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Newsletter v10:
Inclusive Excellence
September 6th, 2024
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Dear UGA Engineering Students,
Welcome to a new academic year at the University of Georgia! Whether you are a new freshman stepping onto campus for the first time or a returning student continuing your journey, we are thrilled to have you as part of our vibrant and dynamic College of Engineering community.
We hope you had an enriching summer, whether it was spent working full-time, interning nationally or abroad, conducting research in a lab, or engaging in other meaningful experiences. As we begin this new chapter together, we are excited to share with you the latest edition of our Inclusive Excellence monthly newsletter.
Summer Highlights:
This summer, the College’s Inclusive Excellence office was hard at work, hosting two impactful programs designed to elevate your academic and professional development:
- UGA/NACME Autodesk Boot Camp: This eight-week intensive program, targeted at sophomore engineering students, provided participants with an array of opportunities, including:
- Paid Summer Classes in Calculus 1, Calculus 2, or Statics
- A $2000 Stipend
- Autodesk Fusion Certification
- A Three-Day Externship at Autodesk Atlanta
- Engineering Academic Boot Camp (EABC): Simultaneously, we offered a two-week boot camp for incoming freshmen, generously supported by Georgia Power, Gulfstream, and Lockheed Martin. This program was designed to give our newest engineering students a strong start as they embark on their academic journey.
Words of Wisdom for the Academic Year
As you dive into your courses this semester, we encourage you to keep the following in mind:
- Prioritize Your Academics: Establish strong study habits early on. If you find yourself struggling, don’t hesitate to seek out tutoring or other academic resources.
- Take Care of Your Mental Health: Balancing your academic responsibilities with self-care is essential. Make time for rest, relaxation, and activities that bring you joy.
- Stay Connected with Your Academic Advisor: Regularly meeting with your academic advisor is key to staying on track with your degree requirements and exploring new opportunities.
- Manage Your Time Wisely: Develop effective time management strategies to juggle coursework, extracurricular activities, and personal commitments.
- Seek Out Mentorship: Whether through faculty, peers, or industry professionals, mentorship can provide invaluable guidance and support throughout your journey.
- Get Involved: Join an engineering student organization. Being part of a community enhances your college experience, opens doors to networking, and provides leadership opportunities.
Stay Engaged with Inclusive Excellence:
Throughout the semester, be on the lookout for our Inclusive Excellence monthly newsletter, which will include:
- Updates on professional development opportunities, webinars, and scholarships
- Acknowledgments of various student groups and organizations
- Invitations to our monthly brown bag sessions and other events
We are here to support you every step of the way and wish you a successful and fulfilling fall semester. Let's make this academic year a memorable one!
All the best, Gracias,
Dr. Sonia Garcia
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Inclusive Excellence 2024 Team |
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The 2024 Engineering Academic Boot Camp (EABC) |
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This past Summer 2024, we celebrated the Second Annual Engineering Academic Boot Camp (EABC), generously funded by Georgia Power, Lockheed Martin, and Gulfstream. This year's program welcomed 12 incoming freshmen (9 males and 3 females) from various regions across Georgia, who are set to embark on their journey at the UGA College of Engineering. The EABC also featured three current UGA Engineering undergraduates who served as Peer Leaders and Mentors, alongside seven dedicated engineering and physics faculty members and seven graduate students.
The primary goal of EABC is to equip incoming students, many of whom are first-generation college students, with the resources and support needed to build healthy habits that will sustain them throughout their college years. The program focuses on enhancing skills in mathematics, science, and programming to ensure students are well-prepared for the academic challenges of the Fall semester. EABC aims to facilitate a smooth transition from high school to college by establishing a solid foundation for both academic and personal success.
During the two-week intensive program, students participated in weekday classes, group work with engineering faculty, laboratory and facility visits, professional development seminars, and community-building activities with peers, faculty, staff, and alumni. They also enjoyed group excursions, all contributing to a strong sense of community and a supportive network at UGA. These connections, along with the academic skills developed, are intended to foster long-term success throughout their college experience and beyond.
EABC students will continue to participate in college enrichment activities and peer mentoring throughout the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters. Special thanks to Drs. Banka, Lewis, Banu, Santiago-Collazo, Wineland, Weliweriya Liyanage, Morkos, and Mr. Halloran, Research Engineer at ISTEM, as well as our college graduate students Ms. Wilson, Crutchfield, Higgins, Popoola, Bowen, Sapkota, and Mr. Sobczak, and our undergraduates Ms. You, Iturbe, and Lam for their invaluable contributions.
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EABC CLosing Lunch with Industry Partners: Special Guests from Left to Right
Mike Isbill (Lockheed Martin), Jason Riopelle (Gulfstream), Tony Ferguson (Georgia Power), David Williams (Gulfstream), Steven Scarboro (Georgia Power), Nick Guerrero (Georgia Power). |
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UGA/NACME Autodesk Boot Camp |
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This past summer, the College of Engineering’s Inclusive Excellence program partnered for the second year with Autodesk Atlanta Autodesk | 3D Design, Engineering & Construction Software, and NACME, to offer a unique opportunity for our sophomore engineering students. This program was designed to enhance both academic and professional development. Out of over 60 applicants, 16 students were selected to participate, including six from UGA Engineering.
The program provided a range of benefits, including:
Paid Summer Classes: Students could choose from Calculus 1, Calculus 2, or Statics, all of which are integral to their overall curriculum.
$2,000 Stipend
Autodesk Fusion Certification
Three-Day Externship at Autodesk Atlanta
The UGA/NACME Autodesk Boot Camp, which ran from June 2nd to August 9th in a hybrid format (University of Georgia and Virtual), offered an excellent opportunity for students to acquire valuable skills and advance their academic and professional journey.
Thanks to the UGA/NACME Autodesk faculty and staff team:
- Adam Wineland, faculty taught fusion and AutoCAD
- Nyna DeWitt, Engineering Education Doctoral student – Autodesk Boot Camp Program Coordinator
- Clara You, Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering (SASE,SWE) Tutored Cal 1 and Cal 2
- Chloe Sullivan, Undergraduate in Computer Systems (NSBE and last summer’s Autodesk participant, Chloe is also Fusion 360 Certified) – Tutored Cal 1 and Cal 2
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The University of Georgia College of Engineering is excited to introduce 13 new faculty members joining the team this academic year. From nanotechnology in food and agriculture, to AI security and trustworthy machine learning, these distinguished scholars bring a wealth of expertise to the college.
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Welcome UGA's New 13 Engineering Faculty |
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Congratulations UGA Society for Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE)
Chapter of the Year! |
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"Over the past two years, our SASE chapter at the University of Georgia has experienced tremendous growth and success, with membership more than doubling from year 1 to year 2. Our journey has been marked by significant achievements, including our strong presence at the SASE National Convention, where our members consistently secured high interview and job offer rates, demonstrating the chapter's effectiveness in preparing students for the professional world. At this year's National Convention in Boston, we will be bringing 16 members from our chapter to accept the Outstanding Chapter Award. We could not be more honored and excited to receive this award. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion has been a cornerstone of our mission, with initiatives such as the APIDA Heritage Month celebrations, where we hosted events that engaged faculty, staff, and students, fostering a sense of community and belonging. Our chapter's collaborative efforts, including partnerships with UGA's DEI office and other engineering organizations, have further solidified our reputation within the college. Winning the Engineers Week 2024 competition against 19 other organizations is a testament to our members' enthusiasm and dedication. The key to our success and growth has been our amazing members, our overenthusiastic executive board, and our unwavering commitment to our vision and members."
-- Claris Lee, SASE President |
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Congratulations to UGA National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Chapter of the Year! |
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NSBE's three tactics for our Success:
1. Enhance Membership Growth and Engagement
We increased involvement by engaging both current and future members through targeted outreach efforts. This included by hosting events like field days, collaborating with other campus organizations, and using fundraising activities as a form of outreach. We also promoted our club at engagement fairs and other campus-wide opportunities. To keep members connected and informed, we introduced Remind101 and LinkTree while consistently posting creative and appealing flyers on social media to boost engagement.
2. Maximize Conference Participation and Professional Development
We prioritized attendance at the Fall Regional and National Conferences to foster professional growth. We successfully planned to take a minimum of 20 students to both events and either fully funded their transportation and hotel accommodations or made the cost more efficient for them through the funds we allocated. Additionally, we hosted three company-sponsored meetings to further build professional networks and fundraising efforts.
3. Increase Community Impact and Service
NSBE Jr. served as an excellent platform for UGA NSBE to engage with and mentor future generations. Through consistent in-person meetings, we provided valuable guidance on how to succeed academically and professionally, helping younger students build essential skills. By actively supporting these initiatives, we strengthened our chapter's connection to the community while creating leadership opportunities for our members.
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!! |
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College’s Inclusive Excellence Committee
College’s Climate Survey Update
August 2024
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For the past year, the Inclusive Excellence (IE) Committee was tasked with assessing and summarizing the 2022 CENGR Climate Survey Responses. Implored for the purpose of collecting individualistic perspectives in regard to residing within our College community and assessing the College’s inclusivity and demographic background, the survey provided valuable insights for all parties encompassing our community (e.g. Faculty, Staff, and Students). In short, a series of questions centered around the individual and their experiences within the College and university community were collected and thoroughly evaluated over this past years’ time. Topics such as inclusivity, campus safety, group affiliations, political views, and experiences with discrimination/bias/harassment were found in the Climate Survey responses. Additionally, the community was given the opportunity to provide written responses addressing any other concerns, which were collected and included in the evaluation.
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September Inclusive Excellence Calendar
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Society for Women Engineers (SWE) GBMs |
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National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) GBMs |
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Scholarships & Opportunities |
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Awards, Fellowships and Scholarships
Upcoming award submission deadlines and notices:
Graduate School Conference Travel Grants
September 6, 2024
The deadline for applications for students who seek funds to present their research during October-December 31, 2024, is September 6, 2024. Please refer to the website here for details. Students may only apply through their academic department.
P.E.O. Scholar Award
September 6, 2024
The deadline for recommendations for the P.E.O. Scholar Award is Friday, September 6, 2024. Please refer to the Call for Recommendations sent August 16 for criteria and application details. Students must be recommended by their academic department.
A list of upcoming Graduate School Awards and approximate deadlines is available here.
UGA Campus Partner Award notices are available here.
Open External Fellowship notices with deadlines are available here.
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NSBE Members,
The National Society of Black Engineers’ 2024 Fall Scholarship cycle is now open! To apply for scholarships or to learn more, go to nsbe.smapply.io.
To view and apply for scholarships, you must:
⮚ Renew your NSBE membership for the year.
⮚ Have a verified GPA in your membership profile.
The deadline to apply for Fall Scholarships is
January 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST.
For scholarship questions, or if you experience problems accessing scholarships, please email scholarships@nsbe.org.
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Call for Nominations:
Regents' Teaching Excellence Awards
The Regents’ Teaching Excellence Awards recognize the finest among the University System of Georgia’s full-time instructional faculty for their excellence in teaching. The CTL is now accepting nominations from within UGA for these awards. Selected nominees will work with CTL personnel to develop materials for submission to the USG competition. Nominations will be accepted through our nomination portal until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25th.
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For over 50 years, the Georgia Engineering Foundation (GEF) has sponsored a program that awards college scholarships to Georgia students who are preparing for a career in engineering or engineering technology. All scholarships are competitively awarded based on the student’s demonstrated competence in academics, interest in developing a career in engineering, financial need, and school and community involvement. Scholarships range from $1,500 to $6,000 with 58 scholarships totaling nearly $120,000 to students last year. Last year, GEF received more scholarship applications from UGA than any other university with a record number of UGA students receiving scholarships 22 (~40% of the scholarships awarded worth $41,500 of the $96,500 in GA). LET'S MAKE THIS ANOTHER RECORD YEAR! PLEASE APPLY!
ALL ENGINEERING MAJORS (Undergraduate and Graduate) CAN APPLY! References are only required for students entering their first year of college.
The DEADLINE FOR APPLYING IS SEPTEMBER 30! Again, UGA had a record turnout in applications, scholarship interviews, and awardees last year. There are opportunities this year for even more awards than last year.
Please apply at https://gefinc.org/.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible, a student must be interested in a career in engineering or engineering technology and:
- Be a resident of Georgia
- Enrolled in a collegiate program accredited by:
- ABET: Engineering programs (required for all scholarships except AACE scholarship)
- ABET: Engineering Technology Programs
- ACCE: Construction programs (required for the AACE Scholarship)
- A U. S. Citizen or Permanent resident (does not apply to IEEE Scholarships as IEEE is an international society)
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Washington Semester Program
September 15, 2024 Deadline for Spring 2025
The WSP is accepting applications to fill the remainder of the spaces in the Spring 2025. Students must apply by this deadline to be considered. For more information, visit https://dcsemester.uga.edu/application/
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Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) are an important component of the nation’s higher education ecosystem and play a critical role in realizing the National Science Board Vision Report for a more diverse and capable science and engineering workforce. Aligned with this vision and the NSF Strategic Plan 2022 -2026 the goals of the NSF HSI Program are to:
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Enhance the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at HSIs.
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Increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation rates of students pursuing associate’s or baccalaureate degrees in STEM at HSIs.
Meeting these goals requires institutions to understand and embrace their students’ strengths, challenges, identities and lived experiences. This can happen in many ways and across many areas of an institution. As such, the IUSE: HSI program provides multiple opportunities to support an institution’s goal to become more student centered, including the Equitable Transformation in STEM Education (ETSE) competition. This competition includes the following tracks:
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Departmental/Division Transformation Track (DDTT) - New
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Institutional Transformation Track (ITT)
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Emerging Faculty Research Track (EFRT) - New
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HSI Program Resource Hubs (Hubs)
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Workshops and Conferences |
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Get Ready for Fall 2024
Listen to Fred Lawrence on the dotEDU podcast as he discusses balancing free speech and campus safety. Then dive deeper with ACE’s latest issue brief featuring top experts. Equip yourself with insights and strategies to manage these challenges as the new semester approaches. Lead with confidence this fall!
ACEx2025: February 12–13, 2025
Visionary leaders at the ACE Experience (ACEx) will address critical issues shaping the future of higher education, including the value crisis, democracy and politics, demographic changes, free speech, campus activism, and global challenges. Registration opens soon. Mark your calendar.
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Save the Date for the ACE Experience 2025
February 12–13, 2025
The American Council on Education’s (ACE) Annual Meeting is now the ACE Experience (ACEx)!
Join us at the iconic John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts* in Washington, DC on February 12–13, 2025 for a transformative event that will shape the future of higher education.
ACEx2025 will offer a unique opportunity to examine higher education’s role in society now and in the future alongside visionary leaders from diverse fields. Designed specifically for college and university presidents and chancellors, ACEx2025 will provide high-level perspectives on the critical national and international issues impacting higher education. During immersive sessions, speakers will present groundbreaking ideas that will leave you with a renewed sense of purpose.
Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for more information about early bird registration and other exciting detail
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University of North Carolina (UNC) Charlotte recently announced three office closures as part of a major shift in its institutional policies.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Office of Identity, Equity and Engagement, and Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion have been disbanded in response to UNC System Board of Governors’ decision in May to repeal its previous DEI policy.
The new policy, “Equality Within the University of North Carolina,” mandates that all UNC System institutions adhere to principles of institutional neutrality, prohibiting the promotion of political or social concepts. Specifically, it bans the establishment or maintenance of offices dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion at any institution within the UNC System.
Read More >
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In response to allegations of antisemitic discrimination and harassment on campus, Drexel University has reached a resolution with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to ensure the institution adheres to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The investigation was initiated after an October 2023 complaint suggested that a fire on the dormitory door of a Jewish student might have been motivated by antisemitism. However, OCR confirmed that the incident was not related to antisemitic conduct, and the university’s response did not raise concerns under Title VI. Despite this, the investigation highlighted broader issues in Drexel’s handling of incidents of discrimination and harassment linked to shared ancestry.
Read More >
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A recent ruling by the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has intensified the uncertainty for millions of student loan borrowers who were relying on the Biden-Harris administration’s SAVE (Saving on Valuable Education) plan to ease their repayment burdens.
The court issued a preliminary injunction on the SAVE plan halting its implementation and leaving eligible borrowers in financial limbo.
An income-driven repayment plan designed to reduce monthly payments for borrowers, SAVE shortens the timeline for loan forgiveness and ultimately makes higher education more affordable. The plan, which has already enrolled approximately 8 million borrowers, was aimed at addressing long-standing issues within the student loan system, including the high rates of default due to unaffordable payments.
Read More >
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The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) has issued a new statement that marks a significant shift from its previous stance outlined in the 2006 report “On Academic Boycotts.” This statement, which was unanimously approved by Committee A on Academic Freedom and adopted by the AAUP Council on August 9, reevaluates the organization’s categorical opposition to academic boycotts.
Historically, the AAUP has argued that academic boycotts could undermine academic freedom, urging faculty and academic associations to seek alternative methods to address their concerns.
Read More >
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