Black History Month

This February in honor of Black History Month, ASME celebrates and recognizes the central role of Black individuals in US history, culture, society, and engineering. ASME will feature videos from Dr. Aprille Ericsson, an American aerospace engineer who was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Howard University, and ASME Governor-Elect and Fellow, Monica Moman-Saunders, as they share their journeys to becoming mechanical engineers as Black women.

ASME is committed to dismantling barriers in the form of policies and practices and is committed to growing Black representation in the engineering field. Currently only 3% of engineering jobs are held by Black people. We have lots of work to do as we continue to support unrepresented groups in the engineering disciplines.

February also celebrates Engineers Week (2/19-2/25). This week-long observation ensures that the engineering workforce gets the recognition it deserves and aims to diversify the future of this field. ASME kicks off the celebration with an episode of our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Podcast, featuring ASME’s FY23 President Karen Ohland and ASME Governor Susan Ipri Brown, on how DEI can play a role in charting engineering career paths, as well as how cultural competency can help with career pivots.  

Engineers don’t just sit back and watch things happen, they make things happen. The world is evolving and that means the engineering profession must become more equitable, both by increasing diversity within its ranks and by ensuring that breakthrough advances are more accessible to underserved global communities. 

With regards,


Thomas Costabile, P.E.
ASME Executive Director/CEO