Enrique Gomez, professor of chemical engineering and materials science and engineering, has taken on a new role as the associate head for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in MatSE. Gomez holds a 40 percent appointment in MatSE and a 60 percent appointment in chemical engineering with his new position.
“I am honored to be the inaugural associate head for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Gomez said. “I am excited to help MatSE strengthen its already inclusive environment to address the needs of such a dynamic and world-class department.”
The associate head for diversity, equity, and inclusion is responsible for strengthening and furthering a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment for all students within MatSE and is positioned to provide education and engagement regarding equity, inclusion, and a true sense of community.
Gomez aims to help organize and coordinate inclusive recruitment efforts while benchmarking and tracking measures of an inclusive culture in the department. Since Gomez’s appointment, he has organized virtual cultural events for Lunar New Year, Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride and Diversity Month, and Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month. He is also spearheading MatSE’s efforts within the newly formed Rainbow EMS Network, which fosters a fully inclusive environment in research groups and identifies research groups that have received advanced training on LGBTQ+ issues beyond the University’s Safer People Safer Places network.
Gomez has led an active research program while at Penn State. He is the director for the Center for Self-Assembled Organic Electronics, a $7.5 million center funded by the Office of Naval Research through the Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative. He has been active in pre-first year summer engineering programs, as well as ScienceU summer camps for K-12 students and teachers.
“I hope to create tangible and realistic goals for the department and concrete metrics for assessing progress and success in the area of diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Gomez said. “I also hope that I am more successful as an organizer of efforts that encompass many faculty, staff, and students, rather than serving as a single person tackling these crucial challenges.”
Gomez earned his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and doctor of philosophy in chemical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He was a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University before joining Penn State as a faculty member in 2009. Gomez’s research is focused on polymer science and engineering, and he is a long-time collaborator of several MatSE faculty working in this discipline.
For more information and events vist Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.