MOSCOW, Idaho — April 11, 2024 — The University of Idaho College of Engineering is the only higher education institution in the state to be recognized as an Empowering Women honoree by the Idaho Business Review.
The designation recognizes companies for strong commitment to supporting and elevating women in Idaho through tangible and innovative efforts that advance women in the workplace and community.
“Our college is proud to be recognized alongside industry leaders like Micron Technology and Idaho National Laboratory in this fantastic acknowledgment of shared commitment to building a stronger Idaho,” said Suzie Long, dean of the College of Engineering.
The college was selected for tangible commitment to supporting women in the field of engineering and computer science. The college reaches thousands of K-12 students annually through events held across statewide campuses and visiting Idaho’s rural public schools.
The college offers three mentorship programs that pair current students with Idaho industry leaders and peer mentors with similar life experiences. Programs have doubled in size year-over-year and resulted in increased student recruitment, retention and job placement.
“Idaho needs more engineers. To grow Idaho’s workforce pipeline, it’s imperative we reach a broad audience, especially groups currently underrepresented in engineering fields,” Long said. “This means empowering Idaho’s K-12 students to consider STEM as a viable career field and having a diverse and highly skilled group of faculty members to educate them. This award speaks volumes to the effort Idaho companies are making to prepare our state to fill the workforce gap in this area.”
The College of Engineering was one of the first to sign the Dean’s Diversity Letter released by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2014, indicating a firm commitment to building a more vibrant engineering community on campus through its Diversity & Inclusion Initiative and proactive strategies to increase the representation of women and underrepresented groups in the university’s student and faculty population.
The college is the only institution in Idaho to be recognized by the ASEE’s Diversity Recognition Program for its commitment to build a more vibrant engineering community, establish support for underrepresented groups in engineering, assess policies, culture and climate, and implement programs to strengthen our K-16 outreach and long-term growth.
U of I is one of 29 in the nation to be given Exemplary status, an ASEE recognition that the college’s plan toward inclusivity is one that other engineering universities could learn from and follow.
Learn more about our programs at uidaho.edu/engr/diversity.