The Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative
- Conference
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2023 Collaborative Network for Computing and Engineering Diversity (CoNECD)
- Location
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New Orleans , Louisiana
- Publication Date
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February 26, 2023
- Start Date
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February 26, 2023
- End Date
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February 28, 2023
- Conference Session
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Session 4 - Track 4: The Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative
- Tagged Topics
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Diversity and CoNECD Paper Sessions
- Page Count
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35
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--44811
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/44811
- Download Count
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70
Paper Authors
Roberta Rincon Society of Women Engineers
Roberta Rincon, Ph.D., is the Associate Director of Research for the Society of Women Engineers. She is responsible for overseeing the research activities for the organization, including collaborative research projects with external researchers and dissemination of SWE research through academic conferences, the SWE Research website, and the annual SWE State of Women in Engineering magazine issue. She is co-founder of the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative, whose mission is to work cooperatively with other organizations to provide resources to create a supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment in the engineering workplace. Her SWE research centers on equity issues in STEM education and the workplace, with studies on gender bias, the development of an engineering identity, and the community college transfer pathway. Prior to joining SWE, she worked in higher education policy research and on programs focused on faculty productivity and student success. She received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, MBA and M.S. in Information Management from Arizona State University, and Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning from UT Austin.
Rochelle L Williams National Society of Black Engineers
Rochelle L. Williams, Ph.D. is Chief Programs Officer at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and is responsible for supporting the strategic outcomes and implementation of NSBE programs from the Pre-Collegiate, Collegiate and Professional demographics. She is also responsible for the Society’s sponsored programs and research efforts.
Prior to joining NSBE, Dr. Rochelle served as Project Director and Co-Principal Investigator for the ADVANCE Resource Coordination (ARC) Network with the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) and Research Scientist in the Office for Academic Affairs at Prairie View A&M University. In 2016, Rochelle was selected as a Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, DC. As a fellow, she supported the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine on the initial phases of the study that led to the Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report.
Dr. Rochelle received her B.S. in physics from Spelman College and both her M.Engr. in Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in Science and Mathematics Education from Southern University and A&M College.
Dayna Lee Martínez Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Inc.
Dayna currently serves as a Manager of Research & Innovation at SHPE. In this role, she oversees the design and development of the Equipando Padres program as well as graduate and advanced students programming.
An industrial engineer by training, before joining SHPE, Dayna was a faculty member in the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at Northeastern University in Boston, MA after working at their Healthcare Systems Engineering Institute (HSyE) as a post-doctoral research fellow.
Native from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dayna graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus (¡Colegio!) and then she completed a master’s and PhD degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of South Florida in Tampa.
Being Hispanic and an engineer herself, Dayna has a passion for increasing Hispanic representation in STEM. She currently lives with her husband Andrés, their two sons David and Sebastián, and their miniature schnauzer Lucca in Winter Garden, Florida.
Abstract
There has been a growing awareness in government, higher education, and the workforce that women of color are particularly underrepresented and underserved in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). To address issues that lead to women engineers of color choosing to leave STEM, the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative (WCEC) was launched. Led by representatives from three diversity-serving STEM professional societies -- the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) – the partnership network of 29 professional engineering societies and STEM-based companies was created to address systemic barriers that prohibit equitable work environments for women engineers of color. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the WCEC developed a strategic plan that includes a definition of the population of interest (women of color, or WOC, in engineering), a shared vision statement focused on dismantling systemic barriers that impede the retention and advancement of WOC engineers, and a mission statement that promotes a supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment for WOC in engineering.
The WCEC brings organizations together to tackle systemic barriers in engineering through the programs, services, and information offered to member organizations, while also amplifying the voices of WOC in engineering. The WCEC identified five systemic barriers that the collaborative was best equipped to tackle over the next three-to-five years:
• Improve Pathways to Internships, Scholarships, and Jobs in Engineering • Reduce Microaggressions, Racism, and Sexism in the Workplace • Retain and Amplify Women of Color in the Workplace • Increase Network Inclusivity and Sponsorships for Women of Color • Raise Openness and Reduce Backlash to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Practices
This presentation to the ASEE CoNECD audience will provide an overview of our strategic planning process and our efforts to implement the strategic plan. The project team will share opportunities for audience members to join the WCEC, connect with the WCEC community, and access WCEC resources.
Rincon, R., & Williams, R. L., & Martínez, D. L. (2023, February), The Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative Paper presented at 2023 Collaborative Network for Computing and Engineering Diversity (CoNECD), New Orleans , Louisiana. 10.18260/1-2--44811
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