CDC Workshop: Skills and Perspectives for Early Career Development

The workshop is sponsored and organized by IEEE Control System Society Women in Control, NCCR – Automation and IEEE Control System Society.

Organizers: Silvia Mastellone, Roy Smith, Saverio Bolognani, Dennice Gayme, Hideaki Ishii, Afef Fekih

Time and Location: Monday Dec. 5, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Abstract: This second workshop on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), is dedicated to implement some of the diversity strategies proposed as outcomes of the first CSS D&I Workshop that took place during the CDC 2021. The focus of this workshop will be on unconscious bias, its impact on applying for jobs and recruiting and how to face it as member of a minority group and how to prevent it as leader or as member of majority group.

The objective is twofold: on one end we offer students and young professionals from minority groups some theory and practice for developing required nontechnical skills to thrive as control engineers in academia and industry and specifically overcome the effect of unconscious bias. The second objective is to provide young leaders from any group with the knowledge and tools to prevent the effect of unconscious bias when recruiting and managing members of a research team.

Expected outcomes:

(i) Provide knowledge and training to acquire skills for starting and developing a successful career in R&D, with specific focus on minority groups: interviewing, negotiating, networking, understanding group dynamics at work. 

(ii) Provide knowledge and tools to overcome the effects of unconscious bias when recruiting or managing an R&D group.

Expected attendance:

(i) Students, postdocs and young researchers from minority groups preparing to face the job market and interested in acquiring skills for their future career in industry or academia.

(ii) Young professionals from academia and industry interested in acquiring skills to shape and sustainably manage a diverse and successful research group.

(iii) Members of the CSS from academia and industry interested in learning about unconscious bias and its effect on working groups and interested in fostering a creative and inclusive culture in their group, department, or institutions.