Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee
The URI College of Engineering (COE) is committed to broadening participation and fostering inclusion among its students, faculty and staff. A more diverse and inclusive COE supports academic excellence by expanding the talent pool we draw from, facilitating creativity and innovation, and helping us better serve a diverse society.
To achieve this goal, COE’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee seeks to identify and break down institutional and cultural barriers that have historically inhibited full participation leading to the underrepresentation of societal groups. The COE-DEI committee is committed to support faculty, staff and students to actively propose, implement and participate in initiatives that allow us to support a healthy and inclusive community.
Suggestions and questions are welcome. Please contact the appropriate working group co-leaders.
Committee Chairperson
Working Groups
Faculty and Staff Recruitment and Retention
Documents:
Broadening Faculty Search
Faculty and Staff Training
Members:
Walter G. Besio, Professor, Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
Arijit Bose, Distinguished Engineering Professor, Chemical Engineering
Christopher Hunter, Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Vinka Oyanedel-Craver, Associate Dean of Research; Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Recruitment and Retention
Members:
Irene Andreu, Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering
Charles “Chuck” Watson, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Dominique Engome Tchupo, Graduate Student Representative, kizume16@uri.edu
Joel Roache, Undergraduate Student Representative, joelroache@uri.edu
Curriculum Development
Members:
Stephen Licht, Associate Professor, Ocean Engineering
Gretchen A. Macht, Associate Professor, Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering
Peter F. Swaszek, Professor, Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering
Definitions and Beliefs
| Diversity | Equity | Inclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Diversity is the quality of being different or unique at the individual and/or group level including characteristics such as age, disability status, ethnicity, gender, gender identity and expression, nationality, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status. Promoting diversity includes embracing the unique differences and contributions of each individual in our community, including recognizing and supporting individuals’ multiple and intersecting identities. We believe that working effectively with people from different backgrounds is just as important as technical ability for engineering leaders to successfully tackle evolving and complex challenges facing our global society. | Equity is giving each individual access to the resources they need to learn, perform, work, and thrive. Promoting equity means providing access to resources so that each individual in our community has what they need to succeed — access to opportunity, networks, resources, and support systems — based on where they are and where they want to go. We believe that all members of our community should have access to the sources needed to achieve their maximum potential and pursue their own and unique career paths. | Inclusion is creating an environment that welcomes, embraces, and leverages the diversity that exists in our community to ensure that individuals feel supported, listened to, empowered, and able to do their personal best and contribute fully to the community. Inclusion promotes a sense of belonging and creates a cohesive community. We believe that cultivating an inclusive culture that values and leverages diversity will fully unlock our individual and collective potential and result in a greater collective intelligence leading to better solutions that benefit society. |