How can we all work together towards a more inclusive workplace where no one feels alienated for falling outside the norm? To subvert the traditional maleness, whiteness, cis-ness, heteronormativity, and ableism of engineering, we need to go beyond “why is diversity important” and talk about what inclusion truly means and practical steps of how to achieve it.
It’s also important to discuss how members of different marginalized identities can lift each other up and how we can learn from each other. The concept of intersectionality helps us understand how different aspects of our identities create layers of driscrimination and privilege. We would like to acknowledge and highlight Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, lawyer and professor of UCLA and Columbia, who first introduced and majorly developed the theory of intersectionality.
Come hear our panel of experts discuss how they are working for a more inclusive STEM and participate in the conversation! And if this sounds like your thing, check the rest of our Ethical Engineering and Feminism events:
FEMINIST ENGINEERING – KEYNOTE
The Ethical Engineering series has been made possible with the generous support of Strathclyde Alumni Fund. Learn more about them here.
Guest speakers:
Rachel Morgan-Trimmer (she/her) runs her own neurodiversity consultancy Sparkle Class. She trains companies on how to reach, recruit and develop neurodiverse staff, and she also trains and coaches people on how to build on their strengths whilst overcoming their challenges. She’s autistic and has ADHD. Rachel has authored a booklet, produced an award-winning poster on autism, and co-founded the Neurodiversity Association. She plays football, loves nature, and is obsessed with food.
Lara Lalemi is a chemistry PhD student at the University of Bristol where she leads on EDI work and the promotion of inclusive as well as ethical research. She is also the CEO of the non-profit educational organisation, Creative Tuition Collective and leads a group of academics across the UK who deliver well-received decolonising science workshops to national universities and institutions.
Dr Marco Reggiani (he/him) is a Research Associate at the University of Strathclyde. His research is focused on urban development, places, and mobilities—especially in the context of Japan—as well as inequities, diversity, and inclusion, in higher education and industry, particularly in STEM subjects. In addition to his research, he has taught and tutored at the postgraduate level, developed and led initiatives to remove barriers to inclusion in higher education, and he is the award-winning author of ‘Giappomania’, an illustrated book about Japanese culture and lifestyle available in five languages. Find him on Twitter: @marcoreggiani_ and/or @STEMEquals
Dr Edward Hart is a Brunel Fellow based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. Edwards research is focussed on improving the reliability of wind and tidal energy systems, with a strong focus on rolling bearings, load interactions under non-steady inflow and data analytics/machine learning. Edward currently leads efforts in EEE to improve inclusion at the research level. This has culminated in the Strathclyde Game Changers research internship programme which seeks to encourage, empower and enable people from underrepresented groups to undertake research and PhDs. Edward is a strong advocate of the idea that diverse teams and inclusive environments allow innovation and creativity to thrive, significantly improving the outputs of collaborative research and the well-being of the researchers themselves.
