About the Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

Our programs provide a forum for students to access resources, build community, and collaborate collectively toward our shared goals of equity and excellence in engineering.

The Equity and Inclusion Initiatives team is housed in the dean’s office of student affairs at the School of Engineering. Fueled by our shared passion for equity and social justice, we are committed to advancing a culture of accessibility, respect, inclusion, and empowerment at Stanford Engineering.

What we believe

The goal of Stanford Engineering’s Equity and Inclusion Initiatives is to ensure that diversity efforts are not siloed but are ingrained in the very fabric of the institution. Our programs provide a forum for students to access resources, build community, and collaborate collectively toward our shared goals of equity and excellence in engineering. But more than this, we want to empower students to become change agents and thought leaders in their own right. This can only be accomplished if forging an inclusive culture becomes the shared responsibility of faculty, staff, students, and alumni.

We believe in three core principles to advancing equity and inclusion in engineering: commitment, community, and change agency.

What we do

The team collaborates with student societies, corporate donors, and campus partners to help develop a deep sense of inclusivity and belonging in engineering spaces.  We provide a range of programs, consultation, and educational support to the Stanford Engineering community on issues related to accessibility, belonging, inclusion, and diverse representation.

Our work provides spaces for students to be their full, authentic selves as they excel in their academic communities. We strive to create an inclusive culture and community where we empower our students to challenge the narrative of what engineering research and researchers look like.

“Given existing societal and institutional barriers, we know that we don’t all start from the same place. We are committed to remedying this by creating an inclusive culture where people of all backgrounds can thrive. As first-generation and/or low-income women of color, we understand the challenges that institutions of higher learning can pose to students from various backgrounds. We are motivated by our own experiences and those of our students to effect positive changes for all students.”

—Lourdes Andrade, Director of Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

—Marlette Jackson, PhD, Assistant Director of Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

We do what we do because of the impact it has on our students. Here what our students have to say:

“The teaching experience from ACE (Additional Calculus for Engineers) has been invaluable toward my academic and personal development. Because ACE targets students from underprivileged and underrepresented backgrounds, teaching for ACE is as much about understanding students’ learning styles and academic habits as it is understanding students’ personal backgrounds. These skills have carried over to all other areas of my life, whether it be research, work, or friendships.”

-- Tim Anderson, PhD Candidate, Electrical Engineering

“The Equity and Inclusion Initiatives office has provided me with a strong basis for support during my four years at Stanford. I have been involved in the many programs offered by the office and each has impacted me in their own individual way. SSEA provided me with a strong foundation of peers and knowledge of engineering. GP2A connected me with graduate students who looked like me and showed me that a PhD is attainable. SURF gave me the opportunity to participate in academic research as an inexperienced undergrad. SSG allowed me to consider taking classes over the summer without worrying if I would have enough to pay for all my expenses over the summer.”

-- Fabian Badillo, BS Candidate, Product Design

“As a first-generation student, navigating through college can feel overwhelming and discouraging when you lack the guidance of a parent, family friend, or sibling. Beginning to navigate the field of engineering, particularly, was definitely one of the most challenging experiences of my life, not only because of my lack of guidance back home, but also because of my lack of exposure to the field in my high school. Luckily, I was able to form part of the Stanford Summer Engineering Academy (SSEA), a program under the Equity and Inclusion Initiatives, that provided the exposure, guidance, and friendships that I needed to succeed in the field. Before the program, I had no computer science knowledge and limited calculus understanding; and more importantly, I had no one to guide, mentor, and care for me throughout my career. Through my participation in the program, I am now part of a community that fosters academic development, through programs like ACE (Additional Calculus for Engineers), and personal well-being, two things that, personally, have been the fundamental part of my success in Stanford Engineering.”

-- Alejandra Orozco, Class of 2022

“I have received tremendous support from the Equity and Inclusion Initiatives (EII) office, for both my role as a PhD student in Stanford Engineering and my leadership role in the ASSU [Stanford student government] Executive Cabinet, especially on diversity-related initiatives. All staff in the EII office genuinely care about our well-being as students. They are an essential part of the Stanford Engineering community.”

-- Wanyi Li, PhD Candidate, Management Science & Engineering