1072-8325/20/$35.00 © 2020 by Begell House, Inc. www.begellhouse.com 303 Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 26(4):303–323 (2020) INCLUSIVE CIRCLES OF CONVERSATION: IMPLEMENTING AN INNOVATIVE DIVERSITY PROGRAM AMONG ENGINEERING FACULTY AND STAFF Chandni D. Shah, 1, * Zachary Elison, 2 & Klod Kokini 3 1 University of Maryland, 4281 Chapel Drive, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA 2 University of North Carolina at Charlote, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlote, North Carolina 28223, USA 3 Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayete, Indiana 47907, USA *Address all correspondence to: Chandni D. Shah, University of Maryland, 4281 Chapel Drive, College Park, MD 20742, USA; Tel.: +301-314-7651; Fax: +301-314-9206, E-mail: chandni@umd.edu The feld of engineering will beneft from increased attention to diversity and inclusion, starting with faculty and staff in colleges of engineering. The theoretical underpinnings from learning communities, intergroup dialogues, and empathy and emotional processing were used to create a framework for a di- versity and inclusion program, Inclusive Circles of Conversation (ICOC). The goal of this program is for engineering faculty and staff to work toward (a) improving attitudes toward addressing bias, (b) increas- ing diversity-related knowledge and awareness, and (c) changing behaviors (e.g., reducing the impact of their implicit biases, actively working against biases, and implementing inclusive practices) for a more welcoming climate for colleagues and students with marginalized identities. After reviewing the literature, theory, and framework, the authors provide a case example of the ICOC, as demonstrated at one uni- versity’s college of engineering. The authors present observed themes from the program and a guide for others to develop such programs. Implications, future directions, and potential limitations are discussed. KEY WORDS: implicit bias, learning communities, intergroup dialogues, empathy, emotional processing 1. INTRODUCTION The feld of engineering continues to struggle with inclusion. Despite the growing de- mographic variety within the United States, the feld of engineering remains comprised of predominantly White, middle-class, English-speaking men (National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council, 2009). According to the American Society for Engineering Education, women represent only 20.9% of engineering undergraduate students and 16.3% of engineering faculty (Yoder, 2016). Such disparities represent a signifcant loss in the creative and intellectual capital inherent in diverse peoples. For example, diversity within group settings can promote complex thinking (Antonio et al., 2004), academic self-effcacy (Denson and Chang, 2009), productivity (Van Knippenberg et al., 2004), and cognitive development (Bow-