Dr. Martha Mitchell, professor and associate department head for chemical and materials engineering, has been appointed as director of equity, inclusion and diversity for the College of Engineering at New Mexico State University.
College of Engineering Dean, Dr. Lakshmi Reddi made an announcement in early March.
“It is my pleasure to announce the appointment of Dr. Martha Mitchell as Director of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (EID) for the College of Engineering,” Reddi said. “This effort is of utmost importance to the college to support faculty, staff and students as we move forward with our goal of inclusive excellence.”
Mitchell will continue as tenured professor in the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering while leading this new initiative in close relationship with the NMSU Office of Equity, Inclusion and Diversity.
The development and implementation of fulfilling the goals of the EID program in the College of Engineering will include a number of responsibilities.
- Working with the NMSU Office of Equity, Inclusion and Outreach, along with other campus resources, to provide workshops and training on equity, inclusion and diversity;
- Working with department heads to develop and implement EID plans;
- Working with college leadership to develop and implement a coherent EID strategy that includes metrics and rewards for contributions to the program;
- Serving as a faculty, staff and student diversity advocate in the college;
- Developing a mentoring process for junior faculty from underrepresented groups;
- Attending College Leadership Meetings once a month to report on and discuss EID efforts;
- Produce, with college staff, a semi-annual newsletter showcasing the college EID initiatives and goals and articles for inclusion in college social media and publications.
“I thank Dr. Mitchell for adding this new responsibility,” Reddi added. “Please join me in congratulating her and offer her your full cooperation and support in growing equity, inclusion and diversity in the College of Engineering.”
About Dr. Martha Mitchell
Mitchell's area of research revolves around computer modeling and simulation of adsorption and transport in nanoporous materials and at fluid phase interfaces.
She has applied various techniques such as Molecular Dynamics, Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations, and Molecular Density Functional Theory to explore molecular-level adsorption and transport of fluids that are confined to nanoporous materials.
Mitchell’s work also involves the use of equilibrium thermodynamics, Gibbs Ensemble Monte Carlo simulations, and Density Functional Theory to study aerospace fuels. Currently, Mitchell is leading a project in the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Bio-mediated and Bio-inspired Geotechnics, which is focused on comprehending the factors that affect biocementation of native sands employed for erosion control.
Mitchell has also held several key positions in her academic career, including serving as the Department Head of Chemical Engineering from 2005 to 2012, and as the Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering at NMSU from 2012 to 2016.
Throughout her career, she has collaborated with researchers from different institutions, including NMSU, Arizona State University, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and NASA/Johnson Space Center-White Sands Test Facility.
Additionally, Mitchell was the principal investigator for an NSF ADVANCE PAID grant, which was a collaborative effort involving New Mexico State University, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the University of New Mexico, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
