ABQ Times

The University of New Mexico's School of Engineering recently held its first JEADI Summit, a two-day event focused on justice, equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion. The summit aimed to discuss strategies for improving the educational environment and student success.

The demand for engineering graduates is increasing as job growth in this sector surpasses the overall U.S. labor market. According to a report by the National Science Board, achieving the required U.S. science and engineering workforce by 2030 necessitates recruiting and retaining diverse individuals in STEM fields. The UNM School of Engineering is positioned to address these challenges due to its location in a minority-majority state. It has set goals to enhance student success, create an inclusive environment, and boost enrollment as part of its strategic plan aligned with the UNM 2040 initiative.

A new NSF-funded center called E-Hub was launched at the summit. This Center for Engineering Equity will be led by Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing. Riley stated that "diverse engineering teams will be more creative and innovative than those that are less diverse." She emphasized the importance of representing various communities for innovation and economic growth.

During the summit, participants engaged in discussions that will guide E-Hub's work. Provost James Holloway opened with remarks followed by Dean Riley's presentation on inclusive excellence in engineering. Riley highlighted examples of social bias in engineered artifacts like cameras failing to recognize certain features or biases in crash testing impacting women disproportionately.

Dean Donna Riley awarded Provost James Holloway with the Be the Change Award during the summit on February 27, 2025.

Following presentations, department chairs participated in a panel discussing efforts to improve climate and culture within their departments. Topics included supporting women in engineering studies and fostering student populations reflective of New Mexico taxpayers who support UNM.

Participants attended sessions focused on advancing JEADI principles across student, staff, and faculty communities. Discussions covered topics such as decolonizing curricula and incorporating JEADI into staff roles.

The first day concluded with a keynote presentation by Nancy Lopez from sociology and Claudia Diaz Fuentes from population health on how intersectionality can advance equity at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). They discussed using intersectional data to identify disparities invisible when only considering race or ethnicity data.

The second day engaged students through events like a campus resource fair featuring various UNM centers and panels on workplace identity navigation. A closing dinner honored Dean Emeritus Bill Gross for his contributions to diversity programs at the School of Engineering.

Researchers at the Center for Engineering Equity will now analyze feedback from the summit to develop actionable steps aligned with their strategic plan goals.

More information about the summit can be found at engineering.unm.edu/jeadi.