Mission

Mechanical Engineering Students for Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (ME-IDEA), formerly Mechanical Engineering Students Against Racism (MESAR), is a student group established to dismantle systemic racism and other intersecting injustices in the University of Washington Mechanical Engineering (ME) department and the broader engineering community. We aim to promote communication and community among ME students, support historically marginalized students, and encourage the department to enact transparent and actionable strategies designed to facilitate equity. Our commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable space for learning will continue to adapt to serve the current student body's most pressing needs.

What We Do

ME-IDEA's reoccurring initiatives include the following. ME students are welcome to attend any and all of these meetings and opportunities.

Quarterly community meetings to explore concepts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), share experiences and ideas, ask questions, and build community with other ME students committed to racial justice
Bi-weekly strategic meetings to plan and discuss how to develop MESAR and engage with the ME department in a way that best serves our department's most marginalized students
Quarterly volunteer opportunities to support anti-racist work in the greater Seattle area and build community
Monthly donation club to support local and national organizations taking the lead on anti-racist work in our community
Participating in quarterly, student-led interdepartmental College of Engineering DEI Summits, attended by representatives from every department's DEI student groups within the College of Engineering and with the purpose of exchanging knowledge and resources gained from DEI work within each department
Promoting responses to departmental, college, and university surveys on a rolling basis, encouraging feedback on these entities' DEI and anti-oppression effort

History of Events

October 2023. MESAR changed its name to ME-IDEA and became an registered student organization at the University of Washington. We believe our new name is more representative of our broader goals as a student group in creating a space within the department to serve the current student body's most pressing needs.

January 2021. MESAR authored an open letter to the next department chair, expressing the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in mechanical engineering to be prioritized and asking for a transparent strategic plan for DEI to be presented to the department for feedback after two quarters as chair. This letter was supported by 160+ students, faculty, and staff signatures.

January 2021. MESAR participated in the search for the College of Engineering's Associate Dean of DEI through discussion and feedback, supporting the hiring of Dr. Karen Thomas-Brown.

October 2020. MESAR lobbied Dean Albritton to add three student positions to the ME departmental chair search committee, resulting in the addition of one undergraduate representative, one graduate representative, and one College of Engineering student representative.

July 2020. MESAR was established as an unofficial, self-organized student group.

July 2020. Four graduate students curated and emailed information on anti-racism and anti-racist opportunities to all mechanical engineering students at UW. The email series included educational resources, suggested actions that students can take in their personal and professional lives, and an invitation to continue conversations on racial justice as a part of MESAR.

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