Engineering an Inclusive Future

The College of Engineering is proud to present Engineering an Inclusive Future, a new communications platform showcasing our college-wide efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion. We strive to implement the vision set forth by Chancellor May to make UC Davis one of the most diverse and inclusive universities in the country and to “integrate concepts of diversity, inclusion, and equity into everything we do.”

These efforts highlight how much we’ve done—and how much more we will be doing—to move the College of Engineering toward “inclusion excellence,” in which all members of a community are encouraged and supported to work, study and learn in a way that allows each of us to reach our full potential. We also encourage you to present the land acknowledgement statement at any UC Davis event held on the Davis campus. Explore our efforts below, as told through the viewpoints of our remarkable faculty, staff, researchers and students.

Student Stories

Stronger Together

Vanessa and Victoria Liera talk about why they started the Club of Future Female Electrical Engineers and what it means to be women in the STEM field.

Shooting for the Stars

Felipe Valdez shares his experience from moving to the United States alone at the age 16 to graduating with his masters and landing his dream job at NASA.

Supporting Your Roots

Ismael Mayanja is working on new methods to dry almonds faster and more efficiently. He plans to take what he learns at UC Davis back to Uganda to help the country’s farmers.

Strengthening Ceramics and Communities

Luis Sotelo is always working to make things stronger - whether it’s ceramic materials in the lab or the graduate student communities he’s part of.

Inspiring Women in STEM

Marina Radulaski had exceptional female role models during her career path in quantum physics and computing. She works to instill the same type of inspiration and mentorship for her students.

Building an Inclusive Environment

Jasquelin Peña believes an inclusive environment in our college will contribute to an environment where students, staff and faculty feel supported to reach their full potential.

Making Math and Engineering Accessible to All

Harry Cheng believes that in order to have diversity, equity and inclusion in our education systems, we have to begin engaging with students when they are young.

Uplifting Voices in Engineering

Ralph Aldredge has been a leader in the college for years in an effort to lift up student voices and ensure prospective and current students with disadvantaged backgrounds can find a pathway to excel at UC Davis.

Supporting the Next Generation

Alin Wakefield works to build meaningful connections with students, whether that be services such as coaching or just a shoulder to lean on.

Increasing Diversity and Student Retention

Tanya Whitlow started the LEADR program to provide support and prepare first-generation students for post-graduation careers.

Fostering an Inclusive, Entrepreneurial Community

Dawn Strickland envisions a future in which students currently underrepresented in high-growth tech entrepreneurship and investing will seek out UC Davis and the SSC because of the opportunities and support they know they will find.

Serving the Underserved

Xiaodong Qian works to design bikesharing programs that improve access to jobs and essential services in disadvantaged communities.

Mentor for Nepal

Tri Dev Acharya founded the #Mentor4Nepal Initiative to help students in Nepal with skill set development and career planning.

Message from Faculty Assistant to the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

Cindy Rubio Gonzalez In engineering and computer science, we work on complex problems that require many people to solve. Studies show having diversity in the group brings multiple perspectives that lead to better solutions to complex problems. In the College of Engineering, I am guiding the college’s efforts in the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Deans Diversity Initiative by chairing a faculty advisory committee charged with guiding and monitoring efforts and progress toward achieving the objectives of the college’s diversity and inclusion plan. Read More →

Engineering for Inclusion

Organized with the help of College of Engineering Dean and Meeting Program Chair Jennifer Sinclair Curtis, the 2020 Virtual AIChE Annual Meeting held a plenary session focused on ongoing success stories in diversity and inclusion. Chancellor Gary May participated as a featured panelist in the session, titled Meet the Leaders: Engineering for Inclusion.

Chancellor May talked about the successes of College of Engineering programs AvenueE, LEADR and Mentor Collective, as well as what the college needs to do moving forward to continue being a trailblazer in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Student Organizations

Learn about some of the engineering student organizations supporting diversity, equity and inclusion in the college.

Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (oSTEM)

oSTEM at UC Davis seeks to empower LGBTQIA+ UC Davis students in STEM to succeed personally, academically and professionally by cultivating an environment and community that nurture innovation, leadership and advocacy.

Learn more about oSTEM

Engineers Without Borders at UC Davis

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at UC Davis is a non-profit, student-run organization established to help developing areas worldwide with their development needs, while involving and training internationally responsible students.

Learn more about Engineers Without Borders

Black Graduate Engineering Mentorship Initiative

The Black Graduate Engineering Mentorship (BGEM) Initiative, led by Professor Jamal Lewis and Professor Ralph Aldredge, provides 1-on-1 mentorship and guidance for black graduate students. The initiative strives to create a sense of community and belonging where students can interact and socialize. The goal is to set students up for success, happiness and the feeling of acceptance throughout their engineering education.

To learn more about the Black Graduate Engineering Mentorship Initiative, contact Professor Jamal Lewis.

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