ECE Statement on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Engineering is an inherently collaborative field where ideas from people having diverse backgrounds, cultures, experiences, abilities, and identities are critical to fueling the innovation essential to solving some of the world’s most important problems.

We in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) see our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through two complementary lenses: as a moral imperative reflecting the inherent value of every person, and as a strategic approach to strengthening our research and teaching missions.

As such, we strive to be an institution that respects, appreciates, and demonstrably supports any and all differences, including those of ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socioeconomic status.

We believe that equal, equitable access to education for all is indispensable for both the institution and the individual. It ensures our continued excellence as a department where better ideas, more incisive collaborations, and more impactful solutions arise from a broader understanding of what constitutes the common good. It also provides every student, faculty member, and staff member with the opportunity to fully realize their potential. 

ECE is therefore committed to its continued evolution as an inclusive community that offers a warm welcome and a supportive environment to all. We are further committed to rigorously ensuring that equity undergirds every departmental process — from admissions decisions to retention of students, faculty, and staff from underrepresented groups.

At the core of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is our insistence that members of our community treat each other with respect and decency at all times, and that they do not alienate or diminish each other, either in word or in deed.

In order to affirm these beliefs, we put actions and resources behind these words. As individuals and as a community we work to avoid all forms of discrimination, including explicit, implicit, and/or unintended bias. We train all members of our community, students, staff, and faculty, on how to be aware of bias, ensure diverse recruitment, and retain diverse members of our community. We design admissions processes and curriculums to serve a diverse population. Our efforts are aligned with broader initiatives at the UCSB college of engineering and the UCSB campus to expand programs that support and honor individuals from diverse backgrounds.

 

ECE Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee

  • Katie Byl, Associate Professor and ECE DEI Committee Chair, ECE DEI Representative to the College of Engineering and for Faculty Affairs Affairs
  • Jon Schuller, Professor and ECE DEI Representative for Graduate Affairs
  • Mahnoosh Alizadeh, Associate Professor and ECE DEI Representative for Undergraduate Affairs
  • B.S. Manjunath, Professor and ECE Department Chair
  • Clint Schow, Professor & ECE Vice Chair of Graduate Studies
  • Luke Theogarajan, Professor & ECE Vice Chair of Undergraduate Studies
  • Pradeep Sen, Professor
  • Haewon Jeong, Assistant Professor