Celebrating Women’s History Month and Multiracial Heritage Month

This March, we proudly celebrate two heritage and history months concurrently: Women’s History Month and Multiracial Heritage Month. By showcasing the contributions of the Clark School’s women and multiracial community members at the same time, we are reminded about the multidimensionality of identity and how it creates unique experiences and impact.

Senior bioengineering major Alexandria Slokan says her diverse background and experiences help her “approach challenges from different angles.”
Program director for aerospace engineering academic student services Aileen Naoko Hentz applies her “me-search” and research in multiracial identity development to her work with students.
Senior fire protection engineering major Christine Welton feels empowered and invites other women engineers to speak up “so all ideas are heard.”

The Clark School is filled with individuals like Alexandria, Aileen, and Christine who make it a leader in engineering education, research innovation, and contributions to society. Our community includes engineers at the forefront of their fields, outstanding educators and mentors, and members of the National Academy of Engineering, our Innovation Hall of Fame, and Early Career Distinguished Alumni Society.

During Women’s History Month, we are proud to mark the Women in Engineering (WIE) Program’s upcoming 30th anniversary, which launches this May. For decades, WIE has supported all students in engineering and has helped grow the Clark School community and our profession. (In fact, undergraduate enrollment of women stands at 1,174 students today, compared with 532 in 1994.) I would like to congratulate WIE Director Paige Smith and her talented team and Advisory Board for their steadfast dedication to the success of Maryland engineers.

Multiracial Heritage Month, one of the first such celebrations on a U.S. university campus, invites the UMD community to honor the identities, stories, and histories of mixed-race, multi-ethnic, and transracial adoptee individuals.

As a new campus resource opening in Fall 2025, the multiracial student space—one of five vibrant spaces housed in the cultural center—will serve as a centralized meeting area and aims to create a new community of belonging.

At the Clark School, we know how important learning from our uniqueness is to generating fearless ideas for the public good. Developing cultural and historical awareness fosters recognition for all and more inclusive engineering design. I encourage you to share these and all the stories of our Maryland engineering community members you will find on our digital channels, and participate in campus-wide activities.

Sincerely,

Samuel Graham

Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor

Published March 6, 2025