Diversity and Inclusion Committee
SEAW DEI Scholarship
**The 2023 scholarship application period is now closed. Winners will be announced in June**
The Structural Engineers Association of Washington (SEAW) is offering a $5000 DEI scholarship to community college, four-year college, or university students. The scholarship will be awarded to a student who will be enrolled during the following academic year in one of the five Universities in Washington State to study Structural Engineering and who plan to make their professional career in the practice of Structural Engineering.
Requirements of Students applying for the SEAW Scholarship:
Identify as BIPOC, Women, LGBTQ+, or Disabled.
A resident of the State of Washington. Residents of this state attending schools in other states are eligible. Students attending in-state schools on a non-resident basis are not eligible.
At the time of application, have applied or be currently enrolled in a program of study that focuses on the prerequisites required to enroll in a University, majoring in Civil Engineering, with a focus on Structural Engineering.
Having a commitment to making a professional career in the practice of Structural Engineering
How to Apply:
Complete the application form and email to the DEI@SEAW.org.
Arrange for the student’s currently attended school to send—directly to SEAW at the above address—transcripts showing courses taken and grades received. If your school uses an electronic transmittal system, transcript links should be sent to DEI@SEAW.org.
Provide two letters of recommendation and return to DEI@SEAW.org per the options below:
Option 1: (2) Professors
Option 2: (1) Professor and (1) EmployerThe professor/employer should be provided an email address to submit electronically or the stamped envelopes addressed to SEAW at the above address, and the electronic form to complete, print, and sign.
Complete and attach to your application a personal essay or video link of about 500 words on one of the following subjects:
We want to hear your story: What are your interests in Structural Engineering?
What are your future plans in relation to Structural Engineering?
What does DEI mean to you?
What motivates you to be engaged in the Structural Engineering community?
All documents must be submitted to SEAW by April 30th to be considered for the scholarship.
How the Scholarship Winner will be selected:
From qualified students submitting applications, the SEAW DEI selection committee will determine those to be interviewed. They will be notified, and interviews will be scheduled after the first week of May on a virtual call. Only those interviewed will be given further consideration. Final decisions relating to all matters of eligibility and award of the scholarship rests solely with the SEAW DEI selection committee. The scholarship winner will receive the award money, contingent upon acceptance into a Civil Engineering program at one of the five Washington state Universities.
The 2023 DEI scholarship application period is now CLOSED. Apply today!
Scholarship winners will be announced in June.
AAPI Public Statement
To our AAPI members:
The D&I committee of SEAW stands with you in light of the senseless and ongoing violence against your community. We want to acknowledge the trauma and pain the community is feeling. These events make us recognize once again that we need to do better: we need to be more loving, we need to treat everyone with respect, and we need to end the racism that feeds this violence. Please reach out to us if you need a safe space to talk through what has happened. We are here to support you through this time.
To our Non-AAPI members:
If you have an AAPI coworker, we encourage you to reach out and make space for them. Some guidelines for how to effectively make space in a conversation can be found here. Remember to not center yourself in the conversation (“something similar happened to me too….”) and to not jump into problem solving mode. If you don’t have any AAPI coworkers, take some time to evaluate why that is. We also encourage you to sign up for a free bystander training being offered this month. Your ability to distract and diffuse a situation could literally be the difference between life and death. Lastly, if you are in management, consider implementing some policies that can help your BIPOC employees deal with the ongoing effects of racism: talk about racism in the office, provide parking/travel reimbursements for employees who don’t feel safe taking public transportation, and provide flexible PTO mental health days when a community is attacked. Work doesn’t happen in a vacuum; we are all a part of this community together. It is our responsibility to keep our community safe, together.
In solidarity,
SEAW
D&I Committee
DEI@seaw.org
Diversity cannot occur without first addressing inclusion and welcoming people of all backgrounds. We know there are many of you who are interested in taking the first steps in our structural engineering community to make all feel welcome and excited about structural engineering. The Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) committee was formed by Lisette Terry, a Black, female structural engineer at Degenkolb Engineers. She has worked in the industry for 15 years and is often the only woman of color in the room. The D&I committee was established to help break this cycle and ensure that the next generation of structural engineers brings people together from all backgrounds; after all, countless studies have shown that more diverse teams are more creative, have better decision making skills, and are more productive.
So, what will this committee do?
Work on the School to Structural Engineering Pipeline
Have you ever wondered how our profession ended up so… homogenous? One aim of the committee is to get involved in the school to structural engineering pipeline through identifying and breaking down barriers to entry.
The D&I Committee is committed to working with the Outreach Committee to connect schools with local engineering groups that help educate and encourage a broader, more diverse group of students to pursue science and engineering.
Educate, Educate, Educate
Have you heard of unconscious bias but aren’t quite/exactly sure how it plays into your daily work? Heard of anti-racism, but not sure what it looks like? The D&I Committee will work on educating the industry regarding issues of race and bias.
We will also highlight historical or current people of color who have impacted the engineering community.
Provide Focused Scholarships
With the Scholarship Committee, we will work to award scholarships to historically under-represented groups within structural engineering and expand the reach of students we are targeting to impact.
Give Recognition
The D&I Committee wants to recognize individuals, firms, or organizations that exemplify meaningful actions in support of diversity and inclusion.
Think
We welcome your brainstorming ideas on how we can use our occupation to serve our community better.
Will the building I’m working on increase gentrification?
How can I pursue work with minority-owned businesses?
Do you have a question on how our industry could be more inclusive? Let’s talk about it.
Why join?
Summer 2020 showed us that there is an enormous amount of work that needs to be done to have a society that is racially just. Many people and companies pledged to commit to anti-racist practices, but it is difficult to fight systemic racism on your own. Joining this committee is one way that you can turn those pledges and good intentions into tangible actions, helping to change our industry for the better.
Diverse teams benefit everyone: the companies, employees, and ultimately the community! Focusing on improving our industry’s diversity is necessary for building a better community, which is important since ‘building’ community is sort of our thing.
Who’s running this committee?
The first champions of D&I do some fun things outside of work:
Lisette Terry, Founder/Chairwoman, Degenkolb Engineers
Can often be found jamming out to her favorite local band, Stereo Embers
Clare Terpstra, Degenkolb Engineers
Enjoys hunting for tasty mushrooms in the enchanting nearby forests
Damilola Taiwo, Moffatt & Nichol
Prefers getting around Lake Washington on her bike
Inder Deol, University of Washington ‘21
Can kick butt with her black belt in Tae Kwon Do
Tiffany La, Degenkolb Engineers
Serenades her sisters with her new-found guitar skills
Sarah Bergquist, Degenkolb Engineers
Has learned how to sing virtually with her choir, Seattle Pro Musica
Okay, you all seem cool, how do I sign up?
Join our committee meetings starting on May 4, 2021. Email DEI@seaw.org to sign up, or to ask any and all questions!
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