JEDI

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Ambassador Initiative

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Ambassador Initiative

The JEDI ambassador program is a partnership between the School for Universal Computing, Construction, and Engineering Education (SUCCEED) and the Center for Diversity and Student Success (CD-SSEC), who bring significant experience working on NSF-funded projects to broaden participation in engineering. SUCCEED faculty will train students in theories of equity from social science, action research methodology, quantitative and qualitative methods for assessing equity problems, and the design and evaluation of educational programs to promote inclusion. CD-SSEC staff will provide infrastructure support for the yearlong REU program and learning community in parallel with their existing REU programs.

Ambassadors will form small action groups to take on specific project initiatives, involving JEDI program student leads on both program design and research / evaluation. Project areas will include: design and evaluation of events to promote a culture of inclusion for faculty, staff, and/or students; a StoryCorps style podcast interview initiative to promote awareness of and share the experiences of minoritized professionals in STEM; a case study on a specific equity and inclusion challenge in CEC to share most important findings with local stakeholders; monitor progress on equity metrics for programs and departments related to their goals. 

A SUCCEED grad student will mentor project teams in weekly meetings to provide additional guidance and support.

In The News

“JEDI stands for Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, and FIU students are looking to interest a broad swath of youngsters in STEM education while creating a welcoming atmosphere in general” – April 4, 2022

Eligibility

To participate in the JEDI program, student must:

Our JEDIs

Bailey Bond-Trittipo

Bailey Bond-Trittipo is a second-year engineering and computing education Ph.D. student. She is part of the Equity Research Group lab led by Dr. Stephen Secules. Within the JEDI Ambassador program, Bailey is a mentor for the Women and LGBTQ+ Students’ Experiences research project and the Foundational Coursework Experiences research project. Bailey’s goal is to aid the undergraduate student ambassadors in investigating equity issues within CEC and to support them in disseminating their research findings and advocating for change in engineering education.

Malak Elouinate

My name is Malak Elaouinate, I’m a third year international student majoring in electrical engineering. I’m involved in two projects within the JEDI Ambassadors program. The first is the Women and LGBTQ+ Students’ Experiences research project, aiming to implement changes within CEC that contribute to women and LGBTQ+ students feeling welcome and comfortable being their authentic selves. The second project is the STEM Field Day outreach project, which focuses on fostering local K-12 students’ interests in STEM by integrating STEM learning into a well-known event, field day.

J Garcia

J Garcia is a fourth-year electrical engineering student. J is involved in three projects within the JEDI Ambassadors program. The first is the Women and LGBTQ+ Students’ Experiences research project, which aims to gain insight into the experience of women and LGBTQ+ engineering students at FIU. The second is the STEM Field Day outreach project, which focuses on fostering local K-12 students’ interests in STEM by integrating STEM learning into a well-known event, field day. Lastly, they are part of the Welcoming Event project, which intends to create a more welcoming environment at Engineering Center while focusing on the main objectives of the JEDI initiative, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Taylor Gross

Dean Mansour

Fabio Macias Sarcos

Fabio Macias Sarcos is a second-year biomedical engineering student. He leads the Foundational Coursework Experiences research project, which seeks to understand engineering and computing students’ perspectives on the foundational science, mathematics, and engineering courses required for their major and gather insight into how students feel these courses could be changed to better support them. He is also a part of the STEM Field Day outreach project. This project aims to foster local K-12 students’ interest in STEM in a fun and inclusive way by integrating STEM learning into a well-known event, field day.

Maria Tinoco

Estefania Thalia Victorero

Estefania Thalia Victorero is a senior environmental engineering student, who participates in two projects within the JEDI Ambassador program. Victorero is leading the Welcoming Event project, which intends to bridge any gap there may be between orientation and a student’s real-life experience. As well as creating interactive bulletin boards displays to cultivate a more welcoming environment on campus. The second project is the STEM Field Day K-12 outreach project, which aims to cultivate an interest in STEM for disadvantaged local K-12 students, by integrating together STEM disciplines and a field day with a focus on engineering.

Contact Us

Stephen Secules, JEDI Ambassador Faculty Lead
Center for Diversity and Student Success
College of Engineering & Computing
Telephone: 305-348-4705
Email: ssecules@fiu.edu

Andrew Green, Associate Director
Center for Diversity and Student Success
College of Engineering & Computing
Telephone: 305-348-3819
Email: agreen@fiu.edu