OU’s Richard Olawoyin to serve on ABET’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Council

Richard Olawoyin, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering, has been appointed to the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), Inc.’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Advisory Council (IDEAC). 

"We are proud to have one of our ISE department faculty colleagues appointed to ABET's IDEA Council, working on the national stage to help increase diversity and inclusion in the engineering community,” said Robert Van Til, chair and Pawley Professor of Lean Studies in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. “The ISE department strongly supports this objective. In fact, the majority of current ISE department faculty members are from underrepresented groups in engineering." 

IDEAC’s mission is to promote inclusivity, diversity, and equity within ABET, its activities, its volunteer base, and its accredited programs. Founded in 1932, ABET is a nonprofit organization that accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology at the associate, bachelor, and master degree levels.

Since IDEAC is still being formally approved by ABET, Olawoyin and other council members will initially serve on an interim basis. His official term is expected to start on November 1, 2020 and will run for three years. Olawoyin has also served on ABET’s Accreditation Council Training Committee and as commissioner on ABET’s Applied and Natural Science Accreditation Commission.

"I'm humbled to serve on the ABET IDEA Council,” said Olawoyin. “Particularly because of the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to engineering education focusing on student learning in a changing world that is diverse and inclusive. Service to me is rewarding and exciting. In the words of Kahil Gibran, 'I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service is joy.'"