It has been incredibly hard to let this new reality sink in, a few days feels like a hundred years, as his sister put it. It hasn’t been easy. It now feels worse as I write about Jose “Eddie” Rivera. Not hard due to lack of words, just hard to get a thought straight between all the emotions and memories, all of those amazing stories that are coming in waves. It’s an emotional rollercoaster in a sea of memories only captured in photographs, and in the hundreds of people sharing their stories of friendship, stories of inspiration, and stories of passion that surrounded everything Jose E. Rivera was and always will be.

My story is not any more or any less special than anyone else who ever met him. My story is many stories, it’s hard to pick one. I loved watching him always dressed up, very professional and how he would light up a room. Everyone was always so excited to see him giving a speech at a SHPE conference, sharing his experiences on a chapter panel, or telling hilarious stories around a close group of people. A group of people that was so fortunate they stayed late after the last event, and caught the gathering around him. If you were even luckier, maybe you had a chance to speak one-on-one with this positive and genuine person giving honest advice for a student member’s struggle, a professional member’s quest for achievement, motivational words for our dedicated SHPE staff; and for a friend that just needed encouragement (and sometimes a kick in the behind, a few of us got one or two!).

I wouldn’t have been on the SHPE Board and other positions if it wasn’t for his continued support and encouragement, let alone his knowledge and experience. He had a unique way of challenging us, making us think outside of ourselves, and enjoy every minute of our conversations, ideas, never any wrong answers, and strategize on improving the chapters and growing Region IV. When I was frustrated with work, life and SHPE, we traveled to the chapters, the events, and through this dedication he showed me (he showed all of us) why we continue the hard work and motivate others to do the same. I wouldn’t be the person or leader I am today. His passion and selflessness for our members, our chapters, and our community, cannot be described in one story.

I heard it before and I’m hearing it now through the sharing of memories…He was a true leader, an inspiration, always a light, a great mentor, the “tormentor” mentor, a friend, a gentleman, a force to be reckoned with, brother, protector, a great inspiration to our Latino youth. His sense of humor was remarkable, ONE OF A KIND with a contagious smile, a great supporter and motivator, a sweet personality, gave nothing but good advise, a huge part of everyone’s SHPE experience, a fierce friend and a passionate leader. Jose was a genuine good guy who made hundreds of students laugh and helped them grow and succeed, remember his smile and good sense of humor, he was family and always gave his heart willingly and openly. Jose was always ready with a good story, made you passionate about your own strengths, an amazing human being, the pillar and champion of SHPE and our community, always looking to help and give back, gentle and funny soul, an incredible inspiration, LARGER THAN LIFE WITH ENDLESS ENERGY.

If he heard us call him “our SHPE Legend,” he would tell us to stop as he was so humble and did not care for the credit or glory. He was a great servant and he did it for our community.

He connected with all, young, old, student, professional, advisors, corporate members…including strangers. This finally leads me into one of thousands of memories, this is when he met my brother. Jose and I were traveling to one of the SHPE national conferences, and I took one of my younger brothers, still in high school. He was so smart, always the smartest of us siblings, but I worried and wanted to ensure he continued on to college. Jose sat right next to him the whole trip and just chatted about life, cracked some jokes, and in his unique way lead the conversation through all that made my brother tick. One thing you need to know about my brother, we called him “El Mudo” (“the mute”) since he was so quiet, quite the introvert. Jose could make anyone talk up a storm, and I was impressed at the sight of those two striking up some deep conversations, despite never knowing each other prior to that moment. My brother had a great time, and a wonderful experience at the conference and hanging out with Senor Presidente Jose E. Rivera topped it all! My brother went on to study and graduate with a Software Engineering degree, joining SHPE and serving on the chapter boards.

Now it’s hard to think that Jose will no longer be around us, his family, his friends, but it pains me just as much for those who will never get to meet him, or work with him. We were truly fortunate. It is a big task, and by no means can we ever fill his shoes, but it is up to us to continue his legacy and his passion for our community, and to challenge ourselves as he once did.

“No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. Oh Captain, My Captain!”

Thank you for making us laugh, making us cry, for touching our minds and souls; as we celebrate your years of selfless service. Jose “Eddie” Rivera, your memory lives on in the hearts of all whose days you made brighter and whose journeys you inspired. Let’s continue his SHPE legacy.

I’m a #girldad. Even though I was in no rush to have kids, I always knew I wanted kids and looked forward to the day I would be a dad.

When I found out we were going to have a girl, the first thing that ran through my mind was Chris Rock’s comedy bit about having a daughter. I say this because when I first heard Chris Rock perform his bit, it was the most hilarious fatherhood tip I’ve ever heard. So, when I found out I was having a daughter, I went from laughs about fatherhood tips to now taking some serious notes. Now I write this in the most lighthearted way being very facetious about it…but the truth still rings.

The truth is that I need to nurture, guide, and support my daughter to be the strong, confident, intelligent, and successful woman to be. That I need to be a male role model for her as to how men are supposed to treat her and act. I want to be the kind of father that shows and demonstrates daily and in all aspects of life what it means to treat a woman: To care and treat her and mom how her future partner should treat her. Set the bar high!

My daughter, Amanda, turned 2 months in June. In these two months I’ve learned about my own paternal instincts and they certainly kicked into overdrive. My whole world revolves around her and mom.

Here are a few things I’ve noticed:

• I always seem to double and triple check that the doors are locked at night.
• I seem to be hyper aware of what is going on around us when I drive her or walk her somewhere.
• I can’t look away when someone wants to come close to her or wants to carry her.
• I’ve turned people away from coming to visit knowing mom and daughter need time to sleep and rest.
• I’m constantly asking if mom and daughter need anything, or if I need to get anything for them.
• I constantly feel like I need to build or fix something around the house to make sure it works perfectly when needed.
• I feel uncomfortable coming home and parking the car when the car is low on gas.
• They say you’ll never sleep the same again but, fortunately, I’m a great napper. That said, I seem to be more more aware of sounds when I sleep than I was in the past.

My tips to prepare for your first baby are:

• Prepare your “daddy bag” two months before the due date. Amanda was born healthy and eager to join us 2-3 week before her due date!
• Prepare your house for the baby’s arrival 2 months before due date.
• Plan your route to the hospital and plan on what items to leave your house with before you go to the hospital. Plan for various times of the day, the time may just come during heavy traffic.
• Be prepared to take naps. While you may not get as much sleep when the baby is born, if you can nap when the baby sleeps it will certainly help your mental health.
• Read Baby 411: Your Baby, Birth to Age 1. This book was recommended by a fellow SHPE dad. Read the first few chapters before the baby is born. Take the book with you when mom goes into labor. Use the information in this book in combination with your partners and your own instincts to ask all and any questions to the doctors and nurses. Using the book as reference to look up answers to questions is a great stress reliever when you constantly worry about making sure you are doing things right.
• If something doesn’t feel right at the hospital before, during, or after labor, speak up. The doctors and nurses are great, but you have been around your partner and baby the entire time. You have more minute-by-minute information on the status and health of your partner…and she will tell you exactly how she is feeling and how she observes the baby. Have the confidence to be aware and speak up.

Amado V Galaviz III
Project Manager – SoCalGas | Los Angeles
President – SHPE | Los Angeles Professional Chapter
Director – Legal Shield | Independent Associate

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SHPE ANNOUNCES DEPARTURE OF CEO RAQUEL TAMEZ AS OF APRIL 30
BOARD CHAIR MIGUEL ALEMAÑY TO ACT AS INTERIM CEO

Los Angeles, California – After four years of praiseworthy service and leadership, Raquel Tamez will be stepping down as the CEO of SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) on April 30, 2021, the organization announced today.

A former trial lawyer and corporate attorney who previously served as Chief Legal Officer of SourceAmerica, Raquel joined SHPE in May 2017 and immediately had an impact on the organization. Under her leadership, SHPE has seen unprecedented growth, including 4,000 new members; an additional 50-plus chapters; more than 10 new national programs; record-breaking attendance at all its events, namely its National Convention with a near 10,000 attendees in 2020; and when most needed, a first-ever $1M in stipends and scholarships to members impacted by the pandemic.

The organization also expanded the ranks of its Industry Partnership Council to more than 50 leading STEM companies, resulting in Hispanics achieving greater access and visibility in workplaces across the country. SHPE also introduced the Academic Partnership Council, a first of its kind advisory council made up of many of the strongest STEM programs at universities and colleges in the U.S., further strengthening the pipeline of successful Hispanic leaders in STEM.

Raquel spearheaded the efforts to increase SHPE’s visibility by completely re-branding the organization to be more inclusive and more modern, including launching a new website and an online store. Under her leadership, SHPE earned and maintained the Platinum Seal of Approval from Guidestar, given to those nonprofits who demonstrate the highest level of transparency. And, finally, the organization was honored at an international level with invitations to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and to ring the NASDAQ closing bell during Hispanic-Heritage Month 2020.

“I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together these past four years,” said Raquel. “I want to thank my incredible team, the Board of Directors, the regional and chapter leaders, all the members of the Industry Partnership Council and Academic Partnership Council and—most important of all—the near 14,000 student and professional members who make this organization the true Familia it is. Serving you was an honor of a lifetime, and while I’m excited about and looking forward to working with my new team at my next role, I’ll never forget my time at SHPE.”

While the search is conducted for a new CEO, SHPE Board Chair Miguel Alemañy will act as interim CEO.

“On behalf of SHPE, I want to thank Raquel for the vision, strategy, leadership, and advocacy she has demonstrated these past four years,” said Miguel. “She transformed our organization and helped us position SHPE to be a major force in STEM for the next 50 years. Raquel will stay on with us for the next month to fully support a seamless transition as the Board works with an executive search firm to seek and secure her successor. We will miss Raquel and wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavors and look forward to building on her work in the years to come.”

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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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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Los Angeles, CA – SHPE has added experienced finance professional Rhonda McNeil to the management team. As the Controller, reporting directly to the CEO, Rhonda will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Finance and Accounting Department and be responsible for managing all critical financial activities for SHPE.

Rhonda has over 20 years of management, financial, and accounting experience. Before taking her position at SHPE, she was the Vice President of Business and Finance and Chief Financial Officer at San Marcos Academy, a nonprofit K-12 school. In this role she provided mentorship to students, encouraging their dreams to achieve a STEM college education. She has also worked in the Software and Telecommunications industries at various companies including VMware, Vignette, Level3, and CenturyLink.

Rhonda has both her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration degrees from Texas State University. She currently lives in San Marcos, Texas but is relocating to Sand Spring, Oklahoma with her three wonderful stepchildren and her husband, Matt. In her spare time, Rhonda enjoys traveling, reading, and community service.

CEO Raquel Tamez says about the role and the selection of Rhonda, “Fiscal responsibility with sophisticated trend analysis and reporting is critical to the smart growth of SHPE. We welcome Rhonda’s experience and leadership in those areas as we rapidly expand the activities needed to fulfill our mission.”

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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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SHPE ANNOUNCES ALL-NEW ANNUAL STAR AWARD HONORING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF FOUNDER RODRIGO GARCIA

Los Angeles, CA – SHPE has added a new award to the SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition (STAR) Awards presented annually at the SHPE National Convention, the largest gathering of Hispanics in STEM in the U.S. The Rodrigo Garcia Founder’s Award honors SHPE’s founder, Rodrigo Garcia, who will be the first recipient at the convention in Orlando, Florida on November 10-14, 2021.

Rodrigo “Rod” Garcia is a licensed Professional Engineer in California. He has over 40 years of experience as a civil engineering businessman. His firm has been involved in several high-profile projects in Los Angeles including various rail projects for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Prior to establishing his firm, he worked for the City of Los Angeles in Public Works, Building and Safety as well as the Port of Los Angeles. Currently, he is the President of Century Diversified, Inc.

The story of SHPE’s founding begins in 1973. Rod was working as a civil engineer for the City of Los Angeles. When Rod was at work—even in the midst of a tech boom in California—he was a brown face in a sea of white. Recognizing the disparity and wanting to make a change, Rod gathered a cohort of fellow Hispanic engineers who shared his concerns. They held a meeting in his garage to determine how they could contribute to diversifying the STEM field. Each of them had overcome barriers to break into the engineering world and, after finally earning their places, they were still experiencing discrimination.

The team leveraged their vast connections to build support. And in 1974, they officially formed the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), an organization that has grown into a nationwide professional association serving more than 13,000 members.

Watch Rod speak in this video clip about how SHPE has been changing lives:
“What benefits the Hispanic community benefits the nation.”

Many of SHPE’s members will tell you that Rod’s vision has changed their life, affording them access and opportunities they would not have had otherwise. Over close to 50 years, Rod’s limitless compassion and unwavering service to others has been critical to the success of SHPE. This award honors his accomplishments and memorializes him as the guiding light of the organization that is leading Hispanics in STEM.

In 2022, the award will be open for nominations. Candidates must meet the following criteria for consideration:

• Demonstrates consistent dedication to SHPE’s growth and advancement
• Demonstrates compassion and a commitment to service of others
• SHPE Lifetime member with Lifetime and/or Professional membership status for at least 10 years
• Cannot have previously received the Rodrigo Garcia Founder’s Award

To learn more about SHPE’s National Convention, the STAR Awards, the 2020 winners, and the nomination process, please visit the STAR Awards at shpe.org/2021.

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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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

Los Angeles, CA – After a thorough search by a nonprofit board member recruitment & placement firm to identify candidates with experience complementary to the existing Board of Directors, SHPE has filled two previously vacant seats and three seats becoming vacant at the end of the current fiscal year.

Effective immediately, Carista Ragan of StackPath and Nicolas Tempestini of Accenture, are the newest members of the SHPE Board of Directors.

Carista Ragan is the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer at StackPath in Dallas, Texas. She has leadership experience in corporate start-up, FTSE 100, and Fortune 500 global companies, including the role of general counsel for North America and Latin America at The Weir Group based in Scotland, and leading a global commercial operations counsel team at Flowserve Corporation. Throughout her career, Carista has managed teams of attorneys in Asia, Latin America, Europe, the UK, and North America. She has traveled to 15+ countries training more than 25,000 executives and sales teams on Ethics and Compliance, FCPA and global anti-corruption and anti-bribery law, privacy law, risk management, anti-trust, privacy, employment law, and commercial contracts. She is passionate about positioning underrepresented groups for leadership and success and is frequently asked to speak on the topic.

Nicolas Tempestini is a Managing Director with 23+ years of experience at Accenture. He is currently the Google Business Group lead in the South Market Unit and leads the global talent development of Google Cloud. Nicolas is currently the Executive Sponsor at Accenture for both SHPE and Puerto Rico Universities Campus Recruiting. As the SHPE Executive Sponsor, he led the team to the 2019 STAR Company of the Year award and has launched two (2) virtual communities at Accenture –SHPE Alumni and Puerto Rico University Alumni groups – with a membership of about 200+ and 250+ respectively. Nicolas is a SHPE Lifetime Member and has been involved with SHPE since he was a freshman and eventual board member at the University of Michigan where he majored in Civil & Environmental Engineering.

Effective July 1, 2021, three additional executives will also join the SHPE Board of Directors – Steve Bermudez of Redline Ventures, Joaquin Gamboa of PWNHealth, and Fernando Paz of Cox Automotive.

Steve Bermudez is currently the CEO of a corporate development firm, Redline Ventures, where he supports emerging technology, real estate, and consumer product businesses in driving revenues, growth, and corporate initiatives. He also currently leads the mergers and acquisitions division of a commercial real estate and business brokerage, Alternative Real Estate Investments, Inc. In the past, Steve has managed and overseen the acquisition, construction, and development of global projects and developments with combined budgets in excess of over $1B+. He has held senior engineering positions at top ENR ranked firms McCarthy Building Companies and Clark Construction. He led global real estate project management for Citrix Systems, Inc. and held senior executive positions at technology startups, Impact and BioIQ. Steve earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Joaquin Gamboa is the Chief Legal Officer at PWNHealth. Prior to PWNHealth, Joaquin was Chief Business Development and Legal Officer at Spring Health. He helped lead Zocdoc for six years as Chief Legal Officer, Head of New Business and Government Affairs, and Chief People Officer; and he was a partner at a telecom and technology law firm in Washington, DC. Joaquin began his career in Silicon Valley where he ran international business development at a fintech startup, founded a venture fund, and worked as a corporate lawyer. Born in Mexico City, Joaquin now lives in New York City with his wife and three children.

Fernando Paz is Senior Director of Software Engineering at Cox Automotive. In his role, Fernando leads global teams responsible for innovative SaaS software and advanced analytics that offer automotive dealers key market insights and business intelligence. Previously, he held progressively senior positions at both Dell and Motorola. As Vice President, Software at Dell, Fernando was responsible for all software in support of ~$40B PC business. He joined Dell from Motorola where, as Software Director, he scaled engineering to grow the business to $5B. In addition, he served abroad and established a Software R&D Center of Excellence in Malaysia. Fernando holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, and a Master of Science in Engineering Management/MBA from the University of Florida. Fernando now lives in Austin, Texas with his wife and three children.

Governance Committee Chair Diana Gomez said about the search, “We were specifically looking for leading executives who are passionate about the mission of SHPE, but who also round out the competencies of our Board of Directors. These appointments bring knowledge and experience that will be invaluable as SHPE continues to grow its impact on leading Hispanics in STEM.”

As of June 30, three longtime SHPE Board members will step down – Founder Rod Garcia, Governance Committee Chair Diana Gomez, and Board Chair Miguel Alemany, though Miguel will remain as Board Chair temporarily to facilitate a smooth transition to the new Board Chair. All three individuals are very active, Lifetime members of SHPE who have played critical roles in the creation and evolution of SHPE over the years. Each of them will continue to be involved in volunteer positions and as mentors and role models to the next generation of SHPE members. The SHPE Familia owes a debt of gratitude to each of them and looks forward to their continued engagement.

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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 24, 2020

Contact: Kathleen DuBois
[email protected]
323-725-3970 x109

SHPE Distributes Record-Breaking Number of Student Scholarships and Awards Hundreds of Relief Fund Stipends

Bright Minds Scholarship Campaign and ALL-IN Relief Fund assists members in need

City of Industry, California – SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) was launched in 1974 to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its full potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.

According to SHPE CEO Raquel Tamez, “Financial need is the number one reason why Hispanic students do not complete a bachelor’s degree. So SHPE is offering thousands of reasons to ensure our members do reach graduation – $620,000 to be exact. With scholarships awarded to 191 students for the 2020-2021 academic year totaling more than $620,000 – a 39% increase over 2019-2020 – SHPE is actively narrowing the gap in the Hispanic STEM education pipeline.” Due to the pandemic, SHPE student members have been faced with unprecedented financial, academic and social challenges, which means scholarship support is more essential than ever.

In addition, the ALL-IN Relief Fund was quickly set up in April to support SHPE members experiencing a financial hardship due to COVID-19. “The pandemic hit many Hispanic STEM students and professionals hard. We received hundreds of applications once the new relief fund was announced, with the greatest reason cited for a stipend being job loss,” said Tamez. So far $112,000 in relief fund stipends to 292 Hispanics in STEM have been awarded since May and the next round will be awarded in September.

SHPE is grateful for the overwhelming generosity from hundreds of contributors including members, chapters and corporations. Many companies established named scholarships including: Apple, Bechtel, Chevron, Eaton, Intel, John Deere, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Spectrum, and Toyota. Bechtel, Cummins, Honeywell and Intel provided seed funds to establish the ALL-IN Relief Fund. And SHPE Board Chair Miguel Alemañy funded the Helen Cuesta Scholarship in honor of his mother – the first named scholarship established by an individual member.

Student and professional members who are struggling due to the effects of the COVID-19 can apply now for an ALL-IN Relief Fund stipend up to $500 by visiting https://smr.to/p65984

Individuals and organizations can make a donation to the Bright Minds Scholarship Campaign or ALL-IN Relief Fund by visiting https://www.shpe.org/support-our-students

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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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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As a leader interested and committed to growing your network in order to work together and find solutions for our community, we’d like to invite you to the FREE 2020 UnidosUS Annual Conference & Virtual Marketplace—America in Crisis: Ready to Act, Ready to Lead—taking place July 27–30.

A few months ago, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that the Conference would be transformed from an in-person event to a virtual experience. This year, registration for the Annual Conference and Virtual Marketplace is free and open to the public.

We support UnidosUS because we believe in its mission to see a strong America where economic, political, and social advancement is a reality for all Hispanics. As part of this mission, UnidosUS hosts one of the most important convening of Hispanic leaders, industry experts, elected officials, and change makers of today and tomorrow at their Annual Conference to address critical issues in our community.

This year’s theme is a reflection of the commitment of UnidosUS to address today’s challenges head on and demonstrate that the Hispanic community is ready to be the driving force in moving our nation forward.

This year’s sessions, as the theme suggests, will present the issues the Hispanic community is currently facing, from the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to continuing to demand racial justice, to mobilizing the Hispanic community to be informed and empowered voters on the path to the 2020 elections. Their National Latino Family Expo® this year will be presented as a Virtual Marketplace, where top brands and corporate partners will showcase their latest products and initiatives in virtual booths, featuring demonstrations, raffles and contents, and meet-and-greets.

This is an important time to showcase the leadership that is working towards moving this country forward. We encourage you and hope that you will take the time to join UnidosUS at their 2020 UnidosUS Annual Conference and Virtual Marketplace for this important conversation.

REGISTER NOW!

Follow #UnidosUS20 on social for the latest updates. Registration closes this Friday, July 24!

Earlier this week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program that would significantly impact international students legally in the country and the colleges and universities where they are pursuing their education. SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) encourages the administration, elected officials, and colleges and universities to act to protect international students affected by these modifications and to ensure they can remain enrolled and take classes. SHPE joined 64 other educational and scientific societies, representing STEM professionals in all fields, both in the U.S. and internationally, that signed a letter asking that the modified rules be withdrawn immediately..

“Many colleges and universities are considering alterations to their Fall 2020 campus plans that will allow students to continue their education while recognizing the threat that COVID-19 poses to public health, including the health of their students and their employees,” said Miguel Alemañy, National Board Chair of SHPE. “The modified rules announced this week would hurt international students and have a negative impact on their ability to earn their degrees.”

“The uncertainties created by COVID-19 call for a flexible and adaptable approach by all institutions and individuals,” said Raquel Tamez, Chief Executive Officer of SHPE. “At a time when many of SHPE’s student members are facing significant obstacles to achieving their dream of a college diploma, we stand united as a Familia in calling for action to preserve the ability of all international students to continue their education at their U.S. colleges and universities.”

In the absence of the withdrawal of the modified rules, we ask Congress to intervene to protect international students and provide students with the ability to attend their colleges and universities and participate in the full range of educational options offered by their schools. We fully support those colleges and universities who are fighting to maintain meaningful educational opportunities for all students and encourage all schools to work with their international students on effective solutions that advance their education.

SHPE is monitoring developments in Washington, D.C., in colleges and universities, and in federal court where Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have filed a lawsuit that seeks to restore students’ ability to pursue their education.

Additionally, SHPE is also exploring resources to assist its members that may be impacted by these changes.

As an organization that has supported Hispanic students and professionals in STEM for nearly 50 years, SHPE understands the value of education and will do what it can to support the international students, especially SHPE members, whose education will be disrupted by these proposed modifications.

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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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 5, 2020

City of Industry, California — The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) was launched in 1974 to change lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its full potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development. As an organization that advocates for diversity and inclusion, and to give a voice to an under-represented community, it’s our responsibility to stand up and fight injustice to our brothers and sisters of color.

We are outraged by the violent deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and the countless victims of systemic racism and brutality against the Black community that has persisted for centuries. To echo the words of National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Board Chair Jocelyn Jackson, these are “all victims of a shameful legacy of hate” and they deserve justice. In solidarity, we must stand up and demand justice. We demand an end to the senseless deadly violence against Black Americans. We demand that our country do better to combat systemic racism. Black lives matter.

SHPE remains focused on our core mission and vision as an organization. However, as part of our call to fight systemic racism, we are committed to make change happen from within SHPE. To that end, we have committed to the following:

• To publicly support and be allies to the Black community.
• To organize cultural awareness training for our community to cover topics like intersectionality, colorism, and bias.
• To encourage members who identify as Afro-Latinx to share their experiences and offer ideas on how we can be more supportive.
• To work together with other sister organizations to shape and disseminate public statements of solidarity; to create action plans that lift the underserved and underrepresented in STEM fields.
• To facilitate a series of member dialogues around the topics of cultural awareness, bias, and understanding.
• To listen to our members’ inspirations and ideas about how to improve.

Also, as a founding member of the 50K Coalition in 2015, along with the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and the American-Indian Science and Engineering Society, SHPE has committed to working collectively to increase the numbers of engineering graduates from underrepresented populations to 50,000 by 2025.

The SHPE values have never meant more than they do right now. As we grieve the death of George Floyd and the protests that followed, we look again to our values to guide our response and behavior. Familia means that we take responsibility for our collective strength and challenge each other to be our best. Service means we commit the highest levels of quality, integrity, and ethical behavior; and we act with empathy, patience, and understanding. Education means we are dedicated to continuous improvement and renewal; and we learn from successes, setbacks, and each other. And Resilience means we embrace our diverse cultures and communities, which enable us to adapt, thrive, and persist with optimism.

We embrace these values now more than ever. And we will use them to guide our actions in the days and months ahead as we commit to being an ally to the Black community in the fight for justice and equality.

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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. To accomplish this, SHPE provides a variety of programming, services, resources, and events, including hosting the largest Hispanic STEM convention in the nation. For more information, visit http://shpe.org.

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