Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility Task Force
OSPE is committed to working with our members and partners across industry, academia, and government to advance equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility in engineering. We denounce all forms of discrimination, and believe the engineering profession must become more equitable, diverse and inclusive in order to thrive.
Engineering and STEM continues to be dominated by white, cisgender, male voices. This simply isn’t (and has never been) reflective of the world we live in. We have a social responsibility to ensure our engineering practices benefit everyone equally. We also have a responsibility to recognize the crucial insight that underrepresented groups can offer in engineering projects.
This task force is committed to transforming engineering into a profession that considers all individuals and allows them to feel valued, respected, and provides them with equal opportunities to contribute and succeed.
The task force is currently leading a number of initiatives, including creating a respectful communications guideline, exploring the lifecycle of engineers and how EDIA issues may lead to early departure from the profession, and fostering partnerships with organizations who represent underrepresented groups.
Objectives
I. Internal-facing
1. Collaborative Advocacy and Policy Development
Work collaboratively with other task forces to identify intersectional EDIA challenges and develop unified strategies that address the varied needs within the engineering community.
2. Promote Inclusive Leadership and Governance
• Support OSPE in enhancing diversity and inclusion in its leadership and governance bodies such that they reflect the engineering community and the public it serves.
• Encourage leadership development programs and succession planning that attend to equity and inclusion.
3. Data-Driven Approach for Continuous Improvement
• Support OSPE in creating a robust system for (1) collecting and analyzing data on EDIA metrics within the engineering profession and (2) all data collection processes attend to equity and inclusion principles.
• Support OSPE in using data to inform decision-making and measure the effectiveness of EDIA initiatives.
• Support OSPE in revising data collection methodologies to include intersectional data points that would help identify specific barriers faced by individuals with multiple equity-seeking identities (e.g. collecting both race and gender data allows for their impacts to be jointly studied).
II. External-facing
4. Enhance EDIA Integration Across Engineering Career Stages
Support OSPE in developing comprehensive strategies to integrate EDIA principles at every stage of an engineer’s career, from education to retirement. This may include increasing diversity in engineering education, fostering inclusive workplaces, and ensuring equitable career advancement opportunities.
5. Targeted Inclusion Initiatives
Support OSPE in launching initiatives specifically designed to reduce barriers and support equity-seeking and underrepresented groups in engineering. This may include mentorship programs, targeted recruitment strategies, and partnerships with organizations focusing on these groups.
6. Enhanced Visibility and Awareness Campaigns
Support OSPE in creating awareness campaigns to highlight the importance of EDIA in engineering, sharing success stories, and promoting the value of a diverse engineering workforce.
7. Strengthen Community and Industry Partnerships
Support OSPE in developing partnerships with industry leaders, educational institutions, and community organizations (for example, immigration settlement agencies) to advocate for policies that promote EDIA within the engineering profession. This may include engaging with government and educational institutions to influence policy and practice.
8. Foster a Culture of Inclusion and Respect
Support OSPE in creating engineering workplace cultures that value diversity, encourage inclusion, and promote respect for equity-seeking and underrepresented groups.
EDIA Task Force Co-Chair
Michelle Liu, P.Eng. (they/them) is a Queer, non-binary, and racialized engineer, speaker, lawyer-to-be, and researcher using sociolegal frameworks to critically examine the interactions between technological designs and hegemonic norms. After working in consulting engineering, they obtained their law degree (J.D.) and began pursuing their engineering Ph.D. simultaneously at the University of Ottawa. Michelle co-created and co-funds Canada’s first university scholarship for 2SLGBTQ+ engineering students (the Liu-Kennington Award) and has mentored over 150 undergraduate and graduate engineering students. Michelle is a Co-Chair of OSPE’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Task Force, an ONWiE mentor, past-Chair of the Waterloo Recent Engineering Alumni Council, and a member of the Law Society of Ontario’s Equity Advisory Group. Michelle is also a Professional Engineers Ontario Councillor and is the first openly 2SLGBTQ+ person to hold this role in PEO’s 101-year history.
EDIA Task Force Co-Chair
Shivani Nathoo (she/her) is a Planner with the Independent Electricity Systems Operator (IESO), having previously worked in Smart Grid and Asset Management for Hatch Ltd. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 2019, where she studied Energy Systems Engineering and served as President of the Engineering Society. Shivani has long been passionate about promoting equity broadly and within engineering. She is currently involved with OSPE and Engineers Canada and previously served on the U of T Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering’s Faculty Council and the Decanal Task Force on Mental Health.
EDIA Task Force Members
Aimey Rejeanne, P.Eng.
Angela Wojtyla, P.Eng.
Arden White
Janelle Hinds
Jillian Davis
Joy Chinau, P.Eng.
Kimberley Paradis, BASc
Lauren Anne Briens, P.Eng.
Manraj Singh Pannu
Shivani Nathoo, EIT
Tiffany Joseph
Featured Research Reports & Submissions
Engineering and Gender-Based Violence: Why We Still Have a Long Way to Go
Leveraging Public Sector Procurement Policies to Expand Opportunities for Women in Engineering
Diversity and Inclusion in the Engineering Profession: Fact Sheet
Calling all STEM Employers: Why Workplace Cultures Must Shift to Change the Gender Landscape
Opening Doors and Breaking Down Barriers: Highlights from Engineering Professional Success
Get Involved.
Interested in sharing your expertise? Email us at advocacy@ospe.on.ca.
