Intersectionality and Women of Color in the Engineering Workplace

Speakers
Trina Fletcher, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Florida International University
Trina Fletcher has an interdisciplinary background with both her education and full-time experiences. Fletcher holds a doctorate in engineering education from Purdue University, a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB), a master’s degree in operations management from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and a second master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University. Her industry experience includes completing the Global Operations Leadership Development Program with Johnson & Johnson, a management position with Eaton Corporation and serving as the director of pre-college initiatives for the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Prior to FIU, Fletcher was an assistant professor and the engineering program coordinator at UAPB. Her areas of research interest include STEM education at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and equity, policy and inclusion in STEM education.

Christine Grant, Ph.D., Academic Resilience Strategist
Dr. Christine Grant is an Academic Resilience Strategist who catalyzes women and men in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to successfully navigate their academic & career pursuits. She obtained her degrees in Chemical Engineering (B.S., Brown University, M.S. and Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology). A Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular (CBE) engineering at NC State, she’s also the Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement in the NC State College of Engineering. Dr. Grant is one of less than 10 African American women at the rank of full professor in chemical engineering in the country. A recipient of the AAAS Mentor Award and the NSF Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Math and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM, Grant has been recognized for broadening the participation, promotion and retention of underrepresented minorities (URM) and women in STEM. Her book, “Success Strategies from Women in STEM: A Portable Mentor” by Elsevier/Academic Press is the culmination of Grant’s over 30 years of leadership broadening the participation of diverse populations in STEM fields. Exemplar Award. A Life Member of SWE, she has led invited workshops in the SWE Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering conference.

Nicole Yates, PhD Candidate (University of Southern California), Former Senior Research Analyst (National Society of Black Engineers)
Nicole Yates is a PhD candidate in Urban Education at the University of Southern California's Rossier School of Education. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Psychology from Stanford University and her Master’s thesis focused on the reasons students leave STEM majors for non-STEM majors. Prior to attending USC, Nicole worked as the senior research analyst for the National Society of Black Engineers. Her current research interests include uncovering racial bias in psychological measurement instruments, deconstructing motivation, high achieving black students, and broadening participation in STEM.

Roberta Rincon, Ph.D., Senior Manager of Research, Society of Women Engineers
In her role at SWE, Roberta manages the research activities for the organization, focusing on issues that impact girls and women in engineering. Current research projects include understanding the development of an engineering identity in high school girls, analyzing community college transfer success in engineering, and investigating gender bias in the engineering workplace. Before joining SWE, Roberta was a Senior Research and Policy Analyst at The University of Texas System. Roberta received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin, an MBA and an M.S. in Information Management from Arizona State University, and recently completed her Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Planning from UT Austin.