The weekly meeting of members and guests started with the usual virtual chit-chat among those arriving via Zoom. In an extension of last week’s program on University of Michigan’s growth and in anticipation of the day’s program, comments were made about the growth of the UM’s North Campus since its initial buildings in the 1950’s with the presence of a second UM Carillon, The Ford Presidential Library and current additions of a Dance building at the School of Music, Theater, and Dance and additional Engineering buildings. Lori Walters presented her usual Zoom etiquette review and President Joanne Pierson rang the bell and introduced Tom Strode who played the Star-Spangled Banner. Larry Eiler shared an inspirational reflection on dealing with grief. Tenor Steve Pierce sang the Cole Porter, song “Old Fashioned Garden”. Joanne welcomed old and new faces to our Zoom video version of Hollywood Squares, reported on member birthdates, and thanked members who’s behind the curtain actions were making the meeting happen.
Past President, Paul Glendon then introduced our Club’s newest Emeritus Award recipient, past President Bob Foster, who was virtually present as well as wife, Terry and son, Mark. (Paul’s full introduction of Bob is also available here.) Bob remarked that Paul’s remarks were mostly true.
Bev Seiford on behalf of the Club’s Anti-Racism Committee, then introduced Alec Gallimore, Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. She reviewed his academic career, in Aerospace Engineering and joining the UM’s Engineering faculty in 1992. He is founder and co-director of the Plasmadynamics and Electric Propulsion Lab (PEPL), and director of the NASA-funded “Michigan Space Grant Consortium” and Michigan/Air Force Center of Excellence in Electric Propulsion. Since becoming Dean five years ago, Alec has been a champion for infusing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) principles and practices into the College of Engineering. Recently the American Society of Engineering Education, in its Diversity Recognition Program, granted Michigan Engineering a Bronze-level recognition (highest level currently offered). Today Dean Gallimore will share an overview of Michigan Engineering’s framework, plans, and progress for sustained education to address issues of race, ethnicity, and unconscious bias and Inclusion.
The Dean’s presentation was accompanied with informative slides with related info as he reported on constructing a strategic plan for Engineering that resulted in identifying the values required for “DEI Engineered.” He briefly reviewed what the Engineering College is, noting that it currently has 10,800 students, 660 faculty, 800 Staff, 14 Departments and Divisions, 210 Postdocs and an annual budget of $600M. He noted that DEI action is not new, reporting that their Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) and Minority Projects Office (MEPO) were both established in 1969. The WISE program has been moved to the LSA College. Both have summer programs for involving younger students. He then shared time-line graphs showing percentages of graduate student diversity (% female and underrepresented minorities [URM] ) for almost 30 years. Graphs also tracked faculty diversity trends by tenure track, lecturers, and female and staff diversity trends. He noted that the present faculty female percent at 21% is the second highest nationally. He noted programs active over the past 20 years that have been designed to serve the common good by encouraging URM students to participate in the M Engineering Zone(MEZ), Robotics Competitions, NAF Future Ready Scholars @ Michigan and Qualcomm thinkabit labs. The programs have shown progress in increasing the percent of female students and increases in the average GPAs and numbers graduation among URM students. The College has also established cooperative relationships with four historic Black Universities, offering scholarships and mentoring to encourage students to consider professorships as career options. Three NEXRPROF programs were mentioned as being successful in preparing Ph.D. students for future teaching professorships. The Dean cited the Diversity Award mentioned in his introduction as a positive result for the College’s DEI activity but stressed that work has to continue with focus on leadership and talent. He proudly showed a slide of the 14 Engin. Dept. Directors with women now holding 50% of the positions. The College is also looking internationally for research and faculty. He stressed that he has lots of help with DEI and relies on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Faculty of Color, A Staff Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Culture Committee, A DEI Student Advisory Board, and the Dean’s Advisory Council on Female Faculty for advice and help with, communication, retention, events, initiatives and policy coordination.
Dean Gallimore ended his presentation answering the question: Why the College needs to be Equity centered by pointing out that to prevent tragedies of the past like Chernobyl and the Challenger explosion, society cannot afford to exclude any source of human capital. The Engineering College has established continuing education programs for: Faculty on racial equity, inclusive teaching, and broader DEI issues; Staff, professional Development on anti-racism, ethnicity, social justice, communication; Undergrads, enhanced curriculum on identity, systemic racism, anti-blackness, New required course, historical context, societal impact; Grad/Postdoc, additional educational experience-race and ethnicity; and a full community trained on bystander intervention. Prior to a Q&A period, he closed his presentation with a slide of a photo of a display featuring the College’s Guiding Values :
Creativity, Innovation & Daring, Leadership & Excellence, Transparency & Trustworthiness, Collegiality & Collaboration, and Diversity Equity & Social Impact.
Michigan Engineering aspires to be the world’s preeminent College of Engineering serving the common Good.
These bite-sized notes were prepared by: J. Downs Herold
