April 2024 // WCEC Newsletter
In this month's issue:
- May Webinar: Keeping C.A.L.M. to Address Burnout
- WCEC's Trip to NSBE
- New Faces at WCEC
- Upcoming WCEC Member Events
- What is the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative?
We are thrilled to join in the celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May by hosting a captivating webinar featuring Dr. Wei Yuan and Dr. Grace Poon Ghaffari! This month’s session will explore the immense wealth in the lived experiences of our guests and how culture and community equip women of color to navigate the engineering workplace.
Key Discussion Points:
Embracing AAPI Heritage: Our guests will lead the discussion with ways in which women of color in engineering can bring their whole selves to work (if they so choose) and embrace all parts of their identities in an ever-evolving and complex workplace environment. Their lens will be through AAPI women in engineering.
Navigating Workplace Challenges: The engineering workplace can present unique challenges to women of color in engineering. Our guests will discuss common hurdles like burnout, imposter syndrome, and discrimination, and effective coping mechanisms that women of color can leverage in their day-to-day lives.
Cultivating Resilience: Our guests will also explore ways to prioritize well-being in both the personal and professional spheres in the face of stressful workplace challenges.
Living Mindfully: Our guests will present practical insights into mindfulness practices and other tools that can foster a sense of balance and peace in daily life and contribute to a healthier, more fulfilling professional journey.
About Dr. Wei Yuan:
Dr. Wei Yuan is the global excellence manager in Lubricants Supply Chain at Shell Global Solution. She has been with Shell Global Solution since 2011 as an engineer in Houston, Texas, USA. Since then she has held multiple roles in Technology, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, and also Sales & Marketing. She has been working across multiple continents and cultures.
Wei is originally from Beijing, China and received her Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University. In her spare time, she enjoys travel and painting.
About Dr. Grace Poon Ghaffari:
Dr. Grace Poon Ghaffari is the creator of Asian Women College Survivors on Instagram and is passionate about transforming systems and environments that prioritize the needs & realities of survivors of color, especially Asian women college survivors. Grace earned her PhD in higher education at Azusa Pacific University by studying how systemic oppression and cultural wealth shape bodily harm and healing among Asian American women survivors of sexual and relationship violence. Grace also works at Stanford University where she creates educational interventions to prevent violence and cultivate care among college students. In the fall, Grace will transition to becoming an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at San Jose State University. As an Asian woman who has experienced dating and racist violence, Grace understands how racism, sexism, and other forms of oppression uniquely intersect to shape abuse and systemic violence. She believes that healing of trauma must be intersectional and intertwined with cultural wealth.
Webinar Information:
📅 Date: May 14, 2024
🕒 Time: 11am-12pm PST, 12-1pm MST, 2-3pm EST
🌐 Register now to secure your spot: https://bit.ly/3QfqJZv
We can't wait to see you there!
WCEC at NSBE's 50th Annual Convention
Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative Leadership Presents at the National Society of Black Engineer's Annual Gathering
On March 20-24, our Principal Investigator, Dr. Roberta Rincon, joined Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Rochelle Williams and Dr. Stephani Page at a session for Multicultural Engineering Program Staff and Deans in presenting the impact of the WCEC on the individual, organizational and movement levels. The session took place at the National Society of Black Engineers’ 50th Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The NSBE convention broke attendance records with over 18,000 attendees; of which included collegiate members, professional engineers, as well as government and higher education professionals.
We were thrilled to connect with so many of you at the SWE and NSBE mixer as well. Thank you for sharing your stories and connecting with us to partner and collaborate!
The WCEC regularly attends the conferences and gatherings of our partner organizations. To find out which event we will attend next, please see the Events Calendar.
New Staff Announcement
We are proud to introduce two new members of the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative staff, Kenashia Thompson and Dru James!
Kenashia Thompson (she/her/hers)
Program Manager
Learn more about Kenashia here.
Dru James
(they/them/theirs)
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Learn more about Dru here.
Upcoming WCEC Member Events
The WCEC shares numerous professional activities offered by our member organizations. Member organizations are committed to creating a supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment for WOC in engineering. Find out more about their events and register to attend!
SAMPE Conference
Long Beach, CA, May 20-23, 2024
SAMPE 2024 Conference and Exhibition is exclusively dedicated to advanced materials and processes. Produced by the North America Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE), this event brings together leading companies, engineers, scientists, and professionals from throughout the advanced materials and processes industry.
WEPAN Equity in STEM Community Convening
Baltimore, MD, June 2-5, 2024
Since 2019, the NSF-Funded ADVANCE Equity in STEM Community Convening has served as the convening for NSF ADVANCE grantees in a format that facilitates engagement with change agents within and beyond the NSF ADVANCE community. The ADVANCE EiSCC brings together a variety of change makers from higher education, professional societies, industry, government, and non-profits in an engaged exchange of knowledge, resources, and support to drive systemic change in STEM.
**WCEC Leadership will be at WEPAN and we look forward to connecting with you!
AWWA ACE24 National Conference
Anaheim, CA, June 10-13, 2024
ACE, where the water community comes together to learn, connect, and be inspired to solve global water challenges. Be a part of the water revolution that addresses critical issues about the world’s most important resource. Regardless of where you are in your career, there is something for everyone at ACE.
ASEE National Conference
Portland, OR, June 23-26, 2024
The premier event of its kind, the ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition fosters an exchange of ideas; enhances teaching methods and curricula; explores how to manage engagement, retention, and return on learning experiences; and provides unparalleled networking opportunities for engineering and engineering technology education stakeholders, including deans, department chairs, faculty members, researchers, and industry and government professionals.
AISES National Conference
San Antonio, Texas, October 3 - 5, 2024
The Annual AISES National Conference is a unique, three-day event focusing on educational, professional, and workforce development for Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) studies and careers.
SWE Conference
Chicago, IL, October 24-26, 2024
WE24 is poised to be the premier global conference for women in the fields of engineering and technology. It aims to unite a wide array of female engineers, those aspiring to join the field, and supporters from around the world. The conference will feature sessions designed to inspire, showcase technological innovations, and provide valuable networking opportunities. Attendees can also expect insightful panel discussions led by leading experts, focusing on the latest trends and effective practices in the industry.
SHPE National Convention
Anaheim, CA, October 30-November 3, 2024
Held annually in a different city, the convention brings together over 9,000 of the best and brightest Hispanic scientists, mathematicians, and engineers to celebrate our Familia through our STAR Awards, compete for top prize money showcasing their skills, and enhance skills and networking through our many workshop sessions and engagement events. For corporate sponsors, it is a beacon of top STEM talent. For SHPE members, it is a life-changing opportunity to build a dream career.
What is the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative?
The Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative (WCEC) was created in 2021 as a partnership network of professional engineering societies and STEM-based companies. The WCEC is working to address systemic barriers that prohibit equitable work environments for women engineers of color.
Since its inception, the WCEC has grown to 29 organizations, created a shared vision and mission, and developed a strategic plan that will guide our efforts over the next few years. Thank you for your interest and support of our work. We hope that you will engage with the WCEC as we begin implementing the strategies aimed at tackling the major challenges facing women of color (WOC) in the engineering workplace.
Want to Get Involved?
Are you interested in having your organization become a member of the WCEC? Read our membership guidelines and fill out an application. Learn more.
While we don’t offer membership to individuals, we do want to grow the WCEC community! Soon we will begin collecting profiles of amazing WOC engineers for our Inspiring Leaders database. We are also collecting resources from our member organizations to place in our online Resource Center. We will be using this newsletter to get the word out as these activities get underway. Please share the WCEC with your network and invite others to sign up for our newsletter through the Contact Us form on the WCEC website.
