Tagliatela College of Engineering Recognized for Commitment to Diversity

As an educator and associate dean for the University’s Tagliatela College of Engineering (TCoE), Stephanie Gillespie, Ph.D., is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) both in and out of the classroom. She hopes this will not only continue to have an important impact at the University, but that it will make a positive impact on the industry.

The TCoE’s commitment to DEIB has been recognized by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). The University is among fewer than a dozen institutions nationwide to earn a Bronze-level recognition from the organization’s Diversity Recognition Program.

“This recognition demonstrates our commitment to initiating positive change in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging with respect to recruiting and supporting students, faculty, and staff,” said Dr. Gillespie. “This is particularly critical when there are more science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs than qualified professionals to fill them.”

‘This recognition is very exciting’

This is something Dr. Gillespie is passionate about addressing. Citing the National Science Foundation, she noted the national average percentage of female undergraduate students enrolled in engineering programs in 2018 was less than a quarter, while the national average of non-white and non-Asian students was just over a third.

The data were similar, she found, for students enrolled in computing programs. She hopes increasing the diversity of students studying engineering will yield a more diverse and inclusive industry moving forward.

“As we reflect on these numbers and our campus culture for all of our students, the Bronze-level recognition validates that our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging goals and plans are positive and realistic,” she said. “This recognition is very exciting for us because it required us to self-reflect on our current setting and our goals. It encourages us to continue to self-critique and identify our opportunities to improve, and create plans to continue to support our students.”

'Positively impacting students’ career paths’

Reflection is something that Dr. Gillespie, Dean Ronald Harichandran, Ph.D., and the TCoE DEI Advisory Board, have been committed to. The TCoE has developed five goals to guide their continuing DEIB efforts:

• Increase visibility and publicity of DEIB-related goals, data, and events/training within the TCoE
• Understand and address opportunities for DEIB integration in the engineering, computing, and chemistry classrooms, including both content and inclusive pedagogy
• Increase the number of tailored admissions, recruitment, and orientation-related events for underrepresented students
• Build, maintain, and support partnerships with high schools from diverse communities across Connecticut
• Expand dialogues, trainings, and education related to DEIB, especially as it relates to STEM

“I believe all five of these goals are achievable,” said Dr. Gillespie. “While we won’t see drastic immediate changes on our path to meet these goals, we will see changes in how we support our current students, impacting retention and positively impacting students’ career paths.”

‘We need those who have traditionally been underrepresented in our fields’

Dr. Gillespie and her fellow faculty members have already developed myriad initiatives to promote DEIB. Last fall, Kristine Horvat, Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemical engineering, and Nancy Savage, Ph.D., deputy provost, received funding to create recruitment events, such as career days, for women interested in engineering.

The TCoE also created opportunities for members of the University’s National Society of Black Engineers chapter to attend the organization’s virtual conference. They have also collaborated with the University’s Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion to expand faculty DEIB training. Dr. Gillespie says they are committed to continuing to enhance their DEIB initiatives.

“The TCoE provides educational opportunities and opens the door to desirable engineering, computing, and chemistry career paths for students from many diverse backgrounds,” said Dr. Gillespie. “If we hope to continue to support our economy and growing technology industries with new graduates, we need to be pulling from all possible members of the workforce. We especially need those who have traditionally been underrepresented in our fields.”

‘Bring positive changes to our industries’

Dr. Gillespie is confident the TCoE’s dedication to DEIB will have ripple effects that will extend beyond the University. Awareness and commitment to DEIB is critical for graduates in any field of engineering, she says, and a lack of diversity among engineers can indeed have dangerous consequences.

“Historically, many products were designed by engineering teams of people with similar backgrounds,” she said. “This often resulted in inequities for females or racial minorities when using that product.

“Seatbelt designs and crash-test dummies are an example of this,” she continued. “Despite the fact that women are much more likely to be injured or to die in a crash than men, the frontal crash test required by the National Highway Safety Transportation Association’s frontal crash test is only required to be performed using a male driver.”

Dr. Gillespie says the dialogue is beginning to change, as the industry is now calling for more DEIB awareness, particularly in STEM fields. She says companies are beginning to focus on diversifying their workforces, and increasing awareness of issues such as inequalities in compensation are having an impact on the industry. She and her fellow TCoE faculty are committed to preparing graduates to excel and make a meaningful impact after they graduate.

“By ensuring all of our graduates have knowledge of inclusive workplace practices and team dynamics, we can hopefully bring positive changes to our industries,” she said. “We are also ensuring they are in high-demand as the expectations continue to evolve.”