CONTENTS
Our mission is to promote the well-being and resilience of our diverse society through engineering research and education pertinent to the built and natural environment. We aspire to promote a society in which the basic pillars of diversity and equity are sources of strength, health, stability and prosperity.
In consultation with faculty members and staff, ESSIE will undertake many initiatives to get started. This list is by no means exhaustive, perfect, or immutable and we recognize them as only a start. We recognize that real, lasting change, comes from education and representation.
For the Gator Good
A critical aspect of the ESSIE culture is to create a safe environment where diversity, inclusion, equity, and access among students, faculty and staff are encouraged, cultivated and celebrated. In the context of the tragic murders and countless others like it, and the ensuing waves of protests by citizens of all races demanding justice, it is amply clear that we need to expand our efforts to advance diversity and inclusion beyond our institutional walls to build a fair, just and equitable future.
We must all work to destroy systemic racism and be among the strongest voices demanding change and work to achieve it. The process to eliminate systemic racism will be arduous and lengthy, but the time for all of us to step up is long past due. There are people who have invisibly borne the pain and struggle alone amongst our collective blindness. Doing nothing more now than applauding their nobility shelters us from accountability and provides safe haven for the infection to fester. The burden has always been all of ours to bear, but only the few have had their shoulders under the weight. We cannot let this persist.
Committee Pledge: I commit to calling out hate, racism, and complicity when I see them; I will strive to the best of my ability to defend those subjected to hate and bias of any kind; and I will do the work in my own professional and personal life to turn my privilege into broader opportunity for others.
IDEA Committee
Committees on Inclusion Diversity Equity and Access (IDEA)
Elliot P. Douglas, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as ESSIE’s representative on the College’s IDEA committee. The committee will be discussing and planning further efforts for this summer and fall that will be shared soon.
In addition to having faculty representation on IDEA, the School has initiated the formation of an ESSIE IDEA committee to include students, faculty and staff. Committee members would organize activities to increase inclusion, diversity, equity, and access within the School, engage student groups and promote student leadership.
Office
580C Weil Hall
Office
575H Weil Hall
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216 Black Hall
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208 Black Hall
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217 Black Hall
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475I Weil Hall
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365F Weil Hall
Office
102 Phelps Lab
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220 Black Hall
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580B Weil Hall
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575G Weil Hall
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475E Weil Hall
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553 Weil Hall
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460D Weil Hall
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370A Weil Hall
Office
365 Weil Hall
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370B Weil Hall
To view a full listing of each person’s profile, visit the IDEA Committee category in our directory.
Student Members
Suzanna Barna, Civil Engineering Undergraduate Student
Diana Chin, Environmental Engineering Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow
Kathya De la Fuente, Environmental Engineering Sciences Undergraduate Student
Sara Eghtessadi, Environmental Engineering Sciences Undergraduate Student
Events
Latest News
Identifying and Filling the Gaps: Civil Student Brings Student Chapter Back to Life
August 26, 2021Aldrin James B. Gaffud, a sixth-year senior, seeking dual degrees in civil engineering and architecture, received the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Service to the Global Community Award for their global awareness and dedication in humanitarianism. Gaffud reestablished the Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM) student organization with a friend, Brandon Grandison, because they saw a dire need for diversity in STEM and a lack of support given ...
READ MOREA Year in Reflection
June 22, 2021One year ago, people across the U.S. were galvanized by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Rayshard Brooks, and countless others to reconsider what a truly inclusive society would look like. Academic institutions across the country reconsidered their role in perpetuating racism and systemic bias. ESSIE joined this struggle through the creation of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, ...
READ MOREPrevatt Calls Structural Engineers to Action – Incorporate DEI Principles Into Your Business And Practice
June 4, 2021David O. Prevatt, an associate professor in the Department of Civil & Coastal Engineering and IDEA Committee member, serves as the inaugural chair of Structural Engineering Institute’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Dr. Prevatt penned an editorial to discuss how the impact of the pandemic and George Floyd’s killing prompts professionals in the structural engineering ...
READ MOREA Statement from ESSIE’s IDEA Committee
March 23, 2021Dear ESSIE students, staff, and faculty, We write to you today as we continue to mourn the victims of last week’s horrific shootings in Atlanta, which took the lives of eight people, including six women of Asian descent. This tragic crime occurred after a year of increasingly hateful attacks aimed at Asian Americans, spurred on by xenophobic ...
READ MOREThe Engineer’s Role in the Fight Against Anti-Black Structural Racism
August 31, 2020The Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment (ESSIE) created an ongoing Conversations and Engagement Webinar Series to discuss racial equality, especially given the occurrences of the past six months, and ethics for engineers. On Sept. 4, ESSIE invited UF Racial Justice Term Professor Michelle S. Jacobs from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law to ...
READ MORE
Resources
It is imperative that we take care of ourselves, our children, and others. We have listed below recommended links for information and opportunities. In the near future, we will be seeking your input on recommendations to serve on ESSIE’s IDEA committee.
Increase Knowledge:
Comprehensive:
Understanding Why Black People are Anguished:
- Black People Are Tired
- This Week Has Happened Before
- Remember, No One Is Coming to Save Us
- I Can’t Breathe: And This is Why
Being an Ally:
Training/Teaching Resources:
- Talking About Race Portal (conversation facilitator)
- Anti-Racism Resource Collection
- Links to Antiracism Resources
- Hub for Recommendations, including Media and Books
Parents/Kids Resources:
Self-Care Resources: