The WCEC Team is Growing!

As WCEC continues to grow and expand, we are thrilled to announce that Dra. Lola Rodríguez Vargas has joined our team as Project Director for WCEC.We invite you to get to know Lola better by visiting her profile on our team page: https://www.womenofcolorengineers.org/team/lola-rodriguez-vargas

‍

The WCEC continues actively seeking talented individuals to join our dynamic team. We have two exciting opportunities available: Project Manager and Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Thank you for helping us spread the word!

King Holiday 2024

On January 15th we joined the annual King Holiday Observance and we want to invite you to celebrate by continuing to grow our knowledge of not only Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. but a couple of women that have led the continuous leadership of his legacy: Mrs. Coretta King and Dr. Bernice King.

Dr. Bernice King completed her graduate studies at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Bernice’s alma mater serves women engineers through their dual degree program where students can begin their Engineering studies at Emory University and complete their undergraduate degree in the Georgia Institute of Technology.

National Day of Racial Healing

We also want to underscore the importance of connecting and engaging with collective equity efforts. A great way to do this is through The National Day of Racial Healing which is part of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation's Truth, Racial Healing Transformation efforts. You can visit the website to participate in an event near you or browse the site for valuable information about racial equity.

‍

https://dayofracialhealing.org

Photo credit: Charlotte Geary/NSF

In memory of the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson

The work that we are able to do through WCEC is thanks to NSF’s Eddie Bernice Johnson INCLUDES Initiative. This January we want to Spotlight the legacy of the Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson. Her leadership was instrumental to cultivating inclusive work

environments for WOC in Engineering. Learn more about her life and work here.

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!

2024 AAAS Annual Meeting

Denver, CO, February 15-17, 2024

Science and technology would proceed faster and better in an ecosystem free of barriers that currently separate us by discipline, approach, institution, nation, access, wealth, seniority, race, and gender; we shall explore problems, consider solutions, and envision science without walls. Theme of the 2024 AAAS Annual Meeting is Toward Science Without Walls. Learn more & register.

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.