Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Indigeneity

The Department of Mechanical Engineering Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity committee has a mandate to advise the department on ways to create a welcoming, inclusive community, and on identifying and incorporating best practices for equity and diversity within our policies, procedures, and practices. Working within the framework of the Faculty of Applied Science’s EDI.I Competencies, the committee also connects the Mech community to opportunities, training, resources, and supports.

The committee wishes to acknowledge that we work on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people, in a place where work and learning have always been part of a way of life. We reflect on this as we work, and learn from our work and each other.

We commit to fostering a safe and respectful environment in which to pursue scholarship, in which everyone feels they belong as a valued member.

Our specific work over the past year has included:

Addressing faculty hiring practices to reduce barriers to and increase engagement from applicants from equity seeking groups;
Collecting thorough data on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion challenges within the Department of Mechanical Engineering in order to increase transparency, and set relevant benchmarks for future goals;
Creating methods for students, faculty and staff to directly report their EDI.I concerns.

We continue to work on the projects above and look to expand them in order to better serve the MECH community. Please send us your suggestions and concerns.

EDI.I Committee

We are composed of faculty and staff, and welcome the feedback of all members of our community, including students. We are currently looking into the best way to engage students in department EDI.I issues.

If you would like to talk about EDI.I, learn about resources, share your story, or get supports, please feel free to contact any member of the committee with a listed email. An anonymous survey link will be available shortly. You can also email any concerns to edi@mech.ubc.ca.


Kendal Bushe wkb@mech.ubc.ca	Amanda Giang (she/her/hers) amanda.giang@ubc.ca	Jen Pelletier (she/her/hers) jen@mech.ubc.ca
Agnes d’Entremont (she/her/hers) adentremont@mech.ubc.ca	Graham R. Hendra (he/him/his) hendra@mech.ubc.ca	Amelia “Ed” Pitt-Brooke (she/her, they/them) amelia@mech.ubc.ca
Heather Gerrits (she/her/hers) heather@mech.ubc.ca	Patrick Kirchen (he/him/his) pkirchen@mech.ubc.ca Associate Head, EDI.I and Engagement