workshop, the participants were challenged to implement the best practices identified at the workshop in their respective organizations.

NAE president William A. Wulf gave the keynote address. In it, he stressed the importance of diversity and creativity in solving engineering problems. He emphasized the advantages of engineering teams with diverse life experiences in developing innovative solutions to engineering problems and the disadvantages (opportunity costs in designs not produced) of nondiverse engineering teams. As Dr. Wulf reminded us, engineers are charged with developing elegant solutions that satisfy a variety of constraints, and the more different perspectives that can be brought to bear on a problem, the higher the probability of identifying the optimal solution.

The opening panel of corporate executives presented examples of successful diversity programs developed by different types of employers. Mary Mattis of Catalyst, a nonprofit organization that promotes women in business, provided an introductory overview of corporate diversity management programs. Panel members represented a civil engineering consulting firm (CH2M HILL), an electronics design and manufacturing firm (Motorola), and a utility company (Consolidated Edison).

The participants then reconvened in small groups to discuss the meaning of best practices and how to define success. Their discussions focused on specific programs for improving the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women and minorities, as well as the importance of leadership and commitment from all levels of management. A common theme of the breakout discussions was that finding and keeping good technical employees is critical to the success of a company and diversity programs contribute to a company’s ability to maintain a strong workforce.

After lunch a second panel, made up of representatives of minority engineering societies, presented employees’ perspectives on corporate management of diversity. Leading spokespersons for the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the American Indian Science and Engineering Society provided a variety of views on the impact of corporate diversity programs and the roles of associations in recruiting, retaining, and advancing employees with diverse backgrounds.

Following the second panel, Willie Pearson, a sociologist and chair of the School of History, Technology, and Society at the Georgia Institute of Technology, presented his findings on the career experiences of African-American chemists over the last 50 years and related them to the current challenges facing minority engineers in the workplace. Civil rights legislation in the 1960s had a significant impact on the career opportunities available to African-American scientists, but Dr. Pearson’s research shows that even in the 1990s highly qualified minorities faced many challenges in obtaining positions and advancing in their chosen career paths.

Front Matter (R1-R12)

Executive Summary (1-5)

Introduction (6-7)

The Importance of Diversity in Engineering (8-14)

Best Practices in Managing Diversity: A Panel Discussion: Introduction (15-19)

Diversity Practices at CH2M HILL (20-23)

Diversity Practices at Motorola (24-29)

Diversity Practices at Consolidated Edison (30-32)

Question and Answer Session (33-38)

Recruitment, Retention, Advancement: What Works? (39-48)

National Society of Black Engineers (49-55)

Society of Women Engineers (56-58)

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (59-60)

American Indian Science and Engineering Society (61-64)

Question and Answer Session (65-68)

Advancing Minorities in Science and Engineering Careers (69-76)

Affirmative Action Backlash (77-84)

A Case Study of the Texaco Lawsuit (85-91)

Diversity in the Global Marketplace (92-98)

Mentoring (99-102)

Implementing Change (103-114)

Where Do We Go from Here? (115-122)

The Business Case for Diversity (123-134)

Appendix A Workshop Participants (135-141)

Appendix B Biographical Sketches of Workshop Speakers (142-148)

Appendix C Corporate Benchmarks (149-158)