ASCE Blogs Diversity

Members are talking about opportunities and successes with ASCE's Diversity programs and resources for civil engineering professionals

New! Celebrating Women's Academic Leadership in Civil Engineering

Diversity Partnerships

CDWCE Honors!

Kristina Swallow, P.E., M.ASCE

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) supports the proactive inclusion of talented civil engineers from diverse backgrounds and values their unique contributions, skill sets and broad professional experiences. In 2000, ASCE commissioned the Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering (CDWCE) to provide the Society with leadership in matters of diversity within the civil engineering community. Diversity related factors to be considered are identified, but not limited to, the Society's Public Policy 417 entitled Achieving Diversity and Equity, which includes race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, and nationality.

ASCE's diversity program efforts are designed to keep abreast of trends throughout the engineering profession, assess diversity trends within the civil engineering profession, develop solutions and programs to improve diversity relations, and actively promote inclusiveness within the Society and the profession.

The National Engineers Week Foundation has announced the launch of its New Faces of Engineering recognition program for 2010. New Faces of Engineering highlights the interesting and unique work of young engineers age 30 and under, and the positive impact they are making around the world. One individual from ASCE, as well as one from each of the Foundation's sponsoring engineering societies, will be selected by the EWEEK Diversity Committee as their discipline's "New Face." All of the selected engineers will be featured in a full-page ad in USA TODAY during Engineers Week, Feb. 14 – 20, 2010. Click here for more information, to access the nomination form and to see if you could be ASCE's New Face of Civil Engineering!

On July 9, President Obama named 100 beginning researchers as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on young professionals in the early stages of their independent research careers. Among the award recipients is ASCE member, Amy Cerato, Assistant Professor in the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science within the College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. Access the full White House press release at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/PRESIDENT-HONORS-OUTSTANDING-EARLY-CAREER-SCIENTISTS/

ASCE is helping shape the conversation about engineering! In 2008, ASCE led a coalition of more than 60 partners from the engineering and educational communities to help shape the conversation about engineering by embarking on Engineer Your Life!, an awareness campaign designed to encourage academically prepared girls to enroll in engineering programs. Engineer Your Life promotes inclusiveness in the field of engineering by inviting young women to find their place in the profession. By hearing messages that highlight exploration, creativity and making a difference in the world, young women are responding to a new conversation about their future.

Click HERE to see read about ASCE's own Erin Fletcher and explore resources available with this awareness campaign.

Click HERE to view a 45 minute Webinar on talking to high school girls about engineering careers. Hosted by ASCE and WGBH, Boston's PBS affiliate, this Webinar provides practical tips from the Engineer Your Life campaign. (currently available for PC users; MAC users may access audio only)

How to Staff Your Practice for the 21st Century? Make It Diverse

Learn to serve your community more effectively and successfully in the years ahead by hiring professionals that reflect its diversity. Pick up a copy of ASCE's newly released guide Diversity by Design: Guide to Fostering Diversity in the U.S. Civil Engineering Workforce, containing practical, hands-on ways to foster, improve, and maintain a diverse and thriving civil engineering practice. Gain a better understanding of diversity so you can recruit, retain, mentor and manage a diverse workforce. The guide was developed in association with ASCE's Committee on Diversity and Women in Civil Engineering (CDWCE).

Get a FREE sneak peek at the diversity guide. Click here to see the table of contents and read the executive summary.

To order the guide, click here.

Special Diversity Issue of Leadership and Management in Engineering (LME) Journal

CDWCE member Dr. James H. Johnson, Jr., F.ASCE served as Guest Editor of the January 2008 Special Diversity Issue of the Leadership and Management in Engineering (LME) Journal. See articles below:

• Introduction to the Special Issue on Diversity
• LGBT-Friendly Workplaces in Engineering
• Pit Stops and Scenic Routes: How to Aid Women to Stay on Track in Their Careers
• Special Issue on Diversity
• Diversity Is Key to a World-Class Organization
• Diversity in Engineering Education: An African American Female Professor's Perspective

Webinar on Career Off-ramping (Access slides now!)

On May 28, 2008 the CDWCE sponsored a live, online webinar entitled Luring Off-ramped Talent Back into the Engineering Workforce that explored effective policies and procedures companies can implement to accommodate a variety of non-traditional work-life arrangements for male and female employees. The webinar examined gender differences in attitudes toward career "off-ramping," offered strategies and solutions for companies to lure "off ramped" talent back to the workforce and presented ways to keep flexible work policies free from stigmas to ensure that talented employees do not avoid non-standard work arrangements.

• Related Sites
• White Men as Full Diversity Partners
• Diversity Partnership Tips for White Men
• Diversity Partnership Tips for White Women and People of Color to Engage White Men
• Eight Critical Leadership Skills
• E-Mentoring for Women in Engineering and Science
• The American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.
• http://www.diversityinc.com
• http://onlineethics.org/
• http://www.aaes.org/diversity/