The newly formed BSCES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Committee hosted their first event in April, titled Finding a Roadmap Forward. The event featured guest speaker Dr. Lisa M. Black, the director of cultural belonging and social ethos for ASCE and was followed by a breakout group discussion. The event aimed to introduce members to the DE&I Committee’s proposed mission and gather feedback regarding priority issues as described by BSCES members.
Dr. Lisa Black started the discussion with a brief presentation on the challenges facing engineers from underrepresented communities and ASCE initiatives. She introduced attendees to ASCE’s Members of Society Advancing an Inclusive Culture (MOSAIC) and its mission to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion interests of the civil engineering community as well as foster a culture within ASCE that results in an equitable and inclusive profession for all. She mentioned that a Best Practices Resource Guide is in development, and stated that promoting an inclusive culture requires following established guidelines, amplifying voices that may not typically get heard, finding moments to celebrate diversity, and being aware of unconscious bias. As civil engineers, it is our duty not only to create an inclusive professional industry, but to consider diversity, equity, and inclusion in every project we complete. ASCE asks engineers to consider J.E.D.I. – Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion - in every design project. J.E.D.I. promotes engineers to contemplate whose perspectives were gathered during a project’s design, whose opinions were not heard, and whose ideas will not be considered because they are not in the majority.
After listening to Dr. Black’s presentation, the attendees broke out into groups to focus on three topics relevant to the committee. The objective of each breakout group was to discuss and recommend action items for the DE&I committee. The three topics were:
- promoting a welcoming inclusive culture,
- attracting underrepresented communities to engineering as a career, and
- prioritizing equity and environmental justice in design.
Based on the breakout discussions, the committee was able to gather information and determine action items. Regarding the promotion of a welcoming and inclusive culture, it was determined that some companies have been providing training for their leadership on how to promote an inclusive culture, but not all. Also, more companies are providing privacy rooms for their employees such as mother’s rooms, prayer rooms, or wellness rooms; and some companies are hosting events that celebrate different cultures. The discussion concluded that there is a need for more resources and educational events for engineers to share ideas on what some companies and engineers are doing to promote a more inclusive culture within civil engineering.
On the topic of attracting underrepresented communities to civil engineering as a career, the committee determined that outreach to K-12 was the most recommended approach. There was a general interest from attendees to volunteer and get involved in promoting their industry to students, but currently finding a lack of opportunities to do so. Events hosted by the BSCES Public Awareness & Outreach Committee are an effective approach for BSCES to promote our industry to students and it is important to continue to host student competitions for middle and high school students such as the Model Bridge Competition and the Future City Competition. One participant recommended a program, whereby companies could adopt local schools to provide ongoing mentoring and STEM outreach activities.
To prioritize equity and environmental justice in design, the committee determined that we, as an industry, need to be more aware of the voices that are not heard in the design phase of projects. Based on the lessons learned from Dr. Lisa Black’s presentation, we need to consider J.E.D.I in every design and fulfill our duties to be civil engineers for all communities – majority and minority.
The DE&I Committee looks forward to having an active role in all topics discussed during the first event and contributing to a more diverse and inclusive industry. The BSCES Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee recognizes the lack of diversity in our industry and proposes to address this issue by spreading awareness and advocating for a more diverse and inclusive industry. The committee’s overall mission is to create an industry that attracts those that have been traditionally underrepresented in the engineering community and acknowledges that this is an essential step for maintaining the vitality of the profession. As we become a more diverse industry, the world we create through our designs will better serve the population at large.