MatSE names Enrique Gomez as associate head for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
Enrique Gomez, professor chemical engineering and materials science and engineering, is taking on a new role as the associate head for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE). Enrique holds a 40% appointment in MatSE and a 60% appointment in chemical engineering with his new appointment.
“I am honored to be the inaugural associate head for diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Gomez. “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.
Gomez has led an active research program while at Penn State, including as the director for the Center for Self-Assembled Organic Electronics, a $7.5M 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. 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 said.
Gomez has a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of California at 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 area. More on diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.