NSF INCLUDES Engineering PLUS Alliance
Western
Regional Hub
Empowering leaders in engineering through strategic partnerships to revolutionize STEM education.
We aim to bring together agents of change from academia, industry, and research organizations to collectively achieve transformative, systemic, and sustainable change to maximize student success in engineering.
Our Shared Vision: To meet the engineering needs of industry and society, we aim to broaden participation across all of our communities. One measure of success is an increase in engineering and engineering technology degrees—at both the undergraduate and graduate levels—awarded to students from under-resourced communities in STEM fields.
Analysis shows that the United States is underproducing engineers by 30,000 to its projected technological needs each year1. It is anticipated that one in three engineering jobs will go unfulfilled through 20302. For the good of the nation and the individual, we must strive to realize the potential of all students and elevate all communities.
We are a collective of like-minded institutions with a shared vision coming together to establish a theory of change.
UCSC will lead regional hub of NSF Engineering Plus Alliance
UCSC’s Baskin Engineering will guide a network of community colleges and universities to share resources, experiences and best practices, serving underrepresented students, faculty and staff working in engineering and IT.
What is Engineering PLUS?
The Engineering PLUS Alliance, funded at $10 million over 5 years, is one of 17 National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES Alliances of higher education institutions and the only Alliance focused on engineering. NSF INCLUDES is a nationwide initiative designed to build U.S. leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) by increasing the participation of individuals from groups that have been historically underrepresented in STEM.
Regional Hubs
Our regional hubs are the engines of national institutional change. Regional hub members are actively developing ideas, sharing best practices, promoting cross-campus student engagement in research and industrial learning, and providing data to inform state and local governments of policies that advance the country’s production of a more diverse engineering workforce.
Western Regional Hub Partners
More News
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Inaugural meeting of the NSF PLUS Alliance Western Regional Hub sets path for success in engineering
The UC Santa Cruz Baskin School of Engineering hosted the inaugural meeting of the NSF PLUS Alliance Western Regional Hub at the 2024 Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) conference in Phoenix, Arizona. This gathering brought together representatives from 13 institutions—spanning research labs, community colleges, and four-year universities—all committed to…
Upcoming Events
Working groups
UCSC Engineering PLUS Team
Marcella Gomez, PI
Marcella Gomez is an associate professor in applied mathematics at Baskin Engineering at UC Santa Cruz and the inaugural associate dean for DEI. A first-generation college graduate and longtime advocate for broadening participation, she is passionate about improving pathways in engineering for under-resourced communities through bold campus initiatives and empowered leadership.
Ricardo Sanfelice, Co-PI
Ricardo Sanfelice is a professor and chair in electrical and computer engineering at Baskin Engineering. He directs multiple research initiatives and serves as the faculty advisor to the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) chapter on campus, and puts a strong focus on engaging industry partners and recruiting students of underrepresented backgrounds in STEM.
Pascale Garaud, Co-PI
Pascale Garaud is a professor and chair of applied mathematics at UCSC. She leads an NSF grant supporting financially disadvantages students and is tasked with identifying collaborations to expand the Western Regional Hub’s work.
Alvaro Cardenas, Co-PI
Alvaro Cardenas is an associate professor in computer science and engineering at Baskin Engineering. He’s active in student success initiatives and K-12 computer science education, and also oversees collaborations with CAMP/LSAMP, CAHSI, and Cal-Bridge.
Sri Kurniawan, Co-PI
Sri Kurniawan is a professor and graduate director of computational media at UCSC. She leads several initiatives promoting increased representation in technology, and oversees efforts to create an advisory committee for the Western Regional Hub.
Cindy Ziker, Ph.D., M.P.H., Senior Personnel
Cindy Ziker is an education grants and evaluation specialist at UCSC, who specializes in developing mentoring models for NSF initiatives with a focus on broadening participation in engineering. She also oversees sustainability efforts for the project and consults on various aspects of communications and operations.
Abigail Kaun, Ph.D., Senior Personnel
Abigail Kaun is the executive adviser to the dean at Baskin Engineering. With a background in linguistics and extensive experience in academic administration, she oversees strategic initiatives and planning for convenings to ensure successful outcomes.
Erin Busch, Senior Personnel
Erin Busch is a career engagement specialist at UCSC, focusing on helping students achieve their professional goals and advising them on workplace preparation. She works closely with the tech industry and alumni to create professional development opportunities, and has put special emphasis on empowering students from historically excluded backgrounds in STEM fields.
Nandini Bhattacharya, Senior Personnel
Nandini Bhattacharya is the associate director of teaching at UCSC’s Teaching and Learning Center. She leads Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) grants focusing on pedagogy and curriculum development, supports faculty in course design, and promotes professional development opportunities for educators.
Marina Ramon, Senior Personnel
Dr. Marina Ramon is the Director of Genomics Training Programs. She brings a wealth of experience across the sciences, industry, academia, and the government sector to the Western Regional Hub. She is a skilled program manager, strategic planner, and passionate advocate for equity in STEM.
Richard Raygoza, Main Office Staff
Richard Raygoza provides back office support to the Western Regional Hub efforts, as well as assistance with purchasing, strategizing, booking, and general communications.
Connect with us to join or learn more
- Each year the US needs 400,000 engineers to maintain global competitiveness and we are falling short ↩︎
- Much of the engineering gap expected in the US over the next ten years will involve unfilled positions in software, industrial, civil, and electrical engineering, amounting to a staggering 186,000 job vacancies across the US by 2031. At the same time, we project that other engineering roles, in areas such as materials, chemical, aerospace, and mechanical engineering—which have traditionally been popular choices for undergraduate study—will see an oversupply of 41,000 qualified candidates by the same year ↩︎