Promoting the Representation and Participation of Everyone in Our Community
PELS is committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in philosophy and practice throughout its organization and programming. The PELS DEI & WIE committees play a leading role, hosting events and initiatives that support and welcome the entire community to be a part of the conversation.
Pillars of Action:
- Advocacy for Equitable Elevation & Recognition
- Educational Events Targeted at Broad Demographics, Celebraring Diverse Voices
- Creating Networking Opportunities to Empower Diverse Voices & Authentic Expression of All Members
About DEI at PELS
DEI is a vital part of both PELS’ strategic growth plan and IEEE overall. Inclusive and equitable policies, procedures, and programming allows IEEE PELS to embrace the diverse contributions and capabilities of its global membership, while respecting everyone’s unique needs and values with honesty and transparency. To support this commitment, the PELS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) standing committee and Women in Engineering (WIE) committee were formed.
In 2021, PELS’ Executive Committee formalized their commitment to DEI by accepting a modified version of the IEEE Women in Engineering Pledge:
“The IEEE Power Electronics Society pledges to work toward diversified representation and participation at all IEEE PELS meetings, conferences, and events. All aspects of diversity include, but are not limited to: gender, regional, affiliation, racial, ethnicity and culture.”
PELS’ unique diversity pledge mirrors IEEE’s overall diversity statement and underscores the leadership’s support of DEI. IEEE’s Diversity Statement:
“IEEE’s mission to foster technological innovation and excellence to benefit humanity requires the talents and perspectives of people with different personal, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds. IEEE is committed to advancing diversity in the technical profession, and to promoting an inclusive and equitable culture that welcomes, engages, and rewards all who contribute to the field, without regard to race, religion, gender, disability, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.”
- The PELS DEI committee focuses on creating strategic policies and procedures to ensure equitable access to and awareness of PELS events, programs, and opportunities.
- The PELS WIE Committee, an affinity group within the DEI standing committee, focuses on creating professional development and networking events for the technical community. PELS WIE is also a part of the global IEEE WIE network that has over 22,000 IEEE members and volunteers who help promote women engineers and scientists and inspire girls around the world to follow their academic interests with a career in engineering and science.