Women in STEM Explore Inclusivity in Exhibit at Kerckhoff Art Gallery
Westwood, Calif. – Mar. 11, 2020 – UCLA’s Computer Science & Engineering community is exploring inclusivity within the field of study and the workforce, by way of a photo and interview series currently on display in the Kerckhoff Hall Art Gallery.
The Diversity Showcase presented by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) includes photos and personal quotes from UCLA students, representing a range of disciplines such as astrophysics, psychobiology, cognitive science and electrical, civil, and environmental engineering, among others. The majority of the featured student testimonials are women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, who are often underrepresented in science & technology fields.
“I always like to remind myself that I’m here for a reason and that I do belong, despite all the challenges,” said Eduardo Garcia about navigating his college experience and managing Imposter Syndrome. The second-year psychobiology student who identifies as first-generation, LGBTQ+ and Chicanx was one of several students featured in the exhibit that touched on Imposter Syndrome,a psychological pattern in which one doubts one’s accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Ruby Ciervo, a second-year Civil and Environmental Engineering student, echoed that feeling, saying, “The hardest part about being a STEM student is not comparing myself to others.”
