More than 60 alumni, students, staff, and industry leaders gathered virtually for the 2020 Inclusion Symposium. The event is the annual culmination of summer inclusion workshops, focused on empowering students with the knowledge and skills necessary to to make change and be active participants in building inclusive workplace cultures.
The event took place September 22-24 and featured student speakers, networking sessions, conversations with panels of professionals, and a keynote address by Dr. Mary Ellen Moore, a seasoned engineer and founder of the non-profit S.T.E.M. Community Outreach, and the for-profit company S.T.E.M. Discoveries, LLC. Both are dedicated to increasing mentorship and STEM literacy for underrepresented groups.
“This year’s inclusion symposium focused on moving from listening and learning to action, as many of the participants provided strategies for enacting change,” said Betsy Tanenbaum, recruiter and alumni network manager. “We see this event as the start of the conversation, through which strategies can then be carried into the work lives and personal spaces of attendees.”
This year’s student speakers were Sophia Kea, Kupaaikekaiao Thomas, and Haleigh Patten-Trujillo. They shared personal stories that underscored the importance of being able to express identity, not making assumptions about others’ identities, allyship and actions.
“It is so incredibly easy to look at an uncomfortable situation or a conversation and think ‘I can’t do anything about this. There’s someone else better suited, or more knowledgeable who can deal with this problem’,” states Haleigh Patten-Trujillo, a polymer science student, “but if no one’s willing to be the one who steps up to the plate to confront these uncomfortable moments, nothing changes.”
The alumni panel and senior leadership panel (listed below) addressed questions concerning the challenges of championing diversity in the workforce, especially in light of our national racial reckoning. Panelists shared stories about facing discrimination, overcoming cultural isolation, and strategies to be leaders in inclusion, no matter where employees rank within a company.
In her address titled More Than a Checkbox, Dr. Mary Ellen Moore challenged participants to widen their definition of diversity to include a wide gamut of cultural differences and strengths, to share their stories, to be aware of their assumptions and unconscious biases and to make “smart demands” – real, actionable ideas for change.
“Share your truth,” said Dr. Moore. “Don’t rob others of your experience. Give them the peace that they are not alone.”
The event concluded each day with networking sessions, where participants continued to build connections and discuss topics that surfaced during the panels and Dr. Moore’s keynote speech.
“What do you do when society tells you your worth as a human being is somehow less? Two men can't marry? This job wasn't meant for you? You find community and you grow it!” states Chris Chua, a bioinformatics student, “At the Inclusion Symposium, hearing the lived experiences of alumni, guest speakers, and peers gave me, a queer person of color, the strength and the skills to navigate an imperfect world.”