Graduate Equity

Penn State College of Engineering is committed to providing access to programs and opportunities to all qualified students without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

The mission of Graduate Equity is to grow and diversify College of Engineering graduate programs. We work toward this goal through high impact recruiting, developing targeted first-year programs for incoming graduate students, fostering community, and professional development opportunities. We are here to support your graduate school journey, and we encourage you to explore the many opportunities we offer!

Engineering Graduate Student Community

The College of Engineering hosts several graduate student groups, events, and resources with the goal of promoting scholarship and equity. These include:

• Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association
  • Multicultural Engineering Graduate Association (MEGA) – An official Penn State student organization that fosters the recruitment and retention of domestic underrepresented graduate students in all STEM field across University Park. If you are already an engineering graduate student, please keep an eye out for a notice of the next meeting. If you are not receiving the emails and would like to, please contact our office.
• Graduate Women in Engineering
  • Meet bi-weekly to build a mentoring network through discussion and guest speakers
• Student Well-Being Groups
  • Graduate students meet up to discuss and pursue hobbies, such as photography. Contact Cindy Reed for more information.

Graduate Student Professional Development

Professional development builds skills for graduate students beyond their academic training. These programs are intended to address issues that can serve as barriers to students’ academic and professional success.

• Penn State Graduate Professional Development
• The National GEM Consortium
• Equity Research Initiative: Graduate students can mentor an undergraduate student researcher in the Equity undergraduate research program. This initiative uses a tiered mentoring model where the undergraduate student researchers will be mentored by graduate students, who are also provided mentoring and training. Eligible graduate students must have passed their competency exam. Students will be grouped in an interdisciplinary cohort to create an inclusive community of scholars.

Recent professional development programs include:

• Rethinking presentations in science and engineering
• Curating your professional identity
• Creating your personal website
• Salary negotiation

Graduate Equity Student Orientation Events

Welcome Workshop
A workshop for incoming graduate students traditionally underrepresented in Engineering (i.e., underrepresented minorities and women). Through the Welcome Workshop, first-year graduate students will:

• Learn about graduate resources offered by the College of Engineering and Penn State
• Have an opportunity to interact with key multicultural leaders, faculty/staff allies, and current graduate students
• Start building community with one another

Rising Doctoral Institute 
The Rising Doctoral Institute (RDI) is a three-day workshop for incoming master’s and doctoral students who identify as underrepresented in engineering and intend to begin graduate school in the fall semester. Our goal is to help prepare students to successfully navigate their degree programs and provide a network of support at Penn State.

Graduate Student Recruiting Events

Graduate Equity will be at several conference events throughout the year. If you travel to a conference, be sure to come and find us to learn more about the community at Penn State!  If you are a current graduate student, ask how you can join us at different conference opportunities.

• Graduate Program Resources for Admitted Students
  
• STEM Open House
• College of Engineering Graduate Programs and Contact Information

Other Graduate Resources at Penn State

• Student Support Programs
• Office of Graduate and Education Equity Programs
• The Graduate & Professional Student Association
• Counseling & Psychological Services
• Graduate Student Ombudsperson Program
• Graduate Student Life at Penn State
• Multicultural and Special Interest Student Organizations at University Park