Dr. Yvette E. Pearson is Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the University of Texas at Dallas. A Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Pearson is recognized globally for nearly 30 years in higher education, particularly for her work to advance sustainability, justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) in engineering education and practice. Her university-based and consulting efforts have led to over $40M in funding for initiatives to support JEDI in STEM and changes to policies and practices of global engineering organizations.
Pearson has served as PI on S-STEM awards at multiple institutions since 2007, including a capacity-building workshop that has led to ~$30M in S-STEM awards at institutions throughout the US. She’s currently Co-PI on a Track 2 project focused on transfer student success and is leading the research on a Track 3 project that supports master’s degree students, studying how multi-team systems work across and within a range of organizational cultures to advance their common goals. A former program director in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Pearson was a prior co-lead for the S-STEM program.
Pearson is a registered Professional Engineer, an ENVISION® Sustainability Professional and a Commissioner on ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission. Among her awards and honors are ABET’s Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion, ASCE’s Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award, the Society of Women Engineers’ Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, and ASCE’s President’s Medal. She is a registered Professional Engineer and a Commissioner on ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission. Her podcast, Engineering Change, has audiences in over 80 countries. Her book, Making a Difference: How Being Your Best Self Can Influence, Inspire, and Impel Change, was released in February 2023.
