ABOUT DR. PEARSON

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Dr. Yvette E. Pearson is Founder and Principal Consultant of The PEER Group. Established in 2017, The PEER Group specializes in evaluation, organizational leadership, program development, and professional development to advance fairness, access, and opportunity for all in STEM education and practice. 

A former vice president at one of the fastest growing research universities in the U.S., Dr. Pearson has served in several faculty and administrative roles and is recognized globally for 30 years in higher education, particularly for her work in the areas of sustainability, access, and opportunity for individuals from minoritized and marginalized identities. Her university-based and consulting efforts have led to over $40M in funding for projects to support initiatives in STEM and she has been instrumental in leading changes to policies and practices of global STEM-based organizations.

Dr. Pearson is a registered Professional Engineer, an ENVISION® Sustainability Professional, and a Commissioner on ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission. A Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), she has been recognized with other prestigious national and international honors such as ABET’s Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion, ASCE’s Professional Practice Ethics and Leadership Award, the Society of Women Engineers’ Distinguished Engineering Educator Award, and ASCE’s President’s Medal, one of the highest honors awarded in this global organization of over 150,000 members. 

She has been an invited speaker for events hosted by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Brookings Institution and UN Foundation; American Association for the Advancement of Science; UK Research and Innovation; Institution of Civil Engineers (UK); World Federation of Engineering Organizations; and other engineering societies as well as numerous universities, corporations, and governmental agencies. Dr. Pearson has been quoted or featured by Media Planet, the Houston Chronicle, Dallas Morning News, ASCE News (now Civil Engineering Source), and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education; she served as an Education contributor for PE Magazine; and she has been featured in Medium, Civil Engineering Magazine, Prism, and Voyage Houston Magazine.

Her book - Making a Difference: How Being Your Best Self Can Influence, Inspire, and Impel Change - chronicles her journey and her work’s focus on “making sure other ‘Yvettes’ don’t fall through the cracks.” Her podcast, ENGINEERING CH∆NGE®, has audiences in over 80 countries on six continents.

Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Pearson holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Chemistry from Southern University and A&M College, a graduate certificate in Educational Research Methodology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Ph.D. in Engineering and Applied Science from the University of New Orleans. 

She is a devoted mother and daughter who, in her free time, enjoys singing, songwriting, and performing. She wrote, co-produced, and with her brother, Travis, performed "Inspired," the theme song for ENGINEERING CH∆NGE® Podcast under their stage name, “TraVet”.