The diverse undergraduate engineering community at UC Berkeley encompasses students with a variety of backgrounds and identities. UCB SWE is committed to supporting and uplighting intersectional identities within our organization, and translating our local voices into impactful political action.
Are you a student interested in contributing to equity in engineering? Applications open for the E&I and Advocacy Committee at the beginning of each semester!
Are you part of an organization interested in partnering with us? Contact Sofia Gonzalez (E&I Chair) at sofia_gonzalez@berkeley.edu , and Manlin Zhang (Advocacy Chair) at manlinzhang@berkeley.edu !
Advocacy Committee
Our Advocacy Committee is committed to increasing civic engagement and political awareness within SWE to broaden the impact of our voices within the school, local, and state government.
Policy Portfolio
Since Spring 2026, we have researched California state policy to identify and lobby for bills that directly affect women in STEM, engineers in the workforce, and the future of STEM education.
UCB SWE’s Policy Portfolio for California Legislative 2025-26 Session:
View the Policy Portfolio
Lobbying
Our Advocacy Committee visited Sacramento in April 2026 to meet with a number of our state legislators’ offices:
- Senator Josh Becker
- Senator Dave Cortese
- Assemblymember Jose Luis Solache
- Assemblymember Diane Papan
- Senator Lena Gonzalez
- Senator Steve Padilla
- Assemblymember David Alvarez
- Assemblymember Gail Pellerin
We advocated for our bills, learned what each office was doing to further equity in STEM and the workforce, and committed ourselves as a resource for each office to hear directly from collegiate women in engineering.
Upcoming Events
- In Fall 2026, in collaboration with SWE’s Public Policy Affinity Group, we will host an online workshop for college students new to public policy to learn how to get involved in local advocacy and civics. We'll introduce what advocacy actually means, how to get involved with policy at the college level, and spotlight advocates & college chapters to talk about their advocacy efforts. Keep an eye out for signups on SWE’s Event Calendar!
- In Spring 2027, the committee will host its inaugural UC Berkeley SWE Congressional Advocacy Conference. This free-to-attend 2-day event will be open to all students within SWE and the College of Engineering, and will introduce students to political advocacy, fluency with state politics, and culminate in a trip to the State Capitol to advocate to state legislators. Stay connected with UCB SWE’s socials to learn more!
E&I Committee
In an effort to support all intersectional identities within SWE, we host a variety of events like our SWE&I talks and town hall-like discussions to provide a safe space for people to talk about their identities and how they impact their perspective as engineers.
Research Projects
The committee is also committed to ensuring that SWE’s conduct is a reflection of our inclusive beliefs. In Spring 2026, we evaluated the companies that financially support SWE.
We presented the results of our research at the Engineering Ethics Workshop, hosted by the College of Engineering, on April 16th.
E&I Working Group
Our E&I Working Body (EIB) collaborates with different members and representatives in the College of Engineering to identify aspects of SWE that need to be improved to better support underrepresented marginalized groups.
All students are welcome to apply to be a part of EIB- keep an eye out on UCB SWE’s socials for applications, opening late October 2026!