Noise Control and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Part 2 – How are we doing?

By Jim Thompson

In keeping with the theme of INTER-NOISE 2023 being “A Quieter Society with Diversity and Inclusion”, out contributor continues his look at INCE and the noise control industry, to see how we are doing on the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Maybe it is time to gather some data to better understand how we are doing. 

A good starting point is to ask whether the noise control community and INCE are doing enough to support and foster DEI. A fair assessment would probably find that we have made considerable progress, but there is more that could be done. At the same time, I have seen a great improvement in the industry and INCE in the last decade or so. This topic is far too broad to address in this short column. Instead, I will try to relate a few examples and hopeful signs that I have seen. 

One shining example to me is the INCE-USA Board of Directors and Officers. In the 1990s when I first served on the Board, it was a group of middle aged or older white males. The INCE Business Office representative stood out as the only woman in the room. Since then, we have had three women Presidents and now have 10 women among the Directors, Staff, and Officers (a total of 30 individuals). While it is not 50%, it certainly far exceeds the national average of women in engineering which is 14%, Eng – SWE Fast Facts_Sept 2022. We have also done much better diversifying the group in terms of age, ethnicity, and other aspects. My guess is that the INCE-USA management team is as or more diverse than the noise control community in terms of age and gender. However, there is more to be done. The point is that progress has been made and there is work ongoing toward further improvement. 

To balance this perspective, if one looks at the attendees at NOISE-CON 2023, they are predominantly white males. Yes, there is much greater diversity than one would have seen in the 1990s, but looking out from the podium to the audience the exceptions to this characterization are limited. We need to do more. 

Before someone gets upset, you are right this is not a problem exclusive to noise control engineering. Looking at engineering in the United States, the representation is only 9 percent Hispanic or Latino and just 3 percent Black or African American, Engineer Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number Of Engineers In The US (zippia.com). The most recent data indicates there are 3 million technical jobs in the US that lack skilled people to fill them. While the numbers may vary, the trend is the same globally. We need technically trained people to fill many roles and to do so we need to focus on DEI. The challenges of the future require the participation of all of society, not just one segment. 

So, what can each of us do? We, and I mean all of us, need to reach out to those who are underrepresented in the noise control community.  This is more than simply treating people equally; it means bringing new people into the community. It means helping, supporting, and listening to these people. We need to make this a priority not only in position nominations, but in how we help and support others. This goes beyond changing the numbers. These people need to have a voice and we need to listen. 

The example I like to use is those times in life when you are in another country and don’t speak the language. If it were not for that one person who could speak your language, you might not have ever found the right train or the way back to your hotel. I know I have been there, and many of you have as well. That is my analogy to being the only woman or black or hearing-impaired person on a committee or at a meeting. It is more than just being given a chance. Someone must reach out to the individual and start a conversation or ask how they can help. This is what we all need to do. We need to look for opportunities to do this. 

So, even if you are not the INCE president, on the Board, or the nominating committee, there is an important role for us all to play to help to grow the diversity in INCE and the noise control community. A little effort can have a big impact. I can remember when in a strange place where just having someone point me in the right direction to the subway exit seemed “lifesaving” at the time. Even a small gesture can make a big difference. If we all work on this problem, great strides can be made to making INCE and noise control a much more diverse and representative part of our society. 

I would like to hear your thoughts about what we can do or what we can do differently. Please let me know how we can do a better job of DEI.