Celebrating diversity, young engineers get advice from role model

From left, Cornell electrical and computer engineering majors Yi-Fung Ng '05, Yuk Kee Cheung '05 and Liqian Ma '04 talk with Robert Ryan, Cornell M.S. '68, vice president and CFO of Medtronic, after his keynote speech at the annual Engineering Diversity Dinner in the Memorial Room of Willard Straight Hall, Feb. 29. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Rachel Solomon Einschlag '04

"We want to enhance diversity so we don't all look and talk alike," said W. Kent Fuchs, dean of Cornell's College of Engineering. "Diversity enriches our lives, it is a constant celebration."

Fuchs' words were delivered Sunday, Feb. 29, when about 120 engineering students, faculty and guests gathered in Willard Straight Hall for the sixth annual Engineering Diversity Dinner. The evening honored National Engineers Week and Cornell's diversity statement, which Fuchs' words echoed: "Open doors, open hearts, open minds."

Students with a wide variety of engineering concentrations, backgrounds and cultures listened to keynote speaker Robert L. Ryan, Cornell M.S. '68, electrical engineering, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Medtronic. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Medtronic is a leading medical technology company, providing products for people with chronic diseases.

Ryan, an African American with a declared working-class background, described how he succeeded as a minority in a "non-minority" world. His three-part message to students was: earn as much money as possible, choose a job with the maximum job security and minimize encounters with racism.

"Value education," Ryan said. "There are very few places like the United States ... where if you work hard [no matter] what background you come from, you can get a world-class education."

Ryan advised working hard until a job is done and cultivating a good rapport with supervisors as ways to move up in a corporation and avoid the constraints of racism. Welcoming feedback from a supervisor, he said, is a reliable way to sidestep discrimination.

Ryan stressed career satisfaction as a major factor in workplace success. "Realize your talents and let them guide you. Work is a lot more fun when you are doing something you enjoy," he said.

Ryan himself decided not to pursue his doctorate in engineering at Cornell in order to earn an MBA at Harvard University. That facilitated his entry to the business world.

"As a woman, I don't think a lot of his advice applies as much to me," said Natalie Morin '04, a computer science-engineering major, after the talk, noting that Ryan did not focus on issues that constrain women in the workplace, such as maternity leave or child care. "But I do agree that to get ahead you have to put in a lot of effort and this is a country that rewards that."

The informal atmosphere of the occasion helped facilitate discussion between students and the representatives of engineering firms at each dinner table. Sponsors of the event included Medtronic, Eastman Kodak, Northrop Grumman and Cornell's International Students Programming Board.