The 27th annual Women of Color (WOC) in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Conference was held in Detroit, Michigan, October 6-8, under the theme The Struggle. The Progress. The Future.
The three-day event was both in-person and virtual on the digital twin experience (DTX) platform.
During the red-carpet gala which closed out the conference, Denise LaMaison-Bell, a senior program coordinator at Jacobs (standing center with colleagues and supporters) received the Diversity Leadership Award for her advocacy of diversity and inclusion.
Denise helped Jacobs develop corporate diversity awards. Thanks to her efforts, the company has a constant rotation of top talent from historically Black colleges and universities and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), one of the largest student-governed organizations in the United States.
Denise also works with INROADS College Links, whose goals include exposing urban students to the architecture/engineering professions and building Jacobs’ pipeline of diverse interns and full-time candidates.
After George Floyd’s murder, she moderated hundreds of Courageous Conversations sessions. The series served as a cultural watershed moment for Jacobs, as more than 5,000 employees participated in the raw, honest, and emotional virtual sessions.
These conversations were also foundational for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities at Jacobs, providing them a platform to express the impacts of increased violence against AAPI people during the pandemic.
“Denise fosters an ‘all in this together’ mindset that has truly bolstered our culture of belonging,” said Robbie Edmonstone, global director of inclusion and diversity communications, Jacobs.
Denise has also organized “Boss Up,” a virtual session showcasing very real race- and gender-based challenges to career advancements.
