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How do your intersectional identities (eg. gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status) shape your lived experiences in the Civil engineering field?

  • 1.  How do your intersectional identities (eg. gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status) shape your lived experiences in the Civil engineering field?

    Posted 11-13-2021 04:05 PM
    Have you had a chance to reflect on how your intersectional identities such as gender, race, ethnicity, and immigration status have impacted your lived experiences in the field?
    How have your intersectional identities shaped your perceptions of influential leaders in creating and implementing an inclusive civil engineering culture?

    Hi, my name is Rapunzel Amador-Lewis, P.E., M.ASCE, and I am a full-time practicing Civil Engineer in the building trades industry. I am also a doctoral candidate in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, conducting a research study as part of my dissertation. I am examining the impact of intersectional identities (i.e., gender, race/ethnicity, generational immigration status) on practicing engineers' perceptions of barriers, strategies, and leadership influences in implementing an inclusive engineering culture. This research has been approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB).

    You (or someone you know) are cordially invited to participate in the study.

    If you agree, you are invited to:

    • Complete an anonymous online survey of questions anticipated to take about 10 minutes to complete.
    • Participate in a follow-up interview using the Zoom conferencing tool. The interview is voluntary and is anticipated to last approximately 45 to 60 minutes. You may choose to skip any questions that you do not want to answer; if you prefer the interview not be recorded, I will take handwritten notes instead.

    Participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Your identity as a participant will remain confidential at all times during and after the study.

    If you would like to participate in the survey, please begin the survey via the link below.

    Suppose you would like to participate in the follow-up interview. In that case, there is an opportunity to provide your contact information at the end of the survey. Or, please feel free to email or call me at the contact information below.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at amadorle@... or 209.300.3358

    Link to Information Sheet for Exempt Studies: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ma1PdACPd-PYqWhu2oepaja67W5DqpNa/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103604279797632953997&rtpof=true&sd=true

    Link to begin the survey: https://usc.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_243PA58WJF23R0q
    Thank you in advance for your participation.

    Rapunzel Amador-Lewis, P.E.
    Doctoral Candidate - Rossier School of Education
    University of Southern California



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    Rapunzel Amador-Lewis P.E., M.ASCE
    Engineering Services Manager
    Star Buildings Systems
    Oklahoma City OK
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  • 2.  RE: How do your intersectional identities (eg. gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status) shape your lived experiences in the Civil engineering field?

    Posted 11-23-2021 09:35 AM
    When it comes to activism and representation, I've been noticing more people spread the word that many inequities, like believing students and representation in business, cannot be boiled down to one prejudice or another: at a minimum, it's both.

    The Take is a cinema analysis series full of videos regarding the tropes of race, sexual orientation and many other identities. Each videos breaks down the history and evolution of these tropes' creation and what to do next for representation.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN-1VG6-uNI&list=PLY8-JHLY9yDOE9ijjtEH-ZLhD0VEU744Zhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEy9ZKf5NOo&list=PLY8-JHLY9yDN3rtkTRmaGiNmKGr2jCvhH


    In regards to myself, I think having Hispanic heritage is related to invisibility. While getting my Bachelor's degree, I joined one of many Minority in 
    Engineering clubs on campus, and noticed that compared to other races fighting for equal rights, the Hispanics barely possess a comparable legacy. There is all the applications asking if I have a Hispanic/Latino ethnicity or not, but most of SHPE's work involved helping each other or people of lower classes with their lives.

    Correlating this with another reason landing a job is more difficult for me personally, I consider my intersectionality a challenge for recognition. Recognition of the progress and remaining work I see for this evolving culture; and recognition of what the Hispanic culture can truly offer in workplaces like the Civil Engineering profession and elsewhere.

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    Alexander Granato S.M.ASCE
    Student
    Bexley OH
    granato.3@...
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  • 3.  RE: How do your intersectional identities (eg. gender, race, ethnicity, immigration status) shape your lived experiences in the Civil engineering field?

    Posted 12-08-2021 12:43 PM

    Dear Colleagues,

    Would you please help me share this post with your friends in the Civil Engineering profession?

    The American Society of Civil Engineers' #ASCE report card graded America's aging infrastructure a C+. As the nation plans to start rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, we now must focus on the shortage of Civil Engineers as we struggle to recruit and retain them.

    While my study's focus is on the traditionally marginalized practicing Civil Engineers, my hope is that the results will give me a better understanding of how they build resilience in the industry, and to share these insights with the world. The goal is to find the needed systemic change to create an inclusive engineering culture, ultimately leading to strengthening the civil engineering pipeline.

    I made great strides in my research study in the month of November. However, I'm still short of participants and extending the survey through the end of the year.

    I understand this is a busy time for all so I'm only pleading for 10 minutes of your time to make a profound impact. Thanks in advance for your kind participation (see the original post containing the link to the survey).



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    Rapunzel Amador-Lewis P.E., M.ASCE
    Engineering Services Manager
    Star Buildings Systems
    Oklahoma City OK
    ------------------------------