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Engineering School fosters inclusive excellence with two-day summit

March 6, 2025 - By Carly Bowling

photo: Donna Riley

The University of New Mexico’s School of Engineering recently hosted its inaugural JEADI Summit, two days of action-oriented discussions on the topics of justice, equity, accessibility, diversity and inclusion, to develop next steps for improving climate and student success. Engineering graduates are needed now more than ever as job growth in the field continues to outpace the overall U.S. labor market. A report by the National Science Board estimated that meeting U.S. science and engineering workforce needs by 2030 requires engineering schools to recruit and retain the “missing millions,” developing a STEM workforce representative of the gender, racial and ethnic diversity of the US population. As an institution in a minority-majority state, the UNM School of Engineering is well-positioned to help address these challenges and has set goals to improve student success, foster an inclusive environment, and increase student enrollment. The work is part of the school’s strategic plan and contributes to the UNM 2040 plan to promote inclusive excellence.

A new NSF-funded center, launched at the JEADI Summit, is well-positioned to help the School of Engineering meet its goals. The project will be known as E-Hub and will serve as a Center for Engineering Equity. Led by primary investigator Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing, the project will advance equity knowledge and practice in engineering, forge links between cultural and engineering identities, and engage new conceptions of engineering informed by culture and place in both research and education. Co-principal investigators include Melanie Moses, professor of computer science and special advisor to the dean on educational initiatives; Eva Chi, professor of chemical and biological engineering and associate dean for faculty affairs in Engineering; and Vanessa Svhila, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering and special assistant to the dean for learning sciences.

During the JEADI Summit, participants had several opportunities to provide feedback and join discussions that will shape the E-Hub’s work. The summit kicked off with remarks and a Q&A from Provost James Holloway and a presentation by Dean Riley on the importance of inclusive excellence in engineering. Riley provided examples of engineered artifacts that showcase social bias in engineering like cameras that don’t recognize Asian features or dark skin and bias in crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association that has resulted in car accidents being more dangerous for women than men decades after crash testing began.

“We know from the literature that diverse engineering teams will be more creative and innovative than those that are less diverse. There are lots of examples out there of engineering designs that embody social biases. We need to represent the variety of communities that exist in order to get the best results for innovation, economic growth, and national and global security,” Riley said during her presentation.

After opening presentations, chairs and faculty from all six of the school’s engineering and computer science departments participated in a panel titled, “Improving Climate and Culture,” which highlighted efforts undertaken by each department to address everything from supporting women studying engineering to improving the work environment for faculty. Takeaways included chairs encouraging faculty to ensure women are not singled out in group projects by working to put two or more women together when possible. Steps like this help ensure students feel like they belong in classrooms and can focus on learning the practical skills necessary to succeed in their careers. Other departments discussed working to foster student populations that reflect the taxpayers of New Mexico who help support UNM.

Participants then attended two sessions focused on generating ideas that could be implemented to advance JEADI principles in student, staff and faculty communities. In the second session, tables were themed around specific topics including decolonizing engineering curriculum, AI and justice in the classroom, broadening understanding of JEADI, incorporating JEADI in staff roles, and how to include broadening participation in funding and grant proposals. Each table then reported key takeaways to the full group.

Serving student populations well means understanding who is part of the institution. The first day of the summit wrapped up with a joint keynote presentation titled, “How Intersectionality Can Advance Equity at HSIs,” by Nancy Lopez, professor of sociology, and Claudia Diaz Fuentes, assistant professor in the College of Population Health. The pair discussed the importance of understanding the multifaceted nature of student identities, particularly drilling down not only by gender, race and ethnicity but also parent level of education. Lopez and Diaz Fuentes presented data that showed how certain groups are less likely to attend or graduate from college, including that Black men with parents who attended college and white men who are first-generation college students have similarly low graduation rates even though theyface different barriers in a university setting. Utilizing intersectional data could help universities see disparities that are invisible when looking at race and ethnicity data alone. Having this information is critical for serving all students at the university, according to Lopez and Diaz Fuentes.

The second day of the summit was designed to engage students. Events included a campus resource and support fair featuring resource centers from across UNM, a panel on navigating identity in the workplace, and a closing dinner homage to Dean Emeritus Bill Gross who initiated many of the diversity programs at the School of Engineering. At the fair, students earned stamps on a passport for each table they engaged with. Students who filled their passport cards could enter into a drawing for one of four $50 Lobo Cash gift cards. The panel provided networking and career prep opportunities. During the dinner homage to Dean Emeritus Bill Gross, attendees celebrated the 50th anniversary of the NASTEM program (originally known as the Native American Program, College of Engineering). Dinner attendees also had the opportunity to learn more about Dean Gross’s work from Sharon Gross, his widow; Dean Riley; Elsa Castillo, director of the Engineering and Student Success Center; and an alumnus of the engineering entrepreneurship program started by Dean Gross.

Researchers at the Center for Engineering Equity will now review feedback collected throughout the summit to form tangible actions that can be taken in the school to help advance progress on its strategic plan.

Learn more about the summit at engineering.unm.edu/jeadi.

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