2025 Collaborative Network for Engineering & Computing Diversity (CoNECD)

1. Mrs. Beth Anne Johnson Lamar Creative Co. [biography]

   Beth Anne Johnson is a dynamic force, seamlessly juggling roles as a dedicated mother, accomplished businesswoman, and influential advocate for women in STEM fields. In 2022, while anticipating the arrival of her second child, she established Lamar Creative Co., fueled by a vision that harmonized her professional ambitions with the joys of motherhood.

   Through Lamar Creative Co., Beth Anne channels her diverse identities - athlete, creative, entrepreneur, partner, and mom - into a business that mirrors her unwavering dedication to every client. Her guiding philosophy is evident: Lamar Creative Co. believes that melding creativity with existing strengths catalyzes unlocking human potential, refining business practices, and fostering personal innovation. She believes underrepresented folk need to play a different game, their own, inspiring and fostering entrepreneurship in her communities.

   She firmly believes in equilibrium for businesses and people, thus creating this journal, “Creating Your Wild and Precious Life.” Inspired by a Women’s History Month celebration, she sat at a table with several high-achieving women and asked, “What do you do for fun?” The women couldn’t answer. They looked at her, mouths agape, at the vulnerability and difficulty in answering the question. This is problematic. Women deserve more joy. This idea requires deconstruction of the old ways for women, especially women with even more underrepresented identities or our gender-fluid, gender-non-conforming siblings. On that day, Beth Anne found a greater purpose. She shares this purpose with you.

   Connect with Beth Anne online at www.lamarcreativeco.com, LinkedIn or on Instagram @bethannejohnsonwrites and @Lamar_Creative_Co.

2. Dr. Ershela L. Sims http://orcid.org/https://0000-0002-3395-3516 WEPAN, Inc. [biography]

   Dr. Sims is the Executive Director of the Women in Engineering ProActive Network. Prior to joining WEPAN she served as Interim President of the SC Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics. She was the first black person and first woman to lead SCGSSM. She began her career at GSSM as Vice President for the Accelerate Virtual Engineering Program and later became Senior Vice President for Virtual and Outreach Programs. Prior to GSSM, Dr. Sims was the Dean of Engineering and Technology at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. She has 25 years of experience as an industry engineer and K-20 researcher, educator, and administrator; she was also a DEI practitioner across all of those positions. Dr. Sims holds a BSE in BME from Duke University and PhD in BME from the UNC at Chapel Hill. She is a lifetime member of the National Society of Black Engineers as well as a member of several other professional associations including ASEE and BMES.

   Dr. Sims serves her community through multiple boards including the Florence-Darlington Technical College Area Commission, Columbia College Board of Trustees, and Cypress Adventures Board of Trustees and as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Her accolades include the NSBE Dr. Janice A. Lumpkin Educator of the Year Golden Torch Award, National Science Teachers Association Vernier Technology Award and the NC School of Science and Mathematics Exceptional Contribution in Teaching through Scholarship and Keeper of the Dream awards.

3. Dr. Brooke Charae Coley Arizona State University, Polytechnic Campus [biography]

   Dr. Brooke Coley, an Assistant Professor of Engineering at Arizona State University, is a pioneering force in disrupting the status quo of engineering to create a more equitable and inclusive field where all individuals can thrive. As the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Research Advancing Racial Equity, Justice, and Sociotechnical Innovation Centered in Engineering (RARE JUSTICE), Dr. Coley leads transformative efforts to challenge systemic barriers and promote equity in academia. Her research focuses on amplifying the lived experiences of racially minoritized scholars, dismantling anti-Blackness in STEM, graduate student education, and fostering awareness of, and ultimately, accountability for, the lived realities of individuals navigating STEM through immersive virtual reality experiences. Collaborating with mental health experts, she also is intentional to integrate a head-on focus on the implications for wellness and wholeness in academic environments. Dr. Coley's transparent and culturally responsive approaches, coupled with her dedication and fortitude, have positioned her as a recognized leader in the field. Since 2017, she has secured millions of dollars in grant funding from the National Science Foundation, employing critical qualitative and arts-based methodologies in her work. She received the Wickenden Award and Betty Vetter Award in 2024 and was named a Virtual Visiting Scholar by the ARC Network in 2023. Launching from the Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh oriented to the challenges of navigating STEM as an underrepresented and minoritized scholar, she continues to lead change and advocate for institutional transformation and accountability through novel applications and approaches.

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on February 9, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on February 11, 2025