MSE Colloquium: Ashleigh Wright

All dates for this event occur in the past.

Assessing Institutional Practices to Improve Diversity and Inclusion in Engineering

The STEM enterprise of the U.S. continuously strives to remain competitive globally. As such, there have been dramatic advances over the past decades in the breadth of knowledge, innovations and technologies, and training of students that have collectively contributed to the growth of the U.S. economy, national security, and the health and well-being of its citizens. However, the U.S. continues to face challenges due to the inequities of advanced STEM degrees obtained by women and students from racial and ethnic underrepresented minority groups. From pre-college engagement to evaluating institutional practices and culture, this presentation will discuss historical barriers and provide suggestions to improve the recruitment and retention of diverse populations of students.

Bio

Ashleigh Wright

Dr. Ashleigh R. Wright is the Associate Director of the Institute for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA Institute) at the Grainger College of Engineering of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In this role, she researches the best practices and barriers that support broadening participation, and the success of students in engineering. Ashleigh is passionate about promoting diversity and equity in the STEM disciplines. She has over eight years of experience managing training programs and facilitating workshops that support academic, personal, and professional development of undergraduate and graduate students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, in STEM. Prior to joining The University of Illinois, Dr. Wright served as the Coordinator of the Science and Engineering of Atomic Structure (SEAS) NSF Research Traineeship in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC State), and coordinated programming for the North Carolina Central University - NC State Bridge-to-PhD program. Ashleigh also served as the co-PI of the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LS-AMP) Bridge to the Doctorate (BD) program. At Louisiana State University, Dr. Wright served as the manager of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professors, Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM), LS-LAMP and Bridge to the Doctorate Programs for the Office of Strategic Initiatives. She has earned degrees in chemistry from Wofford College (BS), North Carolina A&T State University (MS), and Louisiana State University (PhD) where her research focused on the development and characterization of gold-coated organic nanoparticles, nanoGUMBOS (Group of Uniform Materials Based on Organic Salts), and biocompatible, designer ionic liquid gels (ionogels) for drug delivery applications. Ashleigh is a member of the National Organization for the Professional Development of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE), The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), American Chemical Society, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

This meeting is virtual only.

https://osu.zoom.us/j/94109057957?pwd=N1A2bjBZeDdBM2x6VXFaMXhZdGQ3dz09

Meeting ID: 941 0905 7957

Password: 126701