Diversity/Careers Winter 2012-Spring 2013 Page 56

a graduate student advisor for the UC Santa Barbara Los Ingenieros ( Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) organization.” In 2009, Valdes graduated from the University of California- Irvine with dual bachelors in mechanical engineering and aerospace engineering. “ Cultivating a rich and diverse body of engineers is absolutely critical to developing the most creative and innovative solutions to our global problems,” he says. “ It’s exciting to help grow young engineers into aspiring research scientists.” UC Santa Barbara pairs students with mentors Kimberly L. Turner, PhD is professor and chair of mechanical engineering at the University of California- Santa Barbara. “ A strong commitment to diversity is key to any graduate program,” she says. “ Ensuring that graduate students of any gender or ethnic background have a good educational experience is key to improving the demographics in industry and academia.” At UC- Santa Barbara students are paired with mentors. “ I strongly feel that having female mentors can positively impact women graduate students and allow them to think about academic careers with more clarity,” says Turner. “ Just having a more balanced workplace will benefit both students and faculty.” In an effort to encourage more women and minorities to apply and graduate from its engineering program, the school involves students in its recruiting efforts. “ Top candidates are brought in for on- campus visits, and are often awarded fellowships,” says Turner. “ We are developing a campaign now to raise money for additional fellowships for graduate students. Guaranteed support is one key way to successfully recruit top minority candidates.” Catherine Faye Whittington: Purdue PhD in biomedical engineering Catherine Faye Whittington is pursuing a PhD at Purdue University’s Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering. This is her sixth year in the program. “ Collaborative research has been the most challenging part of the program,” she says. “ But it’s also the most rewarding. It’s what I enjoy the most.” After earning her PhD, she’ll be looking for a postdoctoral research position. Her eventual goal is to become a tenure- track faculty member. Both of Whittington’s parents are college grads. One of her brothers is an electrical engineer, and the other is also a college grad. “ The importance of education was always emphasized at home, but I never felt pressured by my parents to do well in school,” she says. For her undergraduate degree, Whittington attended Louisiana Tech University ( Ruston, LA) and graduated summa cum laude in 2006 with a bachelors in biomedical engineering. Whittington believes that engineers must understand the importance of working and interacting with people. “ Our world is connected now more than ever, and we have to recognize that diversity is the face of our society, world and all engineering disciplines,” she says. Tarra M. Beach: CE PhD at Florida A& M Tarra M. Beach is a fourth- year grad student at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University ( FAMU, Tallahassee, FL). She is pursuing her PhD in civil engineering with an emphasis in environmental engineering. Winter 2012/ Spring 2013 • Minority College Issue • Diversity/ Careers in Engineering & Information Technology 51 • www. diversitycareers. com • Continued on page 52 I would receive a sound education,” she says. When visiting UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering, Thomas found the students, faculty and staff genuine and welcoming. “ There was a true sense of working hard to produce high- quality research, while also retaining personal and social lives outside graduate school, which was important to me,” she says. “ I could see myself succeeding in the program and having a wellrounded life in Austin, TX. I was born in Texas and have Caribbean blood, so the warm weather sweetened the deal.” Thomas was born and raised in Dallas, TX. She’s a Caribbean American, with family split between Texas and Barbados. She hasn’t found that her cultural heritage is a barrier to her educational pursuits. “ I choose to live my life only being concerned with what I have control over and what I can change,” she says. “ Anything more is counterproductive to my goals.” From Thomas’ perspective, creativity is best brought about in settings that allow people from different backgrounds and experiences to come together. “ I think all forms of diversity, including gender, ethnicity, geographic and more, are important for engineers to make relevant contributions to the societies in which we live,” she says. Thomas received her 2008 bachelors in chemical engineering from the University of Notre Dame ( Notre Dame, IN). She is confident that her PhD will be a valuable asset to future employers. “ A PhD proves that you have the ability to identify a problem, craft a research plan and see the project through to completion, then determine next steps based on the results,” says Thomas. Raymond Valdes: PhD in ME at UC Santa Barbara Raymond Valdes is a fourth- year PhD student at the University of California- Santa Barbara. “ I decided to attend UC Santa Barbara because its mechanical engineering program is ranked in the top ten in the country,” he says. It doesn’t hurt that the school is in a beautiful location, close to his family, and offers a supportive structure for grad students. He’s specializing in fluid mechanics, heat transfer, numerical simulations and analytical methods. When he finishes his PhD, Valdes hopes to be a well- rounded researcher. “ This means being an expert in my field, able to write and publish, mentor, teach and network with experts in many fields,” he says. Valdes was raised in Downey, CA, but his family is from Cuba and Mexico. At times, navigating the college and then grad school process has been a difficult and lonesome journey. “ I feel very fortunate to have a very supportive family,” he says. “ I’ve also been able to find mentors to provide guidance and insight. This is why I am Kimberly L. Turner. Raymond Valdes aspires to become a well- rounded researcher and field expert after he graduates from UC- Santa Barbara with his ME PhD. Purdue biomed engineering PhD student Catherine Faye Whittington.