Grainger Engineering Graduate Student Diversity Ambassadors

We are the Grainger Engineering Graduate Student Diversity Ambassadors. As student leaders, we assist with recruitment and retention of engineering graduate students with diverse experiences and goals, and who come from many educational, socio-cultural, geographic, and familial backgrounds. We engage with prospective students, serve as positive role models, act as on-boarding mentors, host events, and support graduate students throughout their experience at Grainger Engineering.

Making an Impact

 

Outreach

Want to know why students choose Grainger Engineering? Ask a Diversity Ambassador. We are experienced graduate students, trained to answer your questions about graduate school. From the admissions process to the many resources of our Illinois campus to how to navigate academic life, we help students with a wide array of experiences find their place in our inclusive campus community.

 

Onboarding

We know that starting out as a graduate student is a big adjustment. Diversity Ambassadors provide guidance to connect incoming, first-year graduate students to campus resources. You’ll have lots of questions your first year, and we’re ready to provide support and mentorship to help you settle in Champaign-Urbana and succeed in your academic career.

 

Engagement

Building an inclusive campus environment is the role of every Grainger Engineer. As Diversity Ambassadors, we take a leadership role in connecting graduate students at all levels with college and campus resources. Through events and mentoring activities, we encourage student involvement with peers and serve as role models for future engineers.

2023-2025 Diversity Ambassadors

Back row, from left: Brittany Payan, Gabriel Muñiz Negron, Garrett Williams, Lama Abufares, Nurila Kambar, Taha Shafa. Front row, from left: Sagar Regmi, Margie Ruffin, Hadjer Benkraouda. Not pictured: Nathanael Assefa, Maddie Stover,

Back row, from left: Brittany Payan, Gabriel Muñiz Negron, Garrett Williams, Lama Abufares, Nurila Kambar, Taha Shafa. Front row, from left: Sagar Regmi, Margie Ruffin, Hadjer Benkraouda. Not pictured: Nathanael Assefa, Maddie Stover.

Read more about our Diversity Ambassadors

The Diversity Ambassadors program is administered by the Office of Graduate, Professional, and Online Programs in The Grainger College of Engineering.

DIANA GONZALEZ
Director for Graduate Student Success

LAURA REITER
Graduate Programs Coordinator

For questions about Diversity Ambassadors, please contact our program team at: grainger-gsda@illinois.edu

IDEA Institute

The Graduate Student Diversity Ambassadors Program is supported by a grant from The Institute for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. IDEA is a focal point for expanding the visibility and impact of diversity efforts in The Grainger College of Engineering. The IDEA Institute offers anti-racism resources including webinars, blogs, reading materials, action items, talks, and more.

Learn more about IDEA

This project is co-sponsored by the IDEA Institute (#GIANT2022-03) and the IBM-Illinois Discovery Accelerator Institute.