What is EDI?

EDI stands for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Equity is the quality of being fair and impartial, treating all human beings the same with no exceptions.

Diversity is variety. Variety of social backgrounds, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender. We are all special just as we are.

Inclusion is being included, being a part of a group. Providing equal opportunities and equal access to all the resources we have. Here at MAE we welcome all to join us and become part of our group and family.

Statement of the Chair

What is the role and place of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion within the MAE Department? First and foremost, treating all members of the Department collegially and as individuals who deserve respect is simply the right thing to do. As Chair, I aim to promote these values and characteristics, and I see the web resources found here as a valuable tool to use in reaching this goal.

Looking beyond this foundational principle it is clear to me that a healthy EDI culture is critical to innovation, which takes existing and new ideas and finds novel ways to combine them into solutions to human wants and needs. It requires multiple ways of looking at problems, breaking them down into constituent pieces, and then taking the available ideas and concepts at hand and combining them into solutions. This task inherently requires the application of novel perspectives, judgments, values, and interpretations as solutions are crafted and tested against the needs and challenges of the problem at hand. Having trained and talented people who come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, and who – together - create and sustain a work culture that encourages full engagement of everyone cannot then help but naturally deepen the pool of ideas from which solutions can then be drawn. Thus a healthy EDI culture is absolutely critical to our success.

I thank the people who put together this web resource and hope that it provides the MAE community with a useful tool and forum in which to further build a healthy workplace culture.

Chair George Tynan