Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Black engineers talk diversity at UA
FAYETTEVILLE — Engineering is one of several fields traditionally dominated by white men, and in order to make it more inclusive, structural changes need to occur, such as STEM subjects being introduced and emphasized to all children at younger ages, according to several Black engineers who spoke Thursday at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
But it’s also incumbent upon minority engineers to spread the engineering gospel in their families and communities, the group said.
“Share your story, [and] tell people how you got where you are,” exhorted Sonia Spinks, senior director of merchandise operations-beauty at Walmart. “You will inspire people.”
“Go back to your” high schools, communities, families and churches to let the next generation see you, seconded Adrian Cummings, senior project leader at J.B. Hunt Transportation Services Inc. “Stand there as a graduated engineer, put a face to engineering and be the bridge to the younger generation.”
It’s imperative youth “start early,” rather than waiting until 12th grade to begin considering engineering as a career, said Nicole McGinister, senior global procurement manager at Rheem Manufacturing. “Lay a foundation so you’re prepared to succeed.”
“Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you,”, she added. “Go after it, and when you do show up, perform, so they don’t have a reason to send you home or pass you up for promotions.”
People hire those they know and trust, and that tends to be those who look like them, so “it’s your responsibility to get in the room and take up the space,” Spinks said. Eventually, one may reach boss status, and “then you get to make the hires,” which can lead to more diversity.
“Have a story to tell, and make it memorable, [ because] that’s what sets you apart” when trying to gain a job or a promotion, she added. “Be able to explain ‘what’s in it for you to have me on your team,’” because “once your value is understood, it’s inarguable.”
And one also needs to be authentic, rather than “faking” a persona one might believe advantageous, Cummings said. Even though he was one of a paucity of Black employees in J.B. Hunt’s IT department when he started
there 23 years ago after interning with the company while in college, he’s always “spoken from the heart.”
He was never angry, but honest, he said. “I made it clear where I stood, and it’s a testament to them they listened.”
Senior Kaleb Manley appreciated the advice on authenticity, and the president of the National Society of Black Engineers thought Thursday’s panel was highly valuable for his fellow engineering students.
“It’s great to have representation from all these different sectors here for such an important moment and month,” said Manley, who is majoring in chemical engineering. The speakers provided terrific perspective on “inclusivity and how we can further that.”
It’s wonderful for these students to see engineers of color, and they offered knowledge students can carry with them long into the future, said Patrice Storey, the university’s assistant director of justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. “There’s a lot of knowledge here before us.”
Thursday’s National Society of Black Engineers Black History Month panel discussion, “Checking your Biases: How to Make Engineering More Inclusive,” is one of several events hosted throughout February by the College of Engineering for Black History Month.
A top initiative in the College of Engineering is increasing diversity, not only attracting more Black students, but other minority students, as well as women and students from traditionally underserved and/or underrepresented backgrounds, said Jennifer Cook, director of communications for the College of Engineering. Having a handful of Black engineers — all of whom attended UA-Fayetteville — provided an excellent model for current students to sail toward as they embark upon their careers.
The National Society of Black Engineers has been active on campus since the early 1970s, and membership is open to all students, according to the university. Additionally, the Engineering Career Awareness Program — conceived by alumnus Troy Alley and led by Thomas “T.C.” Carter, assistant dean for student success — is now in its 16th year, and the “intensive summer bridge program” is designed to recruit underrepresented students in the engineering field while also providing financial assistance to qualifying students and a network of academic and social support.
In the fall of 2022, UA-Fayetteville’s College of Engineering had 168 students who identified as Black/African American, according to the university. That’s 4% of the 4,209 total students in the College of Engineering, which is in line with the percentage of Black students enrolled at the university overall (4.6% of the total enrollment).
In order to make engineering — or any field — more inclusive, “you have to be persistent and very focused on including everyone,” said Dexter Payne, senior program manager at Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
Inclusiveness begins on a “personal level,” said Josilyn Mitchell, advanced transportation planner engineer at the Arkansas Department of Transportation. “Broaden your worldview,” rather than surrounding yourself only with those who look and think “like you, and that will spill over into your professional” life.
Everyone has “bias, but it’s your responsibility — as someone who wants to build an inclusive environment — to check your bias, and you need people around you to help you check your bias,” Spinks said. “Diversity of thought is so important to solving problems, which is what we do as engineers.”