ECE graduate student wins NSF iREDEFINE award
Isabel Fernandez Puentes, an ECE student and Engineering Education graduate teaching associate, was chosen by NSF to participate in its Workshop on Improving the Diversity of Faculty in Electrical and Computer Engineering (iREDEFINE ECE) and receive a Professional Development Award.
iREDEFINE ECE is a two-year project NSF supports to help "motivate and prepare graduate women and underrepresented minority students to pursue faculty positions in American universities."
Puentes was invited to attend the iREDEFINE Workshop held at the annual Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) conference, a venue to reach the highest concentration of ECE department chairs in attendance. She presented her research and attended a reception with ECE chairs and industry affiliates for further networking opportunities.
NSF continues to support diversity in ECE faculty to enhance technological discovery, enabling a deeper practitioner/educator pool to lead new perspectives on innovation and its service to society. The iREDEFINE awards serve as a potential model for improving diversity in STEM disciplines in general.
