🔥 Join Us for a Fireside Chat with Ari Melenciano! 🔥

We're thrilled to join in the celebration of Black History Month by inviting you to a captivating webinar featuring the brilliant Ari Melenciano! Get ready for an inspiring Fireside Chat where Ari will delve into her remarkable journey, from battling the lack of representation in tech to becoming a trailblazer in her own right.

‍

Ari “...is a Brooklyn-based artist and technologist who previously worked at Google's Creative Lab and was a faculty member at New York University and Hunter College. An early adopter of AI in her creative practice, she uses it as a playground to probe questions of identity, create lost histories and dissect societal viewpoints.” - Kelly Blake

Here's a sneak peek into what Ari will be discussing:

‍

Overcoming Obstacles: Ari will candidly share how the initial lack of representation in the tech industry initially discouraged her, and how she persevered to carve her own path.

‍

Innovating in Education: Ari will share her insights on designing STEM education in diverse and inclusive ways, ensuring that everyone has access to quality learning opportunities.

‍

Empowering Black Technologists: Discover the inspiring story behind Afrotectopia, the vibrant community Ari founded to empower and uplift Black technologists, fostering a space for creativity, collaboration, and innovation.

‍

Exploring AI and Society: Ari will take us on a journey through her recent explorations with artificial intelligence, exploring its role as a mirror to society and the profound implications it holds for the future.

‍

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to hear from Ari Melenciano herself! Join us for a Fireside Chat that promises to be both enlightening and empowering.

‍

📅 Date: Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

🕒 Time: 1:00pm EST

🌐 Register now to secure your spot: Registration Link

‍

We can't wait to see you there!

Black History Month

As we celebrate Black History Month, it's important to recognize and honor the invaluable contributions of Black women engineers to the field of engineering. Their brilliance, innovation, and expertise have paved the way for progress and excellence in our industry.

‍

As part of the Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative community we invite you to support and elevate the work of Black women engineers:

‍

Amplify Their Voices: Actively seek out opportunities to amplify the voices and perspectives of Black women engineers in your workplace, conferences, and professional networks. Share their achievements, research, and insights to ensure their contributions are recognized and valued.

‍

Mentorship and Sponsorship: Offer mentorship and sponsorship opportunities to Black women engineers, providing guidance, support, and advocacy to help them advance in their careers. Create mentorship programs or partnerships within your organization or professional circles to foster growth and development.

‍

Promote Inclusive Practices: Advocate for inclusive practices and policies within your workplace or academic institution to create an environment where Black women engineers feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Champion diversity initiatives, equitable hiring practices, and inclusive leadership development programs.

‍

Invest in Education and Training: Support initiatives and programs that provide educational opportunities, scholarships, and resources for Black women pursuing careers in engineering. Invest in STEM education initiatives, mentorship programs, and professional development opportunities to help bridge the gap and create pathways to success.

‍

Create Spaces for Collaboration: Foster spaces for collaboration, networking, and community-building among Black women engineers. Organize events, workshops, and forums where they can connect, share experiences, and collaborate on projects that promote innovation and advancement in the field.

‍

Together, let's continue to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion in engineering, and uplift the voices and contributions of Black women engineers not just this month, but every day.

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.

Upcoming WCEC Member Events

The WCEC shares the 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!

ASCE DiscoverE Engineers Week

Virtual, February 18-24, 2024

ASCE partners with DiscoverE (formerly the National Engineers Week Foundation) to shine a spotlight on engineering. Engineers Week is a time to celebrate how engineers make a difference in our world, increase public dialogue about the need for engineers, and bring engineering to life for kids, educators, and parents. Learn more and access materials.

WE Local Conferences

Las Vegas, NV, February 23-24, 2024

Baltimore, MD, March 1-2, 2024

Wichita, KS, March 15-16, 2024

WE Local conferences take place around the world and are organized by the Society of Women Engineers to bring together participants in all stages of their collegiate and professional journey. The conferences create space for engineers and partners to connect through professional development sessions, inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, and more. Learn more & register.

CoNECD 2024

Crystal City, VA, February 25-27, 2024

The vision of the CoNECD (pronounced, “connected”) Conference is to provide a forum for exploring current research and practices to enhance diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented populations in the engineering and computing professions including gender identity and expression, race and ethnicity, disability, veterans, LGBTQ+, 1st generation and socio-economic status. Learn more & register.

**WCEC Leadership will be at CoNECD and we look forward to connecting with you!

TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition

Orlando, FL, March 3-7, 2024

The TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition brings together more than 4,000 engineers, scientists, business leaders, and other professionals in the minerals, metals, and materials fields for a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary exchange of technical knowledge. Learn more & register.

50th Annual Convention NSBE

Atlanta, GA, March 20-24, 2024

The 50th Annual Convention is a four-day constitutional event with over 15,000 attendees, 400+ company career fair and a 5,000+ General Session. During the Annual Convention, the Society conducts organizational business, elects national and regional leaders, holds competitions and provides professional and personal development, networking and celebratory activities. Learn more & register.

**WCEC Leadership will be at the NSBE Convention and we look forward to connecting with you!

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. Learn more & register

ADVANCE 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. ARC is WEPAN's cooperative agreement with the NSF ADVANCE program. Learn more & register.

**WCEC Leadership will be at the ADVANCE EiSCC 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. Learn more & register.

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. Learn more & register.

‍