What’s New at WCEC This Summer
At WCEC, we know that when Women of Color are equipped, empowered, and visible—the entire engineering field moves forward. This month, we’re celebrating the strength of our community and the power of progress rooted in connection, insight, and innovation.
We’re proud to introduce over 100 new resources in the WCEC Resource Center, and invite you to explore the Retention Institute—our newest initiative helping teams create environments where Women of Color can thrive.
Sustained innovation requires sustained talent.
That’s why WCEC is excited to launch the WCEC Retention Institute, a three-session learning series designed to provide organizations with resources to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of engineers.
Designed for impact-driven teams, this virtual experience blends cutting-edge research, data analytics, culture-building, and strategic career design.
Learn more and download the Application Guide →
As a participating team, you'll:
- Map intentional career pathways to reduce attrition
- Learn to use workforce data for smarter retention decisions
- Explore professional development and capacity-building strategies
- Connect with peers committed to equity in engineering
Cost:
- Free for WCEC member organizations
$1,000 per team for non-members
Apply by July 14 to join our August cohort. Space is limited to 15 teams.
P.S. Not a member yet? Join now to access the Institute for free.
🌈 Celebrating Pride Month:
Inclusion That Fuels Innovation
This Pride Month, we celebrate the engineers, advocates, and trailblazers in our community whose diverse identities and lived experiences continue to drive progress in our field. At WCEC, we believe that innovation flourishes when people are free to lead as their full, authentic selves—and that includes our LGBTQ+ members, partners, and allies.
Inclusion isn’t a box to check—it’s a practice. And during Pride, it’s a chance to reflect on how we show up for each other in ways that build trust, connection, and belonging.
Here are a few ways to foster meaningful inclusion this month and beyond:
- Invite LGBTQ+ voices into technical conversations, not just DEI spaces
- Use inclusive language in meetings, documentation, and hiring materials
- Normalize sharing pronouns—and respect how others identify
- Support Employee Resource Groups or community initiatives that center LGBTQ+ engineers
- Educate yourself and others through listening, reading, and asking thoughtful questions
These actions may seem small, but they signal something powerful: that everyone deserves to be seen, supported, and safe to thrive. That’s the kind of engineering culture we’re working toward—together.
Explore 100+ New Tools in the WCEC Resource Center
We’ve just added over 100 new resources to the WCEC Resource Center—making it one of the most robust, action-oriented platforms supporting Women of Color in engineering.
Whether you're seeking guidance for your next career move or looking to foster a more inclusive culture on your team, this is your go-to hub for curated, high-impact tools.
📌 What’s New This Month:
✔ Leadership development guides and peer-reviewed frameworks
✔ Inclusive innovation strategies tailored for technical teams
✔ Community-driven insights on retention and representation
✔ On-demand webinars, mentorship materials, and industry reports
From personal development to organizational transformation, the Resource Center is built to grow with you.
Upcoming WCEC Member Events
The WCEC shares numerous professional activities offered by our member organizations. Member organizations are committed to creating a supportive, encouraging, and inclusive environment for WOC in engineering. Find out more about their events and register to attend!
ASME 19th International Conference on Energy Sustainability
Westminster, Colorado | July 8-10, 2025
The ASME Energy Sustainability Conference is focused on identifying innovative technologies, research and design advances, and solutions toward a path of renewable and sustainable energy, including utility-level systems integration.
ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference
Westminster, Colorado | July 8-10, 2025
The conference will bring together international researchers and engineers focusing on heat and mass transfer in a variety of applications. The program of SHTC 2025 will include technical paper sessions, plenary lectures, committee meetings and social events. The objectives of the meeting are to provide a forum for presentation of state-of-the-art research and opportunities for technical interactions among participants.
TAPPI Nano Conference 2025
Girona, Spain | July 8-11, 2025
Nanotechnology and cellulose combine to produce versatile materials with a wide variety of applications that have revolutionized the paper, textile and plastics industries. Stronger than standard cellulose, it has many benefits –lightweight, breathable and cost-effective, as well as environmentally friendly and biodegradable.
2025 AISES East Region Conference
Chapel Hill, North Carolina | July 11–12, 2025
Join us for a transformative experience that celebrates Indigenous excellence in STEM. The AISES East Regional Conference is a unique opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, engage in professional development, and immerse yourself in Indigenous culture
2025 AIAA Regional Leadership Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada | July 20, 2025
Join us at the 2025 AIAA Annual Regional Leadership Conference. The Regional Leadership Conference (RLC) is designed to foster collaboration across the sections and student branches, share best practices, and inform officers about the latest updates from the Institute.
ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | July 20-25, 2025
From bolted flange joints to hydrogen storage, ASME's Pressure Vessels and Piping conference addresses the challenges you and your team face. Optimize your designs, boost your research, and engage with your colleagues at ASME’s 2025 Pressure Vessels and Piping Conference (PVP). This July 20–25, join over 700 of your fellow engineers, academics, and researchers for five days of networking, presentations, exhibits, and workshops designed to help you learn about advances in the industry and take your work to the next level.
2025 AIAA Aviation and Aeronautics Forum and Exposition
Las Vegas, Nevada | July 21-25, 2025
We stand at a pivotal moment where emerging aircraft, systems and power sources are driving a new era of urgency for sustainable and efficient growth in civil and military aviation. As the industry evolves, pursuing enhanced safe, sustainable and innovative air transportation systems is more crucial than ever. The 2025 AVIATION Forum brings together thought leaders, industry experts and forward-thinking professionals to present the latest research advancements, and best practices that are driving progress towards a new vision for aviation by 2050. Join us to be a part of that solution.
2025 ASCEND
Las Vegas, Nevada | July 22-24, 2025
Accelerating Space Commerce, Exploration, and New Discovery (ASCEND) connects the civil, commercial, and national security space sectors, along with adjacent industries, to embrace the opportunities and address the challenges that come with increased activity in space. Building our sustainable off-world future requires long-term thinking. Strategic planning, innovation, scientific exploration, and effective regulations and standards will help us preserve space for future generations. ASCEND will enable the technical exchanges, debates, and collaboration that will help forge a sustainable off-world future for all.
ASME 52nd Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation
Montreal, Quebec, Canada | July 23-25, 2025
The Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE) Conference brought to you by ASME® is the forward-thinking, international nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and nondestructive testing (NDT) event designed to provide an interface between leading-edge research and engineering professionals. Through the presentation of current ideas and results, QNDE focuses on facilitating a rapid transfer from R&D to full engineering development.
ASCE CI Student Days 2025
Chicago, Illinois | July 24-29, 2025
The Student Days Team Challenge Project will require the teams to develop a written and oral real-world construction project proposal that takes all conditions into account, including local laws and regulations, as well as minimized impact to traffic, surrounding residential/commercial areas, and shareholders. The project will involve multiple disciplines, including but not limited to civil, foundations, concrete, and steel erection.
ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | July 27-30, 2025
Welcome to the 2025 Fluids Engineering Division's (FED) Summer Meeting where FED continues to strive to meet the challenges of disseminating timely technical information by organizing technical conferences and conducting workshops and panel discussions. Every year FED organizes the Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting (FEDSM).The conference will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Center City, Philadelphia, PA.
ASME/NRC OM Code Symposium
Rockville, Maryland | July 28-30, 2025
What’s Next in Nuclear Operation and Maintenance?
New advancements in nuclear power technology have changed the way the industry operates and maintains nuclear plants. With the advent of operational small nuclear reactors, new questions around advanced gas-cooled reactors, and the arrival of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) new OM-2 standard, fully understanding these new changes is vital to the success of any nuclear power plant.
What is the WCEC?
The WCEC was created in 2021 as a partnership network of professional engineering societies and STEM-based companies. The WCEC is working to address systemic barriers that prohibit equitable work environments for women engineers of color.
Since its inception, the WCEC has grown to 29 organizations, created a shared vision and mission, and developed a strategic plan that will guide our efforts over the next few years. Thank you for your interest and support of our work. We hope that you will engage with the WCEC as we begin implementing the strategies aimed at tackling the major challenges facing women of color (WOC) in the engineering workplace.
Want to Get Involved?
Are you interested in having your organization become a member of the WCEC? Read our membership guidelines and fill out an application. Learn more.
While we don’t offer membership to individuals, we do want to grow the WCEC community! Soon we will begin collecting profiles of amazing WOC engineers for our Inspiring Leaders database. We are also collecting resources from our member organizations to place in our online Resource Center. We will be using this newsletter to get the word out as these activities get underway. Please share the WCEC with your network and invite others to sign up for our newsletter through the Contact Us form on the WCEC website.
