William Oakes
Channel: Purdue Engineering
Date: 2021-03-21

"I personally commit to do better and to work with others to do better and make Purdue and the larger community better and more inclusive.” ~ William Oakes 

Dr. William Oakes is the Director of EPICS and a professor in the School of Engineering Education. This video was created for the "We Support Black Engineers" campaign to celebrate and show support for Purdue University's College of Engineering Black students, faculty, staff and alumni.   

More from William Oakes: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/AboutUs/Diversity/wsbe/oakes-william 
We Support Black Engineers site:  https://purdue.university/WSBE

As a land grant university, we have a mission to provide educational opportunities to the citizens of Indiana as well as to the nation and the world — opportunities that prepare students to work on a broad spectrum of challenges in diverse teams made up of men and women from different backgrounds, races, perspectives, and life experiences that shape the world-class education that Purdue is known for. Our mission cannot be accomplished without more Black engineers in the College of Engineering. We’re proud of the fact that Purdue is the birthplace of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), but these videos remind us that we still have a long way to go.

The video testimonials here are an opportunity to see the College of Engineering through the eyes of some of our Black students, staff, and faculty.  They challenge us to do better. They reveal personal testimonies that are uncomfortable for some to share, and for others to hear.  Current and prospective members of our College community, particularly Black members, should know that the Purdue Engineering community is listening, hearing, and working diligently to understand and address issues discussed in the videos on this website.

A heartfelt thank you to the College of Engineering students, faculty, staff and alumni who have shared their stories, feelings, and ideas. We have only captured a sampling of the population, but their messages are clear.  

We invite you to engage with these stories and join us on the journey to build a more inclusive community, together.

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The largest engineering college ever in the top 5, Purdue Engineering anchors Purdue University as the “Cradle of Astronauts,” from College alumni Neil Armstrong to the first female commercial astronaut. Other trailblazers include Amelia Earhart, 7 National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipients, and 9 National Academy of Inventors Fellows. Our agricultural and biological engineering programs ranked No. 1 for more than a decade, and the College houses the world’s largest academic propulsion lab and the nation’s first all-digital nuclear reactor.

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