Diversity and Inclusion: Starting and Thriving in the Workplace

Session Co-Chairs:

• Adrienne Minerick, Michigan Technological University
• MaryKathryn Lee, ExxonMobil Corporate Strategic Research
• Dwayne Mays, Evonik

In 2016, the Education Division and the Minority Affairs Committee collaborated on a Diversity & Inclusion session involving academic leaders.  This year, we are engaging industry in the conversation to share their perspectives. Presentations may include statistics, successes or failures in Diversity and Inclusion initiatives, or other similar topics such as:

• Employee affinity groups
• High school or college internship programs
• Scholarship programs
• Community involvement in underrepresented neighborhoods
• Partnerships with universities or high schools
• Diversity officer experiences

Speakers:

• Cynthia Murphy-Ortega, Manager, University Partnerships and Association Relations, Chevron
• Mike McAtee, Senior Vice President Strategic Projects, BASF
• Yuk Louie, Process Development Division, ExxonMobil
• Jim Sweeney, School Head Professor, James and Shirley Kuse Chair in Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University

Schedule of Events

Re-situating the Professional Formation of Engineers at Oregon State University

Jim Sweeney, School Head Professor, James and Shirley Kuse Chair in Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University

While industry has long called for changes to how engineers and computer scientists are prepared, much of the core coursework and undergraduate student experience can remain virtually the same as it was 50 years ago. To address this continued mismatch between industry and education, the National Science Foundation in the last three years has called for proposals that aim to Revolutionize Engineering and Computer Science Departments (RED), serving as leaders in institutional change.  We will give an overview of the goals and efforts of funded RED projects to date, especially those in support of Chemical Engineering programs, and then describe in more detail early results and ongoing work in a RED project in the School of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering (CBEE) at Oregon State University. We seek to re-situate the faculty/staff/student community and curricular/co-curricular student learning experience. Our work is centered on the creation of a holistic, inclusive, and professionally-based learning environment for our students. We are working to promote change through establishing a culture of inclusion and shifting student learning environments from highly sequestered activities to more realistic and consequential work that more closely resembles the actual engineering workplace. These efforts require an important and concurrent shift in unit culture (e.g. values, norms, policies and procedures).

ExxonMobil’s Diversity and Inclusion Efforts – Creating a Premier Global Workforce that Works to Help Power the World’s Progress

Yuk Louie, Process Development Division, ExxonMobil

At ExxonMobil, the diversity and inclusion of thought, skill, knowledge and culture make ExxonMobil more competitive, more resilient and better able to navigate the complex and constantly changing global energy business. Our diversity and inclusion efforts are comprehensive. They range from attracting and developing a premier global workforce within a work environment that values unique perspectives, encourages individual growth and treats all employees with respect, to educational partnerships and community development initiatives designed to improve the quality of life where we live and work.

This presentation is a view of ExxonMobil’s technology focus areas and the Diversity and Inclusion efforts being used to create a global workforce ready to address them.