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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We are committed to building a welcoming and inclusive place to learn, live, and work, and we strive to incorporate diverse perspectives, experiences, and inquiry in our classrooms, labs, and offices.

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is comprised of faculty, staff, and students working towards creating a more equitable, diverse, and welcoming place to learn and work.

Commitment

“Our goal is to build a community that reflects the rich diversity of the global workforce, and create a culture in which our individual identities and contributions are valued and treated with respect. It's critical that each student, faculty, and staff feel welcome and included to ensure we teach, learn, and discover to our full potential."

—Alexis Abramson, Dean

Goals

As part of the larger Dartmouth Action Plan for Inclusive Excellence, the engineering community at Dartmouth seeks to create a place where difference is valued, where each individual’s identity and contributions are treated with respect, and where differences lead to a strengthened identity for all.

We aim to:

  • Raise awareness of the importance of diversity, respect, and inclusion in the classroom and workplace;
  • Improve the recruitment and retention of a diverse faculty, staff, and student body;
  • Provide resources and programming and support efforts that enhance diversity and inclusivity within the School and across campus.

Initiatives

The DEI Committee, in collaboration with members of the Dartmouth engineering community, will focus on the following six sub-group areas for the upcoming year:

Fifth-Year BE Program Access

Improve access to the fifth-year Bachelor of Engineering (BE) program, including exploring removing financial barriers for all students who want to pursue a BE during their fifth year after earning their AB from Dartmouth.

Graduate Admissions Process

Examine potential roadblocks such as the GRE, application fees, and initial expense gap for international students.

Mentoring and Support for BIPOC students

Develop mentorship programs and support networks for students who are members of the Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) community.

Partnerships with HBCUs

Establish partnerships with other universities and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), including establishing dual-degree programs and working together to attract a diverse graduate applicant pool.

Online Resources

Create a one-stop-shop for diversity resources and information.

Community Events

Create opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds to share their culture with others, and celebrate diversity through various events at Thayer.

Updates

The DEI Committee provides ongoing documentation of practices, plans, accomplishments, and challenges relevant to their goal of building a more welcoming, equitable place to learn and work, and to creating campus-wide partnerships towards implementing meaningful change.

DEI Committee Members

Petra Bonfert-Taylor, Chair
Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion

Alexis Abramson
Dean

Teja Chatty
PhD Innovation Fellow

Marcie Craig Jacobs
Assistant Dean for Strategic Initiatives

Amy E. Keeler
Associate Director of Career Services

Vicki May
Professor of Engineering

Steffi Muhanji
PhD Candidate

Kofi Odame
Associate Professor of Engineering

Brian Pogue
Professor of Engineering

Zachary Price
Development Officer

Laura Ray
Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Development

Alberto Ruiz
PhD Candidate

Catalina-Paula Spatarelu
PhD Innovation Fellow

Tricia Spellman
Chief Financial and Administrative Officer

Holly Wilkinson
Assistant Dean for Student and Academic Affairs