Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

A Black woman instructs a white woman at a screen with a map behind her; an older Asian man wearing glasses works on a laptop; and two scientists of color, one man and one woman, work together in a classroom.

A bearded man using a wheelchair speaks into a microphone; a diverse team of two review a document; and a male and female student work together on an electrical project.

A blind woman wearing headphones around her neck sits at a computer; a diverse team of two make notes on a clear wall; and a young girl peers through rainbow arch blocks.

Two diverse engineers wearing hard hats work together; a man wearing a keffiyeh works on a laptop; a multicultural group of six collaborate on a project.

IEEE Diversity Statement >>

IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with different personal, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds. IEEE is committed to advancing diversity in the technical profession, and to promoting an inclusive and equitable culture that welcomes, engages, and rewards all who contribute to the field, without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

IEEE Photonics Prioritizes Intersection of Mental Health, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

An image of a woman climbing up a ladder which represents mental health, diversity, equity, and inclusion

To foster wellbeing and in support of marginalized community members’ mental health, the IEEE Photonics Society Young Professionals Advisory Committee (YPAC) is partnering with the Society’s Diversity Oversight Committee and Dragonfly Mental Health (DMH). DMH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating excellent mental health practices worldwide and developing and making available a series of online sessions designed to serve individuals’ diverse needs.

Meet the First Latina to Lead IEEE Women in Engineering

Jenifer Castillo’s goals include providing more support for women in industry, expanding leadership programs, and increasing the number of female senior members.

> Meet the First Latina to Lead IEEE Women in Engineering

The IEEE Signal Processing Society Promotes Inclusivity, Community, and Accessibility and Targets Increase in Event Attendance

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In support of the IEEE Code of Conduct, the IEEE Signal Processing Society (SPS) is committed to providing equal opportunity to its members, regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, gender, age, and/or personal identity. The Society is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that promotes diversity in the Signal Processing community.

2021 IEEE Mildred Dresselhaus Medal recipient, Kristina Johnson

A portrait picture of Kristina M. Johnson

Kristina M. Johnson has broken through barriers during her career. She became the first female dean of Duke University’s engineering school, the first female provost at Johns Hopkins University, and the first woman to receive the John Fritz Medal—in 2008—from the American Association of Engineering Societies.

> Ohio State President Makes Increasing Interdisciplinary Research and Diversity Her Priorities
> Kristina Johnson - Leading in Academia, Government, and Business - Career Reset

Accelerating Through Change: Experience the IEEE Women in Engineering International Leadership Conference

A Black woman presenting at a conference; a group of diverse women conversing in front of a round table; a woman and a man standing in front of a DARPA board.

IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE), one of the largest international professional organizations dedicated to promoting women engineers and scientists and inspiring girls around the world to follow their academic interests to careers in STEM, recently hosted its annual International Leadership Conference (ILC).

The IEEE Photonics Society Is Building a More Vibrant and Safer Community: IEEE Pride in Photonics Initiative

A rainbow of colors crossing through a glass pyramid.

The IEEE Photonics Society is a global, technical community of academic and professional scientists and engineers who advance lasers, optoelectronics, photonics, and breakthroughs in quantum physics into devices, systems, and products that revolutionize daily lives around the world. Furthermore, the Society is deeply committed to providing equal opportunity to scientists and engineers, regardless of ethnicity, race, nationality, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, gender, age, and/or personal identity.

Recommended resources >>

To be successful, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies require the ongoing support of the entire organization, as well as continued application of improvement. Below, please find resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion:

IEEE resources and guidelines for DEI practices

> IEEE Accessibility Statement
> IEEE Code of Ethics
> IEEE Ethics Reporting
> IEEE Event Conduct & Safety Statement for Conferences
> IEEE Nondiscrimination Policy
> IEEE Virtual User Experience Lab Accessibility Tools
> IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE)
Pride in Photonics Resources and Best Practices
- Diversity & Inclusion: Bringing Your Full Self to Work
  Talk addresses what it is like being diverse and/or LGBT in engineering and STEM. Discussions are held on the importance of mental health, mentorship, and how inclusion practices can increase confidence and belonging.
- The Role of Social Networks: Building Community
  The need for community in STEM organizations, what community might look like for individuals from diverse backgrounds, and how to build diverse communities and best practices from the community that the Photonics Society has built.
- How to Speak Up & Step Up: Advocate for Diversity
  Tips, tricks, and recommended best practices for advocating for equality and inclusion as either a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or as an ally.

Additional diversity, equity, and inclusion resources >>

Below are additional resources on diversity, equity, and inclusion. These include DEI initiatives that can be used as a model for other initiatives and DEI training tools that can be used as part of a DEI initiative.

Please note that IEEE is not responsible for the content of these resources. This is not a complete list of resources, and this will evolve over time to incorporate more comprehensive recommended content.

Other DEI resources

DEI training modules

DiversityInc's mission is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. Here are its resources specific to the field of engineering.
Diversity Best Practices Resource Hub’s resources to support your D&I strategy and programming.
Kirwan Institute, one of the leading experts on implicit bias, has a Race And Ethnicity Implicit Bias Training Module.
Project Implicit is a nonprofit organization committed to applying scientific knowledge about stereotypes, prejudices and other group-based biases. You can find its Conscious and Unconscious Bias Test here.
Video of Valerie Alexander from TEDxPasadena: How to Outsmart Your Own Implicit Bias.
WebAIM is a leading global provider of web accessibility expertise. View its Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Checklist.