8th Annual Diversity Summit

The George Washington University is pleased to announce the theme of this year’s Diversity Summit: Toward a More Perfect Union: With Liberty, Justice & Civility for All. This theme calls on us to recognize the diversity of our thoughts, voices, contributions, and ideas that strengthen our community and the world. As we engage in difficult conversations and intense debates, we must be willing to seek the humanity in other people, challenge ourselves to understand another point of view, and empower each other to disrupt and reject all forms of oppression. Our collective ability to make meaningful change is unstoppable. Registration for the Diversity Summit is now open. The full schedule of sessions is now live.

The GW Diversity Summit will feature three presentations given by GW Engineering Faculty and Alumni on March 2. They are outlined below: 

I've Been Untitled!

9 a.m. - 10 a.m. | University Student Center Room 405
Presented by: Shelly Heller

A wise man once said that no one should call himself “Dr.” unless he has delivered a child. Beside the fact that the quote offers hyperbole in 'wise', it is from a male, and it is entirely gendered, the concept of  being 'untitled' is an occupational hazard in academia. How we approach the use of titles impacts how we are viewed by colleagues, leadership, students - well just about everyone. This session will address "Where have you seen people untitled/unnamed women and underrepresented groups in your field? How do people respond when this happens?

Being “untitled” is a form of bias or stereotyping and can often be like a death by a 1000 cuts, each single lack of mention seems like a mole hill but eventually it becomes a mountain.. Whether the titles are earned academic one, honorific ones of just how you would like to be referred to by others, how you are addressed has the potential to diminish your accomplishments. Being “Untitled” diminishes your achievements, indicates a stereotypical outlook about a specific field and undermine the pathways to that career for others. All of these undermine our GW community.

ID-ing Me: An Exploration of Identity, Bias, and Belonging

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | University Student Center Room 404
Presented by: Tenisha “Ava” Williams and Gabrielle Roffe

This is an experiential workshop for participants to explore identity, bias, and belonging. The interactive format offers a space in which individuals can reflect, share stories, and learn from one another—all while developing strategies for dismantling the systems of oppression that negatively impact historically marginalized communities. There will be space to dialogue and document reflections on a series of thought provoking questions to better understand how different identities intersect, interact, and impact our daily lives.

We will be facilitating the workshop with a variety of tools including guided journaling activities, small group discussions, storytelling circles, and visual arts exercises. After the initial reflection period, we will encourage participants to explore how their own experiences can inform collective action for social change. Participants are invited to stop by for 5-10 mins throughout the day, as many times as they'd like. 

Our goal is to provide an inclusive, courageous space for all participants to connect, learn, and grow together. We hope that this experience will encourage open dialogue around difficult conversations, inspire creative problem solving, and create a sense of understanding and shared responsibility as we work towards creating more equitable communities together.

Diversity in Engineering Research and Education

1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | University Student Center Room 311
Presented by: Grace Zhang, Naomia A. Suggs-Brigety, Gina Adam, John Lach, and Dawn Ginnetti

This session will focus on the diversity of engineering in both research and education. The achievements of SEAS in diversity will be showcased and the current challenges will be discussed as well. Specific topics will include women in engineering; underrepresented faculty in engineering research; and underrepresented students in engineering research and education. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion play a critical role in engineering research and education. During the past years, our SEAS has done an excellent job in this field. We would like to showcase our achievements. At the same time, we would like to discuss the challenges and possible resolutions in the field as well. This session will be 60 mins and in a panel format. We would like to invite three speakers. The presentation of each speaker will be ~20 min including Q&A time.

See the GW Diversity Summit webpage for the full schedule and to register!