Three-Part Panel Series at CSE21 Explores Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Workforce

By Lina Sorg

The last several years have seen increased attention to issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in applied mathematics and computational science. Nevertheless, women, persons with disabilities, Blacks and African Americans, Hispanics and Latinos, and American Indians and Alaska Natives are still underrepresented in science and engineering fields across the U.S. In response, organizations around the country are taking active steps to support these communities in the workforce, understand the unique challenges they face, and engage in direct conversation to invoke positive change.

The 2021 SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering (CSE21), which took place virtually earlier this year, featured a three-part panel that addressed EDI in CSE-related careers. The seven panelists—who have experience in academia, industry, and national laboratories—were divided into two groups. Members of the first group shared their personal experiences as minorities in CSE, while those in the second detailed the ways in which their respective institutions are working to foster a more diverse culture. A live discussion with all panelists followed both sessions. Mary Ann Leung of the Sustainable Horizons Institute served as the moderator, and Ron Buckmire of Occidental College—SIAM’s Vice President for EDI—delivered the opening remarks.

Stories from Underrepresented Members of the CSE Community

Sally Ellingson of the University of Kentucky, Derek Jones of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Bonita Saunders of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—also a member of the SIAM Board of Trustees—served on the first panel. Ellingson began with some background about herself. After earning dual undergraduate degrees in computer science and mathematics as a first-generation college student at the Florida Institute of Technology, she determined that she wanted to pursue further education. While working an office job after graduation, Ellingson received a competitive monetary offer for a fellowship. As a single mother, she decided to leave home with her daughter, move away from her support system, and pursue her Ph.D. “It was a scary transition,” she said. “I actually did not tell anyone in the program that I had a kid and was a single parent. I had nightmares that people would find out and I would lose my fellowship. I felt like I had to go and prove myself a bit before I was comfortable talking about it, but of course I had lots of support once I did.”

Jones grew up in rural Kentucky and had limited access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) outreach during his youth. He was one of only a few Black students at his school, and recalls paging through textbooks and wondering why none of the computer scientists or mathematicians looked like him. But when Jones encountered people from other backgrounds while earning his undergraduate degree at the University of Kentucky—including Ellingson, who took him under her wing—they exposed him to a number of inspiring research projects. “It really has enriched my life,” he said. “I didn’t have a clear picture as to what my role [in STEM] would ultimately be until I began to meet mentors.”

A three-part panel during the 2021 SIAM Conference on Computational Science and Engineering (CSE21), which took place virtually in March, featured seven speakers who discussed their experiences with underrepresentation and suggested strategies to effectively diversify the workforce. Top row, left to right: Sally Ellingson of the University of Kentucky, Derek Jones of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and Bonita Saunders of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Bottom row, left to right: Scott Collis of Sandia National Laboratories, Lesia Crumpton-Young of Morgan State University, Bruce Hendrickson of LLNL, and Maria Klawe of Harvey Mudd College.

Saunders was also often one of the only Black people in her departments, both throughout the course of her career and as an undergraduate at William and Mary (W&M). “In a way I’ve gotten used to it over the years,” she said. “You have to be willing to be the only one. Some people want to be around people who are like themselves and have the same experiences. But that’s something I’ve always been open about, working with different people and going to school with different people.”

Saunders’ perspective is especially unique because she was born around the time of Brown v. Board of Education—the 1954 Supreme Court case wherein justices unanimously ruled that racial segregation in U.S. public schools was unconstitutional—and even attended segregated schools until high school. She went on to become the valedictorian of her integrated high school class and decided to pursue teaching — a common profession for Black women at the time. Though she completed the student teaching requirements at W&M, Saunders ultimately chose to attend graduate school to study mathematics. It was not until she enrolled at Old Dominion University for a master’s degree—and was automatically admitted to the Ph.D. program because she was a promising student—that Saunders began to feel recognized. “It would have been nice if someone had noticed me along the way and encouraged me,” she said. “I think that’s the big thing, just being aware and not only looking at students who look like yourself.”

Ellingson echoed this sentiment and stressed the importance of engaged, encouraging mentors. When participating in an Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, she had a program manager who was especially dedicated to his mentees’ personal growth. He served as a strong advocate, made sure Ellingson received adequate support, stepped in to mitigate a difficult group project situation, and even helped her find a new babysitter.

Jones then described the value of EDI programs, especially those that support funding and education. However, he noted that people of color often feel ashamed to receive money for school if it comes from a diversity scholarship or fellowship and is not purely merit based. “Everybody starts off at a different point in life, and we have plenty of data to say that people of color are definitely starting behind in that race,” he said. “It’s not mutually exclusive with academic abilities either. You can be diverse and also academically talented.”

Strategies for EDI at CSE-based Organizations

The second group of panelists included Scott Collis of Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Lesia Crumpton-Young of Morgan State University (MSU), Bruce Hendrickson of LLNL, and Maria Klawe of Harvey Mudd College. Klawe, who has been president of Harvey Mudd for 15 years, immediately began working to increase diversity within the student body upon her arrival. As a result, Harvey Mudd launched the President’s Scholars Program — a full-tuition scholarship for STEM students who come from backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented at the college. Recipients are selected based on their leadership capabilities and ability to diversify the student body. Though the scholarship is not defined by race, most recipients are people of color. “It’s had a huge impact and was relatively easy to do,” Klawe said. “We had to give up some tuition income, but the way we structured this as a leadership award meant that those students who came had proportionately more impact.”

In a similar vein, LLNL offers Employee Resource Groups that cultivate and enhance a diverse and inclusive workforce via recruiting, mentoring, and networking efforts. “These entities provide a safe space and welcoming environment for a diverse group of individuals,” Hendrickson said. “They also make it a more attractive environment for us to recruit and bring people with diverse backgrounds into the laboratory.”

In addition, LLNL regularly participates in conferences like the Blackwell-Tapia Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. “These are opportunities for us to recruit, engage, and learn about and understand the environments and particular challenges that individuals from nontraditional backgrounds have to overcome,” Hendrickson continued. “We can then adjust our work environment and our processes to be more inclusive.”

Crumpton-Young is the provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at MSU, where 75 percent of the student body is Black. “Most of the policies that I’m working with start at a place where I found myself as a student,” she said. “Our policies really work on creating a sense of belonging for our students and faculty.” Crumpton-Young was the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D. in engineering from Texas A&M University, where advisors initially encouraged her to pursue a less rigorous major. As a result of her own experiences, she strives to create an environment where students feel like their peers and educators expect them to succeed. She also helps prepare students of color for workplace situations where they will not comprise the majority and thus might feel less comfortable being their authentic selves.

Collis noted that SNL is working to define “excellence” in a broader sense by moving away from focused job postings with particular skillsets in favor of a wider recruiting approach. “We’re casting a broad net by emphasizing skills such as teaming and the ability to take on work and be innovative,” he said. “That’s really been empowering for us in terms of identifying more diverse pools of candidates.” SNL has also created several postdoctoral fellowships that emphasize these characteristics, including the Jill Hruby Fellowship in National Security Science and Engineering and the Sandia Data Science Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Collis then stressed the importance of implicit bias awareness training within hiring committees and promotion evaluation committees. Though such training might inspire difficult conversations, these dialogues are crucial for growth. “Be courageous enough to have that difficult discussion,” Crumpton-Young added. “Don’t just ignore the elephant in the room. Address every elephant in every room.”

Klawe encouraged faculty members and administrators to listen to their students, especially those who have had challenging paths to success. “Just listening to people talk about what it’s like to be a Black person, or a Black gay person, or a Latinx person, and how entering the Mudd community felt to them was really helpful,” she said. “It’s hard to advocate for someone if you don’t understand where they’re coming from.” Hendrickson remarked that although some people believe that efforts towards diversity and inclusion fall solely on management, this is not the case. The challenge—one of sustained, steady, and consistent discussion and openness—belongs to everybody.

A robust follow-up session the next morning allowed panel attendees to further explore ideas from the previous day and pose questions directly to the speakers. One key takeaway was the consensus that diversity should be inherent in the workforce; establishing a welcoming sense of inclusivity is the first step. “The work we need to do is inclusion first,” Hendrickson said. “Diversity is not sustainable unless we can solve the inclusion and cultural challenge. And everyone needs to help.”

Lina Sorg is the managing editor of SIAM News.