and contribute to my community.
Connecting Efforts to Support Minorities in Engineering Education The goal of the Connecting Efforts workshop is to provide actionable insights to the engineering education community about existing and potential new approaches for increasing coordination and communication among the various levels of the engineering education system to boost the number of minority engineering undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate students and faculty in US colleges and universities. Specifically, the workshop will explore existing and potential collaborations between extramural initiatives that support under-represented minorities (URM) engineering student success and universities seeking to recruit and retain these students in undergraduate and advanced engineering education, including as faculty. As part of this objective, the workshop discussions and materials provided beforehand will (i) elucidate opportunities for and challenges to identifying URM undergraduate and graduate students who are prepared and potentially interested in pursuing advanced engineering education and (ii) evaluate how data systems and technologies are or could be used to connect and match URM students at all levels with appropriate opportunities in engineering higher education.
Sharing Admissions Practices That Promote Diversity in Engineering The NAE engaged engineering deans and faculty, admissions staff, and researchers in relevant areas in a collaborative process to highlight and encourage the diffusion of effective admissions practices that improve diversity in engineering education. This workshop-based project (1) provided national recognition to institutions that are effectively diversifying engineering education using admissions policies, (2) provided guidance to institutions that are developing or researching admissions policies to advance diversity but have not yet met with success, and (3) defined directions for future research on both best practices in engineering admissions criteria, metrics, and policies and how those practices fit into the larger system of recruiting and retaining engineering students from all backgrounds. In May, 2021, the NAE hosted a virtual workshop where information, expertise, mentoring, and facilitated discussions and collaboration helped attendees advance their work and develop effective plans for their own institutions. The broad dissemination of both the workshop session videos and the written summary of the workshop discussion will enable deans, administrators, and others who did not attend the workshop to learn from the presentations and discussions.
Past Black History Month Celebrations Dr. John Brooks Slaughter is the epitome of achievement in engineering, in science, and in addressing racial justice in America. It is appropriate that he is being recognized. Although he may not be as well known as other prominent and accomplished African Americans who are usually feted during Black History Month, his science, technology, and engineering achievements are unparalleled and should be extolled in history.
NAE Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are recognizing the first 20 Asian American men and women (10 in each category) elected to the National Academy of Engineering. They distinguished themselves in business and academic management, in technical positions, as university faculty, and as leaders in government and private engineering organizations. In addition to their pioneering technical contributions, they are models of integrity, diligence, and academic rigor.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Racism, prejudice, and discrimination chip away at the very foundation of our society and undermine the effectiveness of engineering education and practice. Attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion and action toward their acceptance can help heal wounds, strengthen our efforts, and increase the effectiveness of those efforts as well as the engineering community.