Our DEIC committee meets twice each month to discuss issues and actions needed at the departmental level. We're focused on making Duke MEMS a more inclusive and diverse place for faculty, staff and students
The committee, in turn, reports through Pratt School of Engineering's Committee on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community to draw out a list of action items and works on them throughout the year.
The MEMS DEIC, listed below, comprises representatives of faculty, staff, and graduate and undergraduate students.
We're working together ...
- Duke MEMS DEIC Committee Members
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You're invited to reach out to anyone listed below with ideas, comments, suggestions. Let them know you'd like to work on a project!
Faculty
Leila Bridgeman
Assistant Professor
Subcommittee: Training
"I want to help our department be the best it can be by fostering an inclusive and equitable community where everyone's diverse skills, knowledge and contributions are valued. I believe this can help us all do our best work, while maximizing our personal happiness and fulfillment."
George Delagrammatikas
Assistant Chair & Professor of the Practice
Subcommittee: Outreach
"Talent is distributed equally across people and communities, but opportunity is not. I want to continue the STEM outreach work I've been involved in for most of my academic career and help broaden participation of underserved groups in engineering. I'm excited to develop programs that immerse students from different backgrounds in the same space, allowing us to celebrate our differences as we identify and try to solve important social problems using engineering skills. Better engineering is a result of a more diverse team."
Becky Simmons, Chair
Associate Professor of the Practice
Subcommittees: Outreach, Mentorship
"Undergraduate mindset, health & wellness, and growth is very important to me. It is essential that we create a space and experiences where students feel supported, safe, welcomed and have the confidence to work towards their best selves. I want students to feel proud of the different experiences, points of reference and diversity they provide and seek out in others diversity of thought, living and being."
Stefan Zauscher
Professor
Subcommittee: Training
"I felt that I can contribute to creating an inclusive environment in the department, particularly by addressing issues of equity, by helping to bring resources to the committee due to my experience with the Teaching for Equity Fellows program. The DEIC Committee in MEMS provides a learning experience to stay informed and to learn more about DEIC in the academic environment, as well as in the community."
Staff
Patrick McGuire
Senior Lab Administrator
Subcommittee: Outreach
"I am excited for the opportunity to lend my voice and support to the MEMS DEIC committee. My current role as a staff member on the teaching side of the department involves interacting with our students and faculty. I will strive to use this as an opportunity to assess and implement positive changes among all MEMS stakeholders. The department will only get stronger if we can become more aware of our shared community and strive to make improvements promoting diversity, equity and inclusion."
Graduate Students
McKenzie Garcia
Master's Student
"I joined the MEMS DEIC Committee to share my experience at Duke in hopes to increase representation of Latino students. I want to help make Duke a more friendly and welcoming environment for all communities."
Concetta Morino
PhD Student
Subcommittee: Recruitment
"Being on DEIC is important to me because not only do I want to learn what events have led to the lack of diversity in my field but also be a part of changing departmental structure and policies contributing to these barriers."
Luisa Piccolo Serafim
PhD Student
"One of the things that most surprised me when I arrived at Duke was the university's awareness regarding building a more inclusive and supportive community. As a member of the MEMS DEIC Committee, I want to take part in this process and work closely with the Pratt School of Engineering members to implement the benefits that an inclusive, multicultural and diverse group can provide for its members, both personally and professionally. "
Undergraduate Students
Ava Ganeshan
Mechanical Engineering Major, Junior
Subcommittee: Mentorship
"DEIC efforts are important to me because I want to help create tangible and long-lasting changes that benefit all members of our community, providing everyone with equal opportunity and access."
Jack Dugoni
Mechanical Engineering Major, Sophomore
Subcommittee: Outreach
"My interest in joining the MEMS DEIC Committee stemmed originally from my respect for Dr. Rebecca Simmons, the person who advocated for the group via email. I found that the Committee's mission to support all MEMS students, regardless of backgrounds or identity expressions, is one that matches my interest in promoting inclusivity within the groups of which I am a part, especially a historically homogeneous field like engineering. I look forward to the conversations that will surely follow with like-minded individuals who also bring varying perspectives to the table."
Swetha Sekhar
Mechanical Engineering Major, Sophomore
Subcommittee: Training
"Being a member of DEIC is my first real experience as part of a DEI initiative or as a student representative. DEI has always been important to me, especially with my own experiences as a minority woman in STEM, so I'm really looking forward to being in MEMS DEIC with other like-minded engineers to be able to make a difference for the MEMS community."
- Student Affinity Groups
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National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
Its mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
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National organization: nsbe.org
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Duke chapter:
- President: Akylah Cox, akylah.cox@duke.edu
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Advisor: Dr. Adrienne Stiff-Roberts, adrienne.stiffroberts@duke.edu
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE)
Its mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development.
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National organization: shpe.org
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President: Javier Franco, javier.franco@duke.edu
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Advisor: Dr. Sophia Santillan, sophia.santillan@duke.edu
Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
Its mission is to empower women to achieve full potential in careers as engineers and leaders, expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.
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National organization: swe.org
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Facebook page: facebook.com/DukeSWEeties
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Co-Presidents:
- Annika Hsu, annika.hsu@duke.edu
- alexa.tannebaum@duke.edu
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Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Simmons, rebecca.simmons@duke.edu
Females Excelling More in Math, Engineering & Science (FEMMES)
- Website: sites.duke.edu/femmes
- Program Director: Megan Phibbons, megan.phibbons@duke.edu
- Advisor: Dr. Heileen Hsu-Kim, hsukim@duke.edu
Girls Engineering Change
- National organization: girlsengineeringchange.org
- Duke chapter: facebook.com/DukeGEC
- Advisor: Dr. Elizabeth Bucholtz, elizabeth.bucholtz@duke.edu
Runway of Dreams at Duke
- Associated nonprofit: https://www.runwayofdreams.org/
- Student leaders:
- Emma Steadman: emma.steadman@duke.edu
- Abigail Ullendorff: abigail.ullendorff@duke.edu
- Faculty advisor: Dr. Rebecca Simmons, rebecca.simmons@duke.edu
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Duke MEMS Book Club
The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail—But Some Don't by Nate Silver
- 2:30-3:30 pm, Thursday, March 30
- Duke Gardens Amphitheater
Join us to discuss this book!
Political forecaster Nate Silver reveals how we can develop better foresight in an uncertain world. From the stock market to the poker table, from earthquakes to the economy, he takes us on an enthralling insider's tour of the high-stakes world of forecasting, showing how we can use information in a smarter way amid a noise of data—and make better predictions in our own lives.
Previous Books
- The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman
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BUILD: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making by Tony Fadell
GrAMs—Graduate Ambassadors in MEMS
Are you considering graduate school in a STEM field but don't know where to start?
GrAMs may be the program for you!
In this program, Duke MEMS graduate students provide mentorship to people considering applying to graduate school.
With their Graduate Ambassadors, participants can discuss the long-term value of a graduate degree and answer questions about what life is like in graduate school. For example, you might learn that:
- PhD students in STEM fields are usually paid a stipend while they learn
- PhD students at Duke receive health insurance at no cost, and their tuition and fees are covered, too
- There are fellowships, training programs and scholarships that can provide even more support and amazing professional experiences
As you prepare to apply, your GrAMs mentor can help you develop a strategy for applying to graduate school and suggest how to strengthen your application.
Who We Serve
This program is available to any person considering applying to a graduate degree program. We are particularly focused on members of groups underrepresented in engineering study and in the practice of engineering.
As well, we seek to help students who may be in a tight financial situation or may be the first person they know to seriously consider graduate school.
Let's Talk
Getting in touch with GrAMs is easy — email grams@duke.edu or, click the button:
K-12 Outreach: Let There Be Lite

The Light, Infrared and Thermal Energy (LITE) workshop by Po-Chun Hsu's lab group (MEMS) engaged local students from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in optics, photonics and materials science.
“Our goal was to educate and inspire higher educational career paths in the fields of optics and materials science for sustainable energy among ninth- and tenth-graders,” Hsu said.
M.e.e.t.s—Mentorship, Engagement, Extracurricular Teams

Undergraduate students from different years meet informally once a month to get to know one another and to share experiences and insights. Additional informal small groups gather to have fun, build community and support each other.

Reading Period Break with Therapy Dogs, Games & Cake
This gathering was all about supporting, community building, relaxing, and eating during the reading period!
We had many laughs and happy moments as we met Ollie (a very cute therapy dog), made origami animals, played games, and ate cake
We're Listening To ...
Social Science Bites
“Sociology and psychology experts dialogue on a range of socially significant topics, covering areas such as the workplace, stigma, implicit bias, and the important relation of these topics to one another. A particularly noteworthy episode, "Discrimination and Design," features Swiss behavioral scientist Iris Bohnet and covers the presence of gender bias and subconscious discrimination in the hiring process and workplace at large. Those interested in learning more about developing DEI skills and perspectives will benefit greatly from listening."
Jack Dugoni '24 | Duke MEMS undergraduate
"Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another."
Desmond Tutu | No Future Without Forgiveness (2000)