Diversity in Engineering : Managing the Workforce of the Future

This report contains fifteen presentations from a workshop on best practices in managing diversity, hosted by the NAE Committee on Diversity in the Engineering Workforce on October 29-30, 2001.

NAE (National Academy of Engineering) president William Wulf, IBM vice-president Nicholas Donofrio, and Ford vice-president James Padilla address the business case for diversity, and representatives of leading engineering employers discuss how to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and underrepresented minorities in engineering careers.

Other speakers focus on mentoring, globalization, affirmative action backlash, and dealing with lawsuits.

Corporate engineering and human resources managers attended the workshop and discussed diversity issues faced by corporations that employ engineers.

Summaries of the discussions are also included in the report. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive SummaryThe Importance of Diversity in EngineeringIntroductionDiversity Practices at CH2M HILLDiversity Practices at MotorolaDiversity Practices at Consolidated EdisonQuestion and Answer SessionRecruitment, Retention, Advancement: What Works?National Society of Black EngineersSociety of Women EngineersAmerican Indian Science and Engineering SocietyQuestion and Answer SessionAdvancing Minorities in Science and Engineering CareersAffirmative Action BacklashA Case Study of the Texaco LawsuitDiversity in the Global MarketplaceMentoringImplementing ChangeWhere Do We Go from Here?The Business Case for DiversityAppendix A Workshop ParticipantsAppendix B Biographical Sketches of Workshop SpeakersAppendix C Corporate Benchmarks