At the beginning of the fall 2020 semester, the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Georgia Institute of Technology launched a Diversity and Inclusion Council focused on creating and sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment at the School level. The Council is made up of undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty members, staff members, and members of the ECE Advisory Board. Teresa Askew, administrative manager and assistant to the school chair, has been appointed as chair by Magnus Egerstedt, Steve W. Chaddick School Chair, and will lead the activities of the Council.

The mission of the Council is as follows:

To create and sustain a diverse and inclusive environment where all employees (faculty and staff), students, and volunteers feel valued and respected in all departments, programs, and worksites, and to promote an academically enriching and supportive climate that allows all members to thrive and succeed.

Subcommittees within the Council were formed and each group developed strategic action plans that center on goals including: increasing the number of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff within the School; fostering a sense of inclusion with existing underrepresented community members; and growing a pipeline of prospective students from underrepresented K-12 student populations.

In addition to implementing these actions, the Committee will counsel ECE leadership regarding diversity and inclusion matters and will complement the role and activities of the College of Engineering Diversity & Inclusion (COE-D&I) Council.

“Embracing diversity in our field is not only the right thing to do, it is the mechanism by which we enhance our educational and research outcomes. Having a community made up of different experiences, viewpoints, and backgrounds opens us up to more creative ideas, innovative solutions to problems, and ultimately, an atmosphere centered around trust and respect that people want to be a part of,” said Dr. Egerstedt.