Join the ME DEI Committee
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ME DEI Event Calendar
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ME DEI Committee
Meet the members of the ME DEI Committee!
Joy Aun
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Year/Position: Senior
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
I joined the ME DEI Committee because I am committed to making the Mechanical Engineering department more inclusive and accessible. As an Asian American woman in engineering, I have seen first hand the differences individuals can make to help people from minority groups feel more included. I hope to be a resource and connection between the undergraduate population and the department to develop a more equitable department.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
I hope to implement programs that make students and faculty feel more included and welcome, and to educate the general ME community on the unique backgrounds our community is made up of. By better understanding the intersectionality of others’ identities, we, as engineers, can design more intentionally and better understand our own unconscious biases.
Fernando Aurelio Villavicencio
Year/Position: Student
Jesús García Pérez
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Year/Position: PhD Student
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
I joined the DEI committee to support the ME and the UM in becoming a more culturally sensitive community where everyone is educated with the knowledge to engaged in candid discourse around any social inequity or diversity. As we see our university community become more diverse, it is important that everyone feels comfortable and welcome.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
I would like to get to know the committee and how it works to see in what I can help and also what I can provide to increase the impact of it.
Karl Grosh
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Year/Position: Faculty
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
I am hopeful that we can weave elements of DEI into our curriculum, both in team-based classes (where there is an imperative to do so) and individual classes. Also, I hope to facilitate a respectful and productive conversation about equity and inclusion throughout the spectrum of diversity seen and unseen in our department, and that this conversation results in concrete actions to improve our climate for all students, staff, and faculty. Finally, I am looking forward to creating a strategic plan for our DEI activities in Mechanical Engineering to help us achieve these goals.
Hang Yang
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Year/Position: PhD Student
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
To help build a better ME community.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
Extend the reach of ME DEI to a large portion of the community.
Chengyang Huang
Year/Position: Student
Sachie Kakehi
Year/Position: Student
Won Young Kang
Year/Position: Student
Allison King
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Year/Position: PhD Student
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
As someone living with a chronic illness, I have seen first hand the roadblocks that members of the disability community experience in their attempt to gain necessary accommodations. I am passionate about helping to develop an environment in which everyone is respected for who they are as an individual.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
I hope to develop workshops and identity celebrations that allow for the ME department community to gain a sense of respect and inclusion for all the unique individuals that it contains. Through respect and inclusion, there will be more equal opportunities for us all to succeed to our fullest potential.
Panagiota (Penny) Kitsopoulos
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Year/Position: PhD Student
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
I joined the ME DEI Committee because I want to promote diversity and inclusion within my community. As a woman, I am no stranger to imposter syndrome. I want to use my experiences to ensure that others like me never have to ask themselves whether or not they belong. As a member of this committee, I have been able to engage with other students, faculty, and staff within the ME department and create life-long friendships.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
This year I am hoping to help expand our own committee to include as many voices as we can and to promote diversity through our numerous activities and events.
Khalif Olushegun Adegeye
Year/Position: Student
Alondra Ortiz-Ortiz
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Year/Position: PhD Student
Why did you decide to join the ME DEI Committee?
I decided to join the ME DEI Committee with the aim of having my voice and the voice of my peers heard.
What do you hope to do this year as apart of the committee?
I am hoping to engage more folks into our committee as well as provide a variety of events to our community to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our Department. I aim to provide a safe space for our community members and foster a sense of belonging.
Makenzie Schlessman
Year/Position: Staff
Carla Nathaly Villacis Nunez
Year/Position: Student
Angela Wegrecki
Year/Position: Staff