CORE^2 Builds Community and Programs for Underrepresented Minorities in Science and Engineering
Columbia's Graduate Student Coalition on Race and Ethnicity in Engineering offers members a place that feels like home, but also an important opportunity for professional development, networking and local community outreach.
The CORE^2 Fall 2022 Board
One of Columbia Engineering’s student organizations — the Coalition on Race and Ethnicity in Engineering (CORE^2) — aims to offer social, academic, and professional support for graduate students.
“When I look around in my own classrooms, I feel like minorities are few and far between here,” says CORE^2 president Emily Barragan, who is a PhD candidate in chemical engineering. “We create a community for all of us to feel a sense of belonging,” she says.
We sat down with Barragan to learn more about the group and what it offers graduate students at Columbia Engineering.
What is CORE^2?
The Coalition on Race and Ethnicity in Engineering is a Columbia student-led organization aiming to support underrepresented minority graduate students (URM) at SEAS by providing opportunities for professional and academic development and participating in local community outreach.
Who is CORE^2 for?
According to the NSF, underrepresented minorities in engineering are categorized as Black, Hispanic, and indigenous people. However, anyone can join. Other marginalized groups and allies are welcome to join and support the CORE^2 family!
Why should students consider joining?
There have been a handful of people who have come up to me after some of our events, and they're like, “Thank you, I needed this event, I needed to get out of my student bubble and just be a human with other people like me.”
Other times, some people will come up to me and say, “I didn't realize how many people I knew in my classes until I joined this club. And it made me feel more comfortable here.” That just really warms my heart.
What does CORE^2 do throughout the academic year?
We try to create events that are culturally relevant. In February — Black History Month — we had something planned for every week. And we do that for Women's History Month and for Hispanic Heritage Month, and all types of culturally relevant times of the year.
In 2022, we had our big Africa conference, in which we collaborated with Columbia's Business School. It was a three-day event for which we invited influential technology-political leaders from Africa. We hosted a bunch of panels and even a fashion show, and it was very successful.
Here’s a list of some of our recent events:
- Juneteenth Picnic collaboration with NYU and Weill Cornell from the Tri-institutional Minority Society
- Pinata making for Hispanic Heritage Month
- Columbia Africa Conference in collaboration with the Africa Business Club (see link)
- Walking Tour of Harlem
- Book Club of the works of a Woman of Color (WOC) author during Woman’s History Month (last year we read “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou)
- Black Panther watch party at a rented-out theater in Times Square
- Beading Workshop in collaboration with the Native American Council for Native American Heritage Month
- Board game nights
Learn More
Our Website: https://coresquared.studentgroups.columbia.edu/
Our Linktree: https://linktr.ee/core.squared.columbia
Africa Conference: https://www.columbiaafricon.com/
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