鈥淵ou鈥檙e the first Black professor I鈥檝e ever had.鈥�
The student鈥檚 words caught Dr. Jessica Rush Leeker off guard. Leeker is the Director of Undergraduate Education and Stephen Dunn Professor of Engineering Management at CU 羞羞视频鈥檚 Engineering Management Program (EMP), and she鈥檚 a champion for diversity in engineering. But the seasoned professor and engineering professional was left unsure about how to take the student鈥檚 comment.
It wasn鈥檛 news to Leeker that people of color and women have traditionally been underrepresented in the engineering profession. Yet, for this long-time defender of diversity, the comment was a stark reminder that while progress has been made, there鈥檚 a lot of work that鈥檚 still ahead.
Leeker came to the engineering field by way of an undergraduate focus on supply chain and information systems at Penn State University. She later added a Purdue University MBA in Sustainability and Operations, then went on to complete her Ph.D.in Engineering Education. In her current role as an engineering leader and faculty member in the EMP, she鈥檚 building up undergraduate education and embedding into the curriculum the principles of equity, inclusion and diversity that she believes in so strongly.
Defining Equity, Inclusion and Diversity in Engineering
What are equity, inclusion and diversity, and why do they matter? In the 21st century, the terms have become commonplace, frequently mentioned in the news, organizational meetings, neighborhood planning groups and every facet of work and community life. In the engineering space, they have their own connotations.
Leeker explains, 鈥淚n simplest terms, diversity refers to the presence of differences in any sense. Equity refers to fairness. And inclusion refers to having resources and opportunity.鈥�
In the context of engineering, these terms are often associated with race, gender, orientation and nationality. 鈥淚 believe we have to embed these principles in our teaching and engineering design projects to cultivate and educate the next generation of students and show that equity, inclusion and diversity really do matter,鈥� says Leeker.
She explains why these touchstones are so important and why progress is an ongoing process.
鈥淥rganizations often focus on increasing diversity,鈥� she says. 鈥淗owever, once new individuals are brought in and there鈥檚 more diversity, it鈥檚 important to keep the focus. It鈥檚 important to make sure those individuals have a voice, they feel valued, they鈥檙e not seen as a prop or a token鈥� and that they have the same opportunities.鈥�
She adds, 鈥淓quity is hard. It's very hard, but it should be the primary step. It takes awareness and commitment from members of an organization to acknowledge that there are inequitable practices. Organizations have to commit to correct and adjust the imbalances.鈥�
Specifically, in the engineering field, context is important. Leeker says, 鈥淓ngineering is dominated by white, middle- and upper-class men. Some think just increasing the number of women or underrepresented individuals in STEM will solve this problem. They don't acknowledge how organizations got to the situation in the first place, so it鈥檚 essential to be aware and understand the historical context. From there, we can discuss how to include women and people of color into the organization properly.鈥�
That鈥檚 why Leeker believes it鈥檚 so important to help the next generation of students understand how important equity, inclusion and diversity are.
Impacts of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity on the Engineering Design Process
Leeker is candid about the impact that equity, inclusion and diversity have on the engineering profession as well as on innovation and the end result of the engineering design process.
She explains, 鈥淓veryone must understand what their individual biases are and be aware of them, so I highly promote the . The design thinking process is human-centered and starts with empathy. Participants develop a deep understanding of the problems and realities of the people they鈥檙e designing for. They鈥檙e also cautious not to say, 鈥楾his person needs this product to have a better life or needs this design to be better off.鈥欌��
In fact, designers must understand that they need the end-users to buy or use their products. 鈥淲e spend a lot of time here in the EMP helping students grasp these concepts,鈥� Leeker says, 鈥淯nderstanding the end users鈥� needs should not be an afterthought.鈥�
Understanding that occurs after the fact can have serious business implications. 鈥淲hen it鈥檚 an afterthought is when we sometimes see a product recalled because it's offensive. But empathy and care for the needs of the end-user should be embedded in a design from the start,鈥� says Leeker. 鈥淥ne example of an exclusionary design is the facial recognition of smartphones that doesn鈥檛 recognize people of color.鈥�
A design thinking approach helps eliminate such exclusionary designs because it starts with the end user鈥檚 needs, leaves room for diverse solutions and makes use of models and feedback from the users.
The Evolution of Diversity in Engineering
鈥淲e have a long way to go to get to where we want to be with equity, inclusion and diversity in engineering,鈥� says Leeker, 鈥渂ut I'm thankful for the progress we鈥檝e made and the people and organizations who鈥檝e started this race we're on.鈥�
She credits the , the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), women's colleges and minority-serving institutions, among others, for making strides toward greater diversity in the profession.
鈥淯nderstanding how society has defined what engineering is, who gets to be an engineer and who was actually in the room when these decisions were made is so important,鈥� says Leeker. 鈥淪ystems of oppression run deep, and it's crucial to understand that not all people, especially not people of color, were at one time allowed to apply for patents to certify their creations鈥攅ven though they invented and created many designs and products that we see today.鈥�
She adds, 鈥淭he lack of equity and inclusion in becoming an engineer has historically excluded the global majority because Black and brown people make up that majority.鈥�
But progress is happening.
鈥淎 couple of great professors are doing some good work in this area,鈥� Leeker says. 鈥淥ne is Dr. Ebony McGee, who has done a lot of groundbreaking work explaining structural racism and STEM. She鈥檚 also studied how engineering students feel racially marginalized and exhausted about the process of continued marginalization in engineering jobs.鈥�
Leeker says that鈥檚 something we need to think about and study more. 鈥淚 feel lucky to have known engineering leaders in education who are studying how to shift the default. In addition to Dr. McGee is Dr. Alice Pawley, who鈥檚 working to make diversity what鈥檚 expected. Also, Dr. Allison Godwin candidly explains the tensions of whiteness in engineering, and Dr. James Holly has studied detangling engineering鈥檚 anti-Blackness.鈥�
Change is a complex process that takes time and it needs to begin early in life. Leeker explains, 鈥淚n engineering, it鈥檚 a multi-level process because we鈥檙e all born engineers. We can problem-solve and think critically from a very early age, so it鈥檚 important to understand the consequences when this fact is denied, especially for Black children. When children are told, 鈥榊ou're not good at math or you're not good at this,鈥� it鈥檚 detrimental. It鈥檚 important that we find ways to instill the opposite and encourage the engineers in the next generation.鈥�
She adds, 鈥淲e鈥檝e also got to get better at creating identity portraits for children of color. Usually, the same famous Black people are brought out once a year in classrooms around the country. But there are so many innovators right now we could portray in classrooms.鈥�
Leading for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Engineering
Leeker is happy to be a part of CU 羞羞视频鈥檚 Engineering Management Program and at聽 the cutting edge of innovation in engineering management education.
鈥淚'm excited to be where we can have honest and candid conversations about the inequities that exist鈥� says Leeker. 鈥淭he conversations are essential because they raise awareness, and having awareness is very critical to the kind of changes we want to see.鈥�
鈥淲e have staff and students at CU 羞羞视频 and the EMP who are very open to change, very willing to identify and develop initiatives to grow and support the college. There are resources for designing more inclusive pedagogy, and there鈥檚 strong support from other faculty members for faculty of color, which I think is important,鈥� says Leeker.
She adds, 鈥淯nder Christy Bozic, who is Faculty Director and Lockheed Martin Professor of Engineering Practice for the EMP, we are making strides to build stronger industry collaborations. We're designing coursework in this area, and we're building a strong foundation to support more diverse faculty coming in.鈥�
In the spring of 2021, the EMP introduced a new course: Special Topics: Leading for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Engineering; Leeker is the course instructor.
She says, 鈥淭he purpose of Leading for DEI is to support students in developing new strategies and approaches so we can have a more inclusive and equitable environment in the entire engineering design process. One of the first things we鈥檒l cover is understanding the narrative of institutions and structures that have shaped instances of exclusion from engineering. We鈥檒l reflect on our own identities and backgrounds and how this shapes our thoughts.鈥�
Drawing from her own background, Leeker guides her students to an awareness of their biases and understanding. She shares a little of her story, 鈥淚 do not take lightly that my ancestors were not allowed to attend school, much less college. Based on the documents I found, because of their enslaved status, they were never able to create a process that allowed them to become recognized innovators.鈥�
She explains, 鈥淚n our class, we鈥檒l get into these issues to bring awareness to some of the structures in place鈥攕ome of them still in place鈥攖hat did not allow disenfranchised populations to become 鈥榥ormal鈥� engineers.鈥�
Although some of these issues have become highly politicized in the current global environment, Leeker stresses that they are anything but. 鈥淭hese issues are human issues,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd they鈥檙e important to discuss and explore.鈥�
CU 羞羞视频 EMP will offer Leading for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Engineering first as an elective, but Leeker and her colleagues are working to make it scalable so they can incorporate it into the program as a core course.
Leeker says, 鈥淭his course is vital for transformational leadership teams. It鈥檚 a foundation for other DEI courses that will soon be in our catalog as well. We're working on several additional courses. One is a class called The Power of Neurodiversity in Engineering. Others are Women in Engineering, Understanding the Importance of Intersectionality in Engineering and Paying it Forward. So we鈥檝e got a lot of different courses in the works, and Leading for DEI paves the way for them.鈥�
For Women in Engineering, It鈥檚 Personal
Leeker is passionate about helping people of color and women in engineering. Her personal experiences as a Black woman in the field have driven her desire to help others.
鈥淚've had, of course, both positive and negative experiences,鈥� she says. 鈥淥n the positive side, I have influential mentors; I call them sponsors because not only do they advise me, but they also vouch for me.鈥�
Those mentors have empowered Leeker and given her the courage to be herself. She says, 鈥淎s a dyslexic Black woman, I鈥檓 privileged that these mentors saw my diversity as an asset and not as a deficit. They chose to include me in discussions; they shared and provided resources. They made sure I had a seat at the table and could provide information and fully participate in the discussions. Never once did they make me feel like I did not fit into the culture.鈥�
On the flip side, Leeker has also experienced negativity. 鈥淚've been called racial epithets behind my back and made to feel like the only reason I was allowed to participate or the only thing I had to give was as a result of my color or gender. I鈥檝e felt that those who鈥檝e treated me negatively have not really seen all the things I had to offer,鈥� says Leeker.
For this reason, she aims to make sure the students in her care are seen for who they are. Leeker plans to build up their positive experiences and to ensure equity, inclusion and diversity are routine in their engineering experiences.
She says, 鈥淚鈥檓 fully committed to the work of making sure all people鈥攅specially students here at CU 羞羞视频 EMP鈥攁re equipped to be seen as assets and have their skills be seen as assets.鈥�
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