AIChE believes that all who wish to be a part of the chemical engineering community should have equal opportunity to pursue and achieve success. In this pursuit, in January 2021 AIChE’s Board of Directors introduced IDEAL, which stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism, and Learning. IDEAL builds upon the aspirational foundations of equity, diversity, and inclusion, while emphasizing the needed practicable and actionable components of anti-racism and learning.
So how can you be an ally and contribute towards an inclusive environment for all? We’ve come up with a list of some of our favorite ways you can support IDEAL to make our profession one that is representative of all backgrounds.
Individual actions
It all starts with you. Individual actions are an important piece of creating an IDEAL culture. Start by discovering your own unconscious bias. Educate yourself on what it means to be inclusive. For example, do you introduce yourself and include your pronoun i.e., he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs? This simple act opens the door to others in the room to introduce themselves in way that expresses how they identify, and not make assumptions about someone’s gender identity.
Join a community
There's no better way to get involved and educate yourself than to join a community of like-minded individuals. Consider joining Minority Affairs Committee (MAC), Women in Chemical Engineering (WIC), Disabilities Outreach & Inclusion Community (DORIC), or LGBTQ+ & Allies, whether you identify with these groups or want to be an ally.
Get educated
The Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Certificate Program created for students, staff and faculty includes 3 online courses that raise awareness of why EDI matters, its impact on STEM and engineering, and methods to create a safe and welcoming scientific environment.
EDI events at the 2022 Spring Meeting
Join an in-person session at the 2022 Spring Meeting and 18th Global Congress on Process Safety. From the WIC Panel session, to the IDEAL Leadership Panel or IDEAL’s poster session, and DORIC’s Industrial safety programs and implementations inclusive of individuals with disabilities (Invited Talks), there are numerous opportunities to learn more.
Explore the Spring Meeting program
Support efforts to diversify STEM
The AIChE Foundation raises funds to support projects and activities that further the Institute’s mission and enable the profession of chemical engineering to have a greater impact on the world. Some of our funds include: The Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), Disabilities Outreach and Inclusion Community (DORIC), Henry T. and Melinda C. Brown Endowment for the Education of Underrepresented Minority Chemical Engineers, LGBTQ+ & Allies Endowment, and many more.
Remember that donations both small and large make a difference, and all gifts to the AIChE Foundation are tax-deductible.