Keynote Talk Details:

Hispanics make up 18% of the U.S. workforce, but only 8.2 of STEM occupations and 8.9% in engineering and are also the largest growing segment of recent and projected future population growth.   STEM occupations are projected to grow 10.5% by 2030 (versus 7.5% for non-STEM occupations), for a total of 11.3 million U.S. STEM-related job openings expected.  In order to meet this workforce need, it is vital that the number of Hispanics pursuing engineering and STEM rapidly increase to significantly contribute to meeting the workforce needs.  Beyond the numbers though, diversity is also critical to innovation because diverse teams outperform homogeneous teams – thus, increasing the probability of scientific success and promoting competitiveness and economic growth. 

The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) is focused on having the percentage of Hispanics in STEM be proportional to their representation in the workforce.  We have over 13,000 members nationwide and 286 active chapters.  SHPE offers numerous programs that are designed to support the success of Hispanics in these fields and there are opportunities to engage with SHPE to create broader impacts.  This keynote will speak to how diversity serving professional organizations support this objective and how you individually and your projects can actively make a difference in diversifying the STEM workforce. 

Keynote Speaker Introduction:

Dr. Kimberly Douglas is Chief Research & Innovation Officer for the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE).  She has over 25 years of experience as an engineering educator and administrator developing programs for increasing the persistence and degree completion rates of STEM students, with a particular focus on those who are underrepresented and underserved.  Her experience also includes creating mutually beneficial partnerships and programs to support student success and faculty development.  She is committed to utilizing program evaluation and assessment to inform data-driven decisions, and she is passionate about creating sustainable programs with large-scale collective impact that touch individual lives. 

Kimberly holds a Doctorate in Industrial and Management Systems Engineering from Arizona State University, and B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Engineering and Management from Oklahoma State University. She has held tenured faculty appointments at Oregon State University and Kansas State University, and her Professional Engineering license in the state of Oregon.  Dr. Douglas served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering for 10 years, and is a past President of WEPAN.