Outstanding Faculty Advisor
Candiece White
Rutgers University, School of Engineering
For being a committed mentor and advisor; for inspiring students in underrepresented groups to accomplish their academic and professional goals; and for being a crucial stakeholder in SWE’s success.
The transition from university student to alumna to employee of one’s alma mater is something Candiece White has accomplished with grace and a generous spirit. Being a former student at Rutgers University has worked not only to White’s advantage, but also to the benefit of the students she advises and mentors.
She can relate to the obstacles and experiences women students face as they pursue their studies in STEM fields. As assistant dean and assistant director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University, she can also provide them a range of options and opportunities to overcome those challenges. White advises and mentors high school and university students, refines and/or develops new programs to support and retain women engineering students, and oversees training of academic and residential staff.
White steers an estimated 200 first-year students through the EOF application process and ensures the program is inclusive of women and underrepresented students. The EOF program offers financial and academic assistance to low-income New Jersey residents who demonstrate academic and or creative promise, but who lack adequate resources for college.
As an engineer and academic dean, White takes personal stake in the achievements of women engineering students at Rutgers. She demonstrates this through her inclusive leadership and her sustained involvement in the Rutgers collegiate section of the Society of Women Engineers. She became SWE advisor in 2009 and has devoted considerable time and attention to making not only the collegiate section successful, but also the young women who are involved. Rutgers SWE has grown from fewer than 20 members to more than 350 today.
In the past six years, White has attended all of SWE’s annual conferences and some regional events as a visible reminder to students of their value as women engineers. She also actively recruits companies to career fairs and often accompanies students to these events to vouch for their accomplishments during interviews.
Many members have benefited from White’s unwavering support and guidance and have become SWE Future Leaders and serve on Society-level committees. Others have joined SWE as professionals and return to campus to volunteer at events. Rutgers SWE has become one of the most prominent engineering organizations on campus, earning awards at the local, regional, and Society levels, including the Mission Award, Gold Level (2019, 2020, and 2021) and the WE Local 2021 Outstanding Professional Development Event, among others.
White also advises engineering organizations at Rutgers, including the Minority Engineering Educational Task (Rutgers Chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers) and Phi Sigma Rho, an engineering sorority for which she was a founding member as a student (Xi Chapter). She coaches and mentors students in these organizations to enhance their leadership and communication skills and creates meaningful programs that address their mental and physical health and personal and professional development.
She holds a B.S. in industrial and systems engineering and an MBA from Rutgers University.
In her free time, White enjoys traveling, listening to music, getting lost in a good book, and exploring new cuisines. When the weather is nice, you can find her outside going for a run or hike.