When UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering students arrived at the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) national conference in Salt Lake City last week, they did so for the first time as an official recognized chapter of the group.
Formerly an “interest chapter” founded in 2021, the group’s growth over the last few years earned it official chapter status in October, increasing the resources and opportunities it can offer Hispanic and Latinx people across the PME and greater Chicago area communities.
“Especially as PME continues to grow in size every year and attracts people from all different backgrounds, it's important to have an organization that welcomes everyone and provides opportunities that will help elevate people,” said chapter President Carlos Medina Jimenez. “Our goal is to be that family, that group that empowers students and tells them, ‘Yes, you can do this. How can we be of help?’”
“In the end, the big goal is to facilitate access to STEM education for everyone,” added Treasurer Jonathan Salmerón-Hernández.
The group’s largest, most recognizable event is the youth outreach program Noche de Ciencias, the local version of the national program to get young Hispanic and Latino people involved in STEM. But the national affiliation will open exciting new opportunities for mentorship, said group member Ryne Montoya.
“SHPE goes above and beyond in terms of consistently raising the bar with the opportunities it supports for those with Hispanic/Latinx backgrounds,” he said.
The now-official chapter is looking at how they can translate this new status into greater offerings around the Chicago region.
“I think for many of us, engaging in outreach activities to bridge the gap between STEM and the Latinx/Hispanic communities is our way of trying to positively influence the experiences of younger students and establish a stronger support system,” said Social Coordinator and Communications Specialist María Ley Flores “We were able to start this network in our own informal way, and I am very grateful to SHPE and UChicago for giving us the space to expand our impact with their official recognition.”
Pritzker Molecular Engineering Dean of Students David Taylor called the recognition “an exciting development.”
“It shows a vibrant, active and growing community on campus, and will help bring more attention to UChicago’s Pritzker Molecular Engineering and showcase us as a destination for students,” he said. “In addition, being recognized as an official chapter gives our students greater access to the resources of SHPE national to support their development, growth and career trajectories.”
A first-generation American and the first engineer in her family, PME Ph.D. student Andrea Diaz grew up in the heavily Hispanic Chicago suburb of Melrose Park. She attended her first SHPE conference a decade ago as a college freshman and was immediately impressed by the support she received from people further along the same path.
“I didn't have access or resources to a community in STEM,” she said. “And here I was in this world of other Hispanics, other Latinos, many of whom shared their own stories of learning how to navigate the corporate world or learning how to navigate academia as the first person in their family or the first in their community.”
“As soon as I stepped foot in that conference, that was it for me,” she said.
The UChicago SHPE chapter will be the official host of the Chicago-area 2024 Noche de Ciencias next fall.
Pritzker Molecular Engineering students who want to get involved in UChicago’s SHPE chapter should contact Medina at cjmedina@uchicago.edu.