The GTDEIC will continuously monitor and assess the Institute’s progress on achieving its goals for becoming a model campus community for diversity, equity, and inclusion and develop evidenced, informed recommendations, which they will submit periodically to Cabrera and the Institute’s Executive Leadership Team for consideration in developing strategic actions.
“Our Diversity and Inclusion Council is one of several action steps announced this past summer to deliver on our promise of inclusion,” said President Cabrera. “As outlined in our new strategic plan, we are striving to remove barriers to access and success, and to build an inclusive community where people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to learn and contribute to our mission. I am grateful to the individuals who volunteered to serve as inaugural council members, and look forward to working closely with them as they identify issues and propose new courses of action.”
Campus research has revealed discrepancies in the satisfaction levels of various groups. The 2017 Faculty and Staff Climate Assessment Surveys and 2018 Student Climate Assessment Survey revealed high levels of faculty, staff, and student satisfaction on a wide array of campus experiences on a number of dimensions measured across multiple social identities, such as faculty rank, job function, gender, and race.
“The surveys also revealed there are some important differences in levels of satisfaction reported regarding some campus experiences,” said Archie Ervin, vice president for Institute Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (IDEI). “Disaggregation of the data by social identity reveal lower levels of satisfaction with campus experiences on a number of dimensions measured by the survey that deserve attention and deeper exploration to understand why the differences exist and what action steps, if any, could be taken to address root causes of problematic or potentially adverse differences of experiences for campus members.”
“In sum, the climate assessment reports help us to understand our strengths and suggest areas where we should focus our attention to improve experiences of some members of the Tech community,” Ervin added. “Given the baseline data obtained by the Climate Assessment Surveys, and the recent development of college-level diversity councils, the establishment of an Institute-wide council on diversity, equity, and inclusion is both timely and necessary for the next iteration of an improved overarching strategy to achieve Tech’s goals for diversity and inclusion.”
The GTDEIC will be charged with the following objectives:
The group will be chaired by Ervin, and Pearl Alexander, executive director of IDEI’s Staff Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement, will serve as vice chair. The GTDEIC is composed of representatives from across the campus academic and administrative units, faculty, staff and student governance (undergraduate and graduate) and other faculty and staff who enhance the diversity of perspective of the Council.
In addition to Ervin and Alexander, council members include the following:
Chaouki Abdallah, Maryam Alavi, Sonia Alverez-Robinson, Nelson Baker, Raheem Beyah, Terry Blum, Barrett Carson, Kim Cobb, Carol Colatrella, Karie Davis-Nozemack, Melanie DeMaeyer, Stephen Eick, Samuel Ellis, Kaye Husbands Fealing, Bonnie Ferri, Byron Fitch, Kelly Fox, Mary Frank Fox, Steven Girardot, Rebecca “Beki” Grinter, Martha Grover, Kim Harrington, Diley Hernández, LouLou Hong, Darren Hubbard, James Hudgens, Javier Irizarry, Charles Isbell, Denise Johnson-Marshall, Paul Kohn, Renee Kopkowski, Keona Lewis, Susan Lozier, Joe Ludlum, Steve McLaughlin, Joseph Montoya, Tegra Myanna, Frank Neville, Loraine Phillips, Stephanie Ray, Elora Raymond, Michelle Rinehart, David Ross, Leslie Sharp, Todd Stansbury, John Stein, Yuanzhi Tang, Frank Trammer, Richard Utz, and Mitchell Walker.
]]>The mission of the Council is as follows:
To create and sustain a diverse and inclusive environment where all employees (faculty and staff), students, and volunteers feel valued and respected in all departments, programs, and worksites, and to promote an academically enriching and supportive climate that allows all members to thrive and succeed.
Subcommittees within the Council were formed and each group developed strategic action plans that center on goals including: increasing the number of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff within the School; fostering a sense of inclusion with existing underrepresented community members; and growing a pipeline of prospective students from underrepresented K-12 student populations.
In addition to implementing these actions, the Committee will counsel ECE leadership regarding diversity and inclusion matters and will complement the role and activities of the College of Engineering Diversity & Inclusion (COE-D&I) Council.
“Embracing diversity in our field is not only the right thing to do, it is the mechanism by which we enhance our educational and research outcomes. Having a community made up of different experiences, viewpoints, and backgrounds opens us up to more creative ideas, innovative solutions to problems, and ultimately, an atmosphere centered around trust and respect that people want to be a part of,” said Dr. Egerstedt.
]]>Shige Honjo (EE ‘91), Georgia Tech ECE advisory board member and co-founder of Nest, has taken a proactive approach by meeting with members of Women in Electrical and Computer Engineering (WECE) and providing direct support and mentorship on a number of initiatives.
“I see firsthand that diverse work groups excel at execution and are greatly successful. We need to continue to encourage women to consider engineering and once they are here, to mentor them and teach them what we know. With more women in engineering we can provide greater impact to our society and world,” said Honjo.
Unfortunately, female students still meet with gender stereotypes and are often pigeonholed by the most well-meaning sources.
Shige and his wife Amy, also a Nest co-founder and Scheller College alumna (MBA ’04), were profoundly affected by the story of a family friend’s daughter, Ruthie. Despite Ruthie’s interest in technology and her exceptional grades in math and science, her high school guidance counselor dissuaded her from studying engineering in college, explaining that as a woman, she would enjoy studying English Literature far more.
Amy introduced Ruthie to a group of female engineers in Silicon Valley—each one practicing a different engineering specialty. She was exposed to the variety of engineering careers available and met inspiring role models. While touring their labs, she saw their passion for building products and problem solving.
“Today, Ruthie is busily, happily, passionately studying mechanical engineering,” said Amy. “I believe diversity is very important to building strong, creative teams. Having more diversity, more women in engineering, will ultimately result in better products that better represent the needs of all of society.”
Support and Outreach at the School Level
Leyla Conrad, ECE’s outreach director and faculty mentor to WECE, is proud that the School’s undergraduate student body is 25% female. Still, she acknowledges that there is much more work to be done. “As one of the largest engineering colleges in the country, Georgia Tech has to do its part in leading a transformation in the makeup of our student body,” said Conrad.
WECE was founded in 2004 as a community where women could seek friendship, support, and advice regarding their academic, professional, and personal lives. The group hosts weekly meetings that feature guest speakers from industry and academia. They also organize fun social activities and outreach events designed to introduce school-age girls to engineering.
Besides the critical function of providing support for currently enrolled students, WECE also plays a role in encouraging prospective female students who have applied to the undergraduate program. WECE officers call each female admitted to Georgia Tech ECE providing a personal connection, answering questions, and helping them determine if Georgia Tech is the right fit for them. Members say that many times they’ve seen women decide to come to Georgia Tech because of these personal phone calls.
Another way the School encourages women to enroll is by offering Outstanding Women Scholarships.
“Offering a woman financial support for furthering her education within STEM means more than just its monetary value. Due to the large percentage of WECE members who mention having or had imposter syndrome, a scholarship shows that the ECE department believes in that woman’s abilities to do great things within our community even when she may doubt herself,” said computer engineering major and current WECE president, Maya Kelly.
Ideally, every single woman who is admitted early to the ECE undergraduate program would be offered a scholarship. Right now, only a handful of scholarships are available to the more than 70 students who qualify.
With concrete action items for supporting WECE and the work that they do, the School hopes to continue to enroll a higher percentage of women and shrink the gender gap in its undergraduate program.
If you would like to get involved with WECE, see the list below of ways to support the organization and contact the ECE Development Office.
Five ways individuals and corporations can help support WECE at Georgia Tech:
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According to its mission statement, the Council represents and advocates for the diverse collective body of staff within the College and will interact directly with the Dean of the College of Sciences. The Council serves as a liaison between the staff and College leadership, providing an avenue for a significant contribution of staff expertise. The Council aims to use these perspectives to provide recommendations to the Dean of the College, as well as to inform leadership members within each independent school regarding staff matters.
Please join us in welcoming the Council’s 15 members from across the College of Sciences, and in learning more about each member’s background, work, goals, and interests in serving:
Emma Blandford
Assistant Director of Living Learning Communities, Dean’s Office:
Background: I have a unique position to be able to interact with folks from across the college in order to best serve my students. I interact with first-year students on a daily basis, and connect them with the resources that they need on campus to be most successful. The team of amazing staff in the College of Sciences makes this college not only work, but run like their home-away-from-home. I have also been a part of the working group that formed the initial College of Sciences Advisory Council voting process, mission and vision.
Why I’m joining the Council: As a member of the council I would work to learn about the wide variety of positions, responsibilities, and needs of the professionals across our college. I am also interested to serve in a way that allows folks to be more than who they are at work, to introduce holistic wellness opportunities and connections to inclusive programming in order to support the whole-person experience.
Paula Ewers
Faculty Support Coordinator, School of Biological Sciences:
Background: Strong service-oriented skills, educational background, high level of attention to detail and results driven workforce professional with proven success in demonstrating expertise in service management and coordination. Professional in customer service, project management, team management, and budget management.
Why I’m joining the Council: Throughout my years of experience in the College of Sciences I have identified areas of opportunity and areas of success, and I would love to assist in building a stronger culture. I want to give back to this amazing college and provide feedback where I can.
Shantel Floyd
Research Administrative Manager, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry:
Background: I have a strong understanding of processes both on the finance and administration side. I have 5-plus years of experience supporting a center with a focus on broadening participation (development of unique programming). I also have experience partnering with people in the College of Sciences and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. I am trusted by colleagues and I have the ability to relate to colleagues on all levels. I was chosen as a Chemistry representative on several pilots. I mentor new staff and those starting new programs like those that I've run in the past. I have also partnered with IBB on several projects and events. I have the ability to create great working relationships across the board.
Why I’m joining the Council: Serving on this council will enable me to stay connected with activities that will help my fellow staff members in both education and the working environment, and to help with collaborations and open communication channels throughout all levels of the Institute. I will also have the opportunity to actively participate and contribute to conversations and solutions about the goals of the campus community.
Susan Harris
Financial Administrator, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry:
Background: I have 30-plus years working with sponsored project funding. I have 10-plus years working in academic units with faculty and admin teams. I have a deep respect for the process and want everything to be done within policy.
Why I’m joining the Council: I am hoping this team will be able to help identify and address concerns in their departments, and we can help make Georgia Tech a better place for all.
Chung Kim
Academic Program Coordinator, School of Biological Sciences:
Background: I've been working at Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences for the past three years as an academic program coordinator. My favorite, most fulfilling aspect of this position is interacting with and supporting our graduate students to successfully complete their degrees. I consider myself to be a good listener, team player, and a detail-oriented person.
Why I’m joining the Council: I believe that by being part of the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council, I would play an important role in building bonds among the staff, faculty, and administration. If given an opportunity, I would be glad to contribute my time and efforts in making a positive difference for the College and its schools.
Gary Longstreet
Academic Program Manager, School of Physics:
Background: First, I'm honored to be nominated. With more than 20 years in higher education, I offer a very diverse background, having worked for both public and private universities. At Georgia State University, I served on the Staff Advisory Council for several years and then represented staff on the University Senate Committee as a senator.
Why I’m joining the Council: I understand the needs of staff and the valuable role we play at all different levels. With everything happening in the world today, it is vital that staff be heard, supported, appreciated, and understood that we make things happen at the Institute and beyond.
Lea Marzo
Assistant to the Chair, School of Mathematics:
Background: I have been in higher education for over 13 years, six of those years at Georgia Tech. I have also been a graduate student for eight years and I believe that I can offer some insight from both a staff and a student perspective.
Why I’m joining the Council: I would like the opportunity to serve on the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council because I will put the interests of the workers above my own. I believe that I am a team player and will work to the best of my abilities to ensure that the voices of the staff members are represented.
Erin Nagle
Faculty Affairs Administrative Manager, Dean’s Office:
Background: After three years in the College and at Georgia Tech, I have met many wonderful staff members whose own stories and experiences I have enjoyed hearing about. I believe in a strong sense of community where staff contributions are highlighted and explored. I am a good listener and problem solver, and I genuinely care about staff development and morale. Budgets are tight and that limits what can be spent on development activities, but discussion and community building are free.
Why I’m joining the Council: Outside of our evolving national issues, College staff are facing multiple challenges on a routine basis right here on campus. Processes are frequently changing, and ‘newness’ has been our constant companion. It is difficult to keep up with our changing local environment and also keep on top of important work endeavors. I feel that strengthening our sense of community and support network within the college is our most powerful tool in facing ongoing challenges.
Alison Onstine
Laboratory Manager, School of Biological Sciences:
Background: My position as manager for the Biology teaching labs provides me with both a student-facing role and a window into the challenges facing staff within research labs. It’s my hope that these varied perspectives will help find commonalities in the challenges that staff in both traditional academic and research roles face. I will use all the tools at my disposal to foster the trust needed to become an effective representative for CoS staff.
Why I’m joining the Council: I see the amazing efforts already underway to bring voice to staff within the College and am eager to bring my skills to benefit these initiatives. Staff at Georgia Tech, in my experience, are challenging to unite as a group because of their disparate roles within the Institute. Due to our new social distancing challenges, there is more urgency than ever for staff to come together and build the community necessary to effectively be heard by administration.
Chinneta Pettaway
Research Administrative Manager, School of Mathematics:
Background: I have many years of experience prior to Georgia Tech working directly with chairs and executive management. I was able to form diverse leadership teams, which helped improve morale and retention within the department. My years at Georgia Tech working for the former Dean of the College of Sciences and the other leadership members allowed me the ability to understand the mission and vision of the College. I was able to utilize that knowledge with my transition to the School of Mathematics, to help with the development of the newly formed Southeast Center for Mathematics and Biology.
Why I’m joining the Council: I'm interested in serving on the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council to help bring awareness and understanding to issues occurring on the school level. I'd like to advocate for the staff in the schools to help improve a safe and healthy work environment for everyone regardless of race, color, or creed. Importantly, we need to add to an effective communication avenue between management and staff. This will allow staff members to feel comfortable speaking about problems without fear of being reprimanded.
Ruth Pierre
Academic Program Coordinator, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry:
Background: I am very passionate and have a strong desire to help others. I interact with staff, students, and faculty at different levels and enjoy getting to know and collaborate with people on projects. As a staff member for over seven years, I have been involved with various offices across campus and listened to concerns, comments, and complaints from various staff. I’m personable, have a willingness to take charge, excellent organization skills, and a strategic thinker are several strong skills set that would be a positive addition to the Staff Advisory Council.
Why I’m joining the Council: I want to be involved with the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council to help bring about positive change. I want to be a voice of changes that affect policy and procedures for staff. We are in critical times and need people who can represent diverse viewpoints across a broad spectrum of topics. I would like the opportunity to work with other staff to create productive and positive outcomes.
Renay San Miguel
Communications Officer, Dean’s Office:
Background: I spent 25 years in journalism, including 10 years at national broadcast and cable TV news outlets. I currently use my position to tell the stories of the great research going on within the six schools of the College. I also tell the stories of the interesting, talented people behind that research, and the staff and students who make up the Georgia Tech College of Sciences community. My skills include communications in writing, audio podcasting, and video hosting/production/editing.
Why I’m joining the Council: The College of Sciences has been very good to me. As a staff member, I've appreciated the kindnesses extended to me by administrators and other staff members. I want to pay it forward by assisting the Advisory Council as it helps staff deal with day-to-day and long-range goals and challenges.
Kathy Sims-McDaniel
Development Assistant, Dean’s Office:
Background: I have worked as a teacher, counselor, program coordinator and event planner, just to name a few occupations. In my spare time, I have also volunteered on several different social projects.
Why I’m joining the Council: I believe the combination of my education and experience will make me a highly motivated addition to the Staff Advisory Council. I would like to serve on the Council because I feel I can be an advocate for our colleagues, and can work collectively with fellow Council members as a vehicle for positive change.
John Wallom
Information Technology Professional Manager, Academic and Research Computing Services (ARCS):
Background: I have been in higher education information technology support for 21 years, and in that time I helped create student worker run IT support centers, worked on several institution wide committees, and worked with University System of Georgia security groups to establish best practices for smaller USG institutions. On top of a broad technical knowledge, I have also worked to establish several new teams, from entire institute support teams to new units within a college. I believe that experience will help when forming the first College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council.
Why I’m joining the Council: I have always stepped up to voice my concerns when staff are in need, or are not being taken into consideration. The staff of the College of Sciences needs to have people who will be an advocate for them, and I believe that I am someone who can definitely fill that role.
Casey Whitt
Financial Administrator, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences:
Background: I will bring skills related to the position of Financial Administrator. In a previous position I also served on a college staff advisory council, periodically working on grievance hearings and coordinating a benefits fair. Also, I volunteered on various carnivals, including one that educated employees on proper protocol in case of a fire.
Why I’m joining the Council: I want to serve on the College of Sciences Staff Advisory Council because I believe that I can represent the opinions of the staff in a fair and impartial manner, and assist the Council to relate ideas and solutions that will assist the department to grow as a team with the College administrators.
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