SHPE: LEADING HISPANICS IN STEM TO HOST 45TH NATIONAL CONVENTION IN ORLANDO, NOVEMBER 10 – 14
Thousands of Professionals, Industry Leaders, and Innovators to Attend the Largest Gathering of Hispanic STEM Talent in the Nation
(October 18, 2021) — SHPE (The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), a national organization representing Hispanic professionals and students in STEM, will host its 45th National Convention in Orlando, Florida at the Orange County Convention Center on November 10 – 14, 2021. SHPE’s convention is the largest gathering of Hispanic STEM talent in the nation.
More than 6,000 students, professionals, academia, and industry leaders will gather for four days of learning including professional and leadership development through sessions and workshops, speakers, signature events, networking, competitions, and award ceremonies. The theme of the convention is “The Most Magical Time,” celebrating the evolution of SHPE, the empowerment of its members, the community of Familia, and the magic of Hispanics in STEM. For all attendees, the convention will serve as a catalyst for both personal and professional transformation which, in turn, will have a powerful impact on the Hispanic community, the U.S. workforce, and our global economy.
According to the Pew Research Center while nearly 20% of the U.S. population is Hispanic, only 8% of STEM jobs are filled by Hispanic professionals. In leadership positions, this percentage is even lower. SHPE exists to narrow and eventually close this gap by raising awareness and increasing access. In addition to connecting our members with many of the top organizations in STEM, the SHPE National Convention is also one of our most powerful tools to prepare Hispanic students and professionals to be top talent and leaders in their field, driving innovation, the global economy, and a prosperous Hispanic community.
Over the four days, attendees will be able to take advantage of technical training, leadership, and professional development, and networking opportunities, as well as interacting with over 250 exhibitors and sponsors actively recruiting new talent. The convention is made up of five specialized conferences, with something for everyone, including:
- The Pre-College Conference (virtual) is designed for high school students, their teachers and families to help shape students’ views of STEM as they think about pursuing STEM in higher ed and increase their access to information which will help and support their students succeed.
- The Academic Conference hosts students and faculty at all levels of higher education. Participants gain valuable resources and networking opportunities while discovering best-practices, career opportunities, and learn both the opportunities and challenges Hispanics face while earning STEM degrees and entering the workforce. Tracks include Advisors, Advisors, Community College, Undergraduate, Graduate, which covers those wanting to go into Graduate school after undergraduate, those currently in Graduate school, and going from Graduate school into the Corporate World, and Diversity & Inclusion. And this year a new 3-Minute Thesis Competition is being introduced as part of our Graduate Track.
- The SHPEtinas: Igniting Latinas in STEM Conference strives to accelerate Latina representation at all levels of corporate and academic leadership in STEM while affirming the Latina identity.
- The Professionals in STEM Conference provides a differentiated learning approach to its attendees, granting them a diverse toolkit of skills, knowledge, and experience to be successful STEM professionals. Either in workshops or networking sessions our Professionals are getting great interactive time to grow their network.
- The SHPETech Conference is designed to shine a spotlight on cutting edge STEM technology for maximum impact. This conference offers Tech Talks, Cybersecurity Challenge, Innovation Challenge, Design Challenge and Engineering Science Symposium.
The highlight of the event is the two-day Career Fair where thousands of jobs will be offered by companies like Facebook, Boeing, Apple, Google, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson and many others. Due to COVID travel restrictions, some companies are not able to send representatives to the Convention this year so a virtual job fair will also be held with virtual interviews on November 5.
SHPE’s National Convention will also include two SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Award ceremonies, the exclusive Excellence in STEM Breakfast and the STAR Awards Celebration. The STAR Awards recognize key individuals, corporations, government agencies, and academic institutions that have contributed significantly to support Hispanics in STEM. The full list of winners is here.
This year SHPE announces an all-new STAR Award to be presented annually at the SHPE National Convention. The Rodrigo Garcia Founder’s Award is to honor the contributions of founder Rodrigo Garcia who will also be the first recipient during this year’s convention. In 2022, the award will be open for nominations for candidates that meet the criteria.
The Visionary Sponsor of SHPE’s 2021 National Convention is Discover. This is the second year they have supported the SHPE Convention as a visionary sponsor.
Members of the media are encouraged to pre-register for the conference. For press credentials, contact Alyssa Sullivan at [email protected] or 617-899-8631.
About SHPE
SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) is a nonprofit organization serving and advancing Hispanics in STEM. With more than 13,000 student and professional members, SHPE’s mission is to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. For more information please visit https://www.shpe.org/