Dira Melissa Delpech, M.S.
Doctoral Student in Engineering Education
The Ohio State University
Q&A
Who have you admired in your path into the sciences and what qualities did you see in them that you embody in your own path?
I have admired most faculty, managers, and mentors that I have worked with or observed from afar. The one person that marked me the most was Charles “Chuck” E. Watson. When I met Chuck, he was first an advisor in the College of Engineering and now assistant dean of DEI. He used to always crack jokes and give tough love to all his students. His students now joke that he’s becoming softer with age. The first time he and I talked, he said he had a vision for who I could become and told me he would help me get there but that, I too, needed to have my own vision and work hard on achieving it. Chuck has a psychology background and although he was not a traditional STEM guy, he worked closely with us, underrepresented students of color in the college of engineering. He provided us with opportunities that we could only dream of. He taught me so much about what it takes to be a scientist, to fight for not just the knowledge but to also fight to grow, remain and belong in this role. He helped me get to where I am today in my career and until today, he continues to prove that having someone in your corner who believes in you and who can advocate for you is just as important as how much data you can compute. I aspire to be someone’s Chuck someday.
Can you tell us about a memorable moment in your career—a time when you knew you were working in your purpose?
I have always been passionate about research or theorization to practice. After working for over a year on developing the Students for Energy and Entrepreneurship Development Intersnhip Program, I have gotten to see the interns that went through the pilot program present their projects and share their future hopes and dreams about science, about community, and about making an impact. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear each one of them thank me for giving them the opportunity. Little did they know that their progress, growth over such a short amount of time, and their outcomes are what I am thankful for. It proved to me that all the hard work and sacrifice it takes to be in my Ph.D. Program, to work on the side, to continue pushing, it all pays off when one person feels like they got something out of it, and they too can help others. I saw so much beauty and hope for a sustainable world that wants to improve science with the intent to help the people. That’s what it should always be about.
What is one book or film you would recommend to a young person interested in a career in sciences?
I would recommend the movie, Picture a Scientist.
Career Highlights
- Rainville Leadership Award (University of Rhode Island)
- Founder and President of the Black and Brown Women in Engineering, Sciences, and Technology Sisterhood (BBWESTS) – President of the National Society of Black Engineers
- Program Manager and Coordinator of the SEED Internship Program at Argonne National Laboratory
- Multicultural Unity for Students Inclusion and Leader
- DEI Scholar
Biography
Dira Melissa “Mel” Delpech is a Ph.D. Student with a passion for community development and empowerment, student intrapersonal development, and the liberation of Black women and Women of color in STEM. She earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in French from the University of Rhode Island in 2020 and a Masters of Science in Engineering Management from the Ohio State University in 2022. As a graduate student, Mel has served as a mathematics teaching assistant to first-year students, an administrative associate for the faculty mentoring program, and more recently as a research assistant on an NSF CAREER funded project about surfacing deeply-held beliefs of what causes gender and race-based minoritization in engineering. Outside of her academic endeavors, Mel works closely with the Chain Reaction Innovations at Argonne National Laboratory on DEI initiatives, operations management, and program development related to entrepreneurship in energy/climate-change science. Mel enjoys building meaningful connections and grow her network through conferences, social media, and community events. As the true introvert she is, she also enjoys resourcing with her partner, her family and close friends by being in nature, staying active, dancing, reading, watching movies and shows, and keeping up with THE culture. In later years, Mel hopes to grow as an advocate and accomplice to under-represented communities and build more programs that help students explore their career interests in traditional and untraditional paths and find opportunities that allow them to create generational change.
