The SPE Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Standing Committee held the first town hall of 2022 on 24 March. The event hosted SPE sections and chapters globally that shared their D&I activities, recruited new sections and chapters to launch D&I initiatives, and encouraged communication of D&I ideas among members. In the first town hall of 2022, a total of eight SPE sections participated—Java Indonesia, Colombia, Ghana, Balikpapan, Kuala Lumpur, Aberdeen, Warri Nigeria, and Patagonia.
The D&I committee comprises four teams: external outreach, internal outreach, ATCE event, and social media. The teams plan to execute different programs: town halls, collaborative webinars, an ATCE special session, and connecting with members through social media channels.
During the Town Hall, the internal outreach team highlighted the importance of the town hall as a place to appreciate, learn, and encourage the activities of the local D&I sections. With a global participation, the presentations featured D&I initiatives that used different approaches to design their program to fit with their respective members' contexts, emphasizing understanding and appreciating other cultures and ideas.
Here are some spotlights of the events organized by sections:
- Java Indonesia: Instagram takeover, women-in-energy (WIN) talk during Annual Energy Symposium, technical discussion group, leadership talk and competition, and member highlights
- Colombia: Mentoring, sharing knowledge, WIN awards, entrepreneurship fair, STEAM program, and forums and talks
- Ghana: Webinars on D&I at the workplace, breast cancer awareness month
- Balikpapan: STEM programs, scholarships, mentoring, program roadshow, SPE People, podcast, webinars, storytelling photo contest
- Kuala Lumpur: STEM program, International Women’s Day celebration, entrepreneur carnival, D&I for ethnicity and disability
- Aberdeen: International Women’s Day celebration, neurodiversity week, D&I spotlight
- Warri Nigeria: International Women’s Day celebration, essay competition, annual girls-in-STEM event, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry Global Women’s Breakfast
- Patagonia: mentoring, STEM program, technical webinars
The Q&A sessions were moderated by Bita Bayestehparvin, internal outreach team lead, and discussed local section experiences organizing D&I events and potential collaboration among sections for future events.
The committee presentation was delivered by the leadership team, Linda Battalora (chair) and Patricia Carreras (deputy chair). The 2021–2022 D&I Standing Committee roster was introduced.
The town hall then closed with a mention of the sections and chapter resources center and an invitation for members to keep in touch with the committee through social media and participate in the next quarterly town hall.
[The article author Sri Konsep Harum Wicaksono is a member of the SPE D&I Standing Committee.]