State of Diversity in Engineering Summit (SODIES)
The Founding Event for the Diversity in STEM Coalition
In April 2019, Shason Briscoe, the 2018-2019 President of the Black Engineers Association, had an idea to host a summit to honor the progress that marginalized communities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have made towards diversity and inclusion in academia, industry, and beyond.
In April 2019, Shason Briscoe, the 2018-2019 President of the Black Engineers Association, had an idea to host a summit to honor the progress that marginalized communities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) have made towards diversity and inclusion in academia, industry, and beyond.
Briscoe decided to form a committee of four diversity serving STEM based organizations, Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Pilipinx Americans in Science and Engineering (PASE), Black Engineers Association (BEA), and the Chicano and Latino Engineers & Scientists Society (CALESS), that would develop a summit to honor the progress that has been made towards diversity and inclusion in academia, industry, and beyond. Representatives Shason Briscoe and Henry Moore (BEA), Graciela Fabian (CALESS), Cor Cruz and Kris Lebantino (PASE), and Heather Lynch and Shreya Gupta (SWE) planned and executed their inaugural “State of Diversity in Engineering Summit (SODIES)”. To ensure the success of their first summit, the committee decided to host a small-scale engineering focused summit, with plans to expand the focus and audience in the future.
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The summit consisted of two 30 minute panels composed of UC Davis alumni, industry recruiters, Diversity & Inclusion representatives, and engineers, who discussed their personal and industry-wide experiences as Black, Latinx, Pilipinx, and/or women in engineering. Panelists also discussed their transitions from college into industry and identity struggles they faced within the workplace. Representatives from the following industries were in attendance: change.org, salesforce, Facebook, Youtube, Biomarin, SurveyMonkey, Linkedin, SAP, Microsoft, TRC Companies, O’Dell Engineering, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories, and the City of Sacramento. SODIES was proudly sponsored by the UC Davis College of Engineering, and was largely successful with over 120 UC Davis students in attendance. Attendees expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to engage with industry members in a community-orientated environment rather than a professional setting.
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2020 Diversity in STEM Conference
Purpose of Conference:
The purpose of the Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Conference, continued from SODIES, is to honor the progress that has been made towards diversity and inclusion on campus, in the industry, and beyond. Approved on July 10th, 2019. |
Mission of Conference:
The Diversity in STEM Conference’s mission, also similar to that of SODIES, is to bring together marginalized students, industry representatives, and faculty members to cultivate community, enhance professional and personal skills, and to continue a dialogue around overcoming the barriers impacting marginalized individuals in STEM. Approved on August 14th, 2019. |
Following the great success of SODIES, Amber Pulido, the 2019-2020 CALESS President, was eager to expand SODIES to a conference and officially establish a committee with a name, purpose, mission, goals, and partner with organizations who focus on supporting diversity in STEM. In June 2019, eight organizations, Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM), Black Engineers Association (BEA), Chicano and Latino Engineers & Scientists Society (CALESS), Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Entrepreneurship (ESTEME), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Out in Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (oSTEM), Pilipinx Americans in Science and Engineering (PASE), and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), joined the Diversity in STEM coalition and collaboratively established a purpose, mission, and goals for their newly founded organization. By the end of July 2019, the coalition officiated the name, the “Diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Committee (DISC)”.
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On January 25, 2020 the newly founded Diversity in STEM committee hosted their inaugural DISC Conference. The conference featured a welcome speech from UC Davis’ Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Dr. Renetta Garrison Tull, two panel discussions addressing transitions from College to the Workplace and navigating the workplace in STEM, and workshops led by industry representatives that discussed progressions into the professional realm or graduate school. Attendees also had the opportunity to network with industry representatives about internship and job opportunities at the networking lunch and Career Fair. The DISC conference was a huge success with over 100 students and 19 industry sponsors in attendance. The committee plans to continue the tradition of hosting an annual conference to support the progression and success of marginalized students in STEM at UC Davis.
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