After the tragic events in 2020 which spurred the international movement to protest systemic racism and anti-Blackness, a passionate plea for real change became apparent in the Samueli School of Engineering community.
This is a list of task forces, working groups, and initiatives that have been in place or were recently established in order to listen to the issues, reflect on common practices and processes and to come up with a course of action to introduce change within our school and within our community.
[The people listed on this page signed up to be allies. If you are in need of help or need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.]
SCHOOL WIDE SUPPORT
Samueli School of Engineering Anti-Racism Task Force
- Magnus Egerstedt, Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering
- Cyndi Muylle, Senior Assistant Dean and Chief of Staff
- Regina Ragan, Professor, MSE & Stacey Nicholas Chair for Diversity in Engineering Education
- Jennifer Wilkens, Executive Assistant to the Dean & Director of Special Projects
Samueli School of Engineering Anti-Racism Working Group
- Gregory Diggs-Yang, Assistant Director, Office of Access & Inclusion
- Lisseth Garcia, Administrative Coordinator, Office of Access & Inclusion
- Amy Ricks, CAO, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- Julie Strope, CAO, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science
- Jennifer Wilkens, Executive Assistant to the Dean & Director of Special Projects
Office of Access and Inclusion
OAI is a joint office between The Samueli School of Engineering and Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences created in 2014 to recruit, retain, and graduate talented students from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented in Engineering and ICS.
DECADE Mentors are committed to fostering an inclusive environment within UCI’s graduate programs, and promoting diversity within the graduate student population campuswide. They serve as a resource to graduate students and faculty alike, collaborating with Equity Advisors and UCI’s Graduate Division to accomplish their program’s goals.
BME – Wendy Liu, Associate Professor
CBE – Tayloria Adams, Associate Professor
CEE – Wenlong Jin, Professor
EECS – Jean-Luc Gaudiot, Professor
MSE – Tim Rupert, Professor
MAE – Haithem Taha, Assistant Professor
UCI Office of Inclusive Excellence Certificate – Inaugural Graduates
Samueli School of Engineering inaugural recipients of the UCI Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program. Aligned to the Inclusive Excellence Action Plan, the purpose of this certificate program is to equip students, faculty and staff to advance the pillars of Community, Thriving and Wellness. Each graduate completed the curriculum, including the required core course entitled UCI as a Minority Thriving University and an elective course on Community or Wellness.
In completing the 18-hour program, participants explored UCI from multiple perspectives and communities that make up our richly diverse campus. Each course meeting included a presentation by a content expert and experienced practitioner who facilitated conversations and outlined resources and tools to promote inclusion. The format of these meetings created a space for intentional listening and brave conversations about aligning the pillars of Community, Thriving and Wellness to the lived realities of all members of the campus community. Completing the certificate program is a remarkable testament of intention, attention and attitude in building a culture of inclusive excellence.
For more information about the Inclusive Excellence Certificate Program, please consult the program webpage here.
- Daniel Knight, Assistant Professor of Teaching, CBE
- Jennie Vargas, Senior Analyst/Course Management Area Specialist, CASA
- Mark Walter, Professor of Teaching, MAE
- Jennifer Wilkens, Executive Assistant to the Dean & Director of Special Projects, SSoE
An Equity Advisor is a faculty member, appointed as Faculty Assistant to the Dean in their respective schools. Equity Advisors participate in faculty recruiting by approving search strategies and raising awareness of Best Practices. Additionally, they organize faculty development programs, with both formal and informal mentoring, and address individual issues raised by women and underrepresented minority faculty.
Equity Advisors, together with the ADVANCE Program Director and Manager, form APAC, the Advance Program Advising Committee. APAC meets monthly to discuss current and best practices to promote faculty diversity and inclusion across campus.
- Han Li, Associate Professor, CBE & SSoE Co-Equity Advisor
- Tim Downing, Assistant Professor, BME & SSoE Co-Equity Advisor
DEPARTMENT TASK FORCES
Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Michelle Digman, Associate Professor, BME & SSoE Co-Equity Advisor
- Elliot Hui, Associate Professor, BME
- Michelle Khine, Professor, BME & SSoE Director of Faculty Innovation
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
COMMITTEE ON DEPARTMENTAL CLIMATE
- Ali Mohraz, Professor & Committee Chair, CBE
- Tayloria Adams, Assistant Professor, CBE
- Christopher Clark, Graduate Student, CBE
- Ashwin Damodaran, Undergraduate Student, CBE
- Erica Juarez, Academic Counselor, SSoE Undegraduate Student Affairs
- Daniel Knight, Assistant Professor of Teaching, CBE
- Elizabeth Randall, Academic Coordinator, CBE
- Samer Saleh, Graduate Student, CBE
- Quinton Smith, Assistant Professor, CBE
- Jennifer Wilkens, Executive Assistant to the Dean & Director of Special Projects, SSoE
- Safa Yosafi, Undergraduate Student, CBE
Do you have questions or concerns? CBE Department Chair Vasan Venugopalan offers bi-weekly office hours.
CBE Graduate Advisor Professor Han Li offers weekly office hours.
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- Adeyemi Adeleye, Chair, Assistant Professor, CEE
- Sergio Carnalla, Department Laboratories Manager, CEE
- Kristen Davis, Associate Professor, CEE
- Wenlong Jin, Professor, CEE & DECADE Mentor
- Ariane “Ari” Jong-Levinger, Graduate Student, CEE
- CEE Undergraduate Student – ASCE/Chi epsilon member
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
MSE ANTI-RACISM WORKING GROUP
- Tim Rupert, Professor, ARWG Chair
- Stephany Alonso, MSE Undergraduate Student
- Will Bowman, Assistant Professor
- Shen Dillon, Professor
- Salma Anter El-Azab, Ph.D. Student
- Allon Hochbaum, Associate Professor
- Jacob Norman, Ph.D. Student
- Regina Ragan, Professor
- Amy S. Ricks, MSE CAO
- Desiree Rios, Student Services Adviser
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
MAE ANTI-RACISM TASK FORCE
- Natascha Buswell, Assistant Professor of Teaching, MAE
- Moatasem Fouda, Graduate Student, MAE
- Derosh George, Graduate Student, MAE
- Cody Gonzalez, Graduate Student, MAE
- Crystal Pesqueira, Receptionist, MAE
GROUPS IN OTHER SCHOOL UNITS
APEP – Advanced Power & Energy Program
Ad hoc committees.
- Regina Bolotin, Purchasing and Reimbursements Manager, SSoE
- Jeannie Lin, Purchasing and Reimbursements Coordinator, SSoE
- Robin Jeffers, Director, Undergraduate Student Affairs, SSoE
- Christy King, Associate Director, Undergraduate Student Affairs, SSoE
- Andrea Varon, Academic Counselor, Undergraduate Student Affairs, SSoE
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS
National Society of Black Engineers – NSBE / UCI Chapter
Headquartered in Alexandria, Va., NSBE offers academic excellence programs, scholarships, leadership training, professional development and access to career opportunities for thousands of members annually. With over 2000 elected leadership positions, 18 regional conferences and an annual convention, NSBE provides opportunities for success that remain unmatched by any other organization. Visit the NSBE UCI Chapter.
Latinos in Science and Engineering – MAES
The MAES chapter at UC Irvine was assembled by the Latinx Engineers and Scientists in order to create a sense of community, or “familia,” on their campus. The sense of a “familia” is one of the things that truly separate MAES from other academic clubs. MAES members are not just club members, they are our brothers and sisters within our institution. MAES is the home away from that offers networking opportunities, student-alumni relations, academic mentoring, and social events. Visit the MAES UCI Chapter.
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers – SHPE
At SHPE, our mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential. Ultimately, we aim to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. Visit the SHPE UCI Chapter.
Society of Women Engineers – SWE
SWE UCI is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that serves as the driving force to establish engineering as a highly desirable career aspiration for women. Our club empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations, as well as to be recognized for their life-changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders. Visit the SWE UCI Chapter.
