Left to right: Brenton Smith (PM, PIMD), Kevin Nichols (Senior IDEA Integration Partner, IDEA Office), Faith Dukes, Ph.D. (Director, K-12 STEM Education Programs), Kelly Johnson (Talent Outreach Program Manager), Jessica Granderson (Director of BTUS Division), Charles Lively III, Ph.D. (Science Engagement Engineer/HPC Consultant, NERSC)
Brenton Smith, Project Manager in PIMD, recently attended the 2024 National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) conference in Atlanta, Georgia as a Lab Ambassador for Berkeley Lab. Learn more about his reasons for becoming a Lab Ambassador and how it benefits the lab.
Why did you decide to become a lab ambassador?
I attended a lunchtime learning session presented by the IDEA office in February. They gave an overview of IDEA’s role at the Lab, different resources and programs they provide, and ways to get involved. Becoming a Lab Ambassador gave me an opportunity to represent PIMD at professional development and networking conferences and also support the Lab’s effort to increase underrepresented groups at the Lab.
What was the process like to become a lab ambassador and what kind of time commitment does it require?
The process was simple. First, I requested approval from my supervisor and department head as your department is responsible for your time and travel costs to attend certain events. After the request was approved, I filled out the Ambassador Form and identified a few events that I was interested in supporting. Ambassadors can volunteer as much time as their workload will allow. I highly recommend becoming a Lab Ambassador. There are many ways to get involved.
Tell us about your trip to the 2024 NSBE Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is a student-governed organization that supports students and professionals in engineering and technology fields. They host several regional conferences and one national convention each year to provide a space for networking, technical workshops, and community. I attended several NSBE conferences as an undergraduate student and was active in the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo chapter. This was partly why I was interested in attending this year’s conference. I also knew it would be a great way to support the Lab’s outreach effort, learn from peers in my field, and share my experience with people early in their career.
Eight other Lab Ambassadors joined me at the convention. It was great to see representation from different groups including IDEA, Talent Outreach, Government Relations, Building Technology and Urban Systems (BTUS), Workforce Development and Education (WD&E), and NERSC.
Robert. W. Woodruff Library
Before the conference kicked-off, we visited three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, and Spelman College. I enjoyed learning about each university’s history and the engineering programs that align with our research programs. I also had the chance to speak with pre-collegiate students about their interests in STEM and plans for college.
The NSBE convention itself was quite an experience. I attended a workshop on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workforce, presented by Microsoft. I learned about some of the challenges to consider when implementing AI tools at work and which tools are better suited for organizational privacy (i.e., intellectual property). There was also an aerospace expert panel discussion on “Architecting Our Futures In Space.” The panel discussed how critical non-aerospace industries and technologies (i.e., real estate, transportation, healthcare) will be to future space exploration. In addition to the workshops, I spent time at the career fair meeting with students interested in working at LBNL. I was able to share information about our internship programs as well as LBNL research that aligned with their interests.
Do you have plans to attend other events in the future?
If I am able to, I would like to attend the SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) National Convention or support local UC / Cal State career fairs.
If you’re interested in supporting diversity outreach initiatives, sign up to be a Lab Ambassador. Take the opportunity to promote Berkeley Lab by sharing your career journey and promote internship programs and job opportunities. These contributions can be noted towards IDEA performance goals as it can help improve your cultural awareness and elevate networking, presentation, and communication skills.
