Word to the W.I.S.E. #whystandardsmatter UL Standards & Engagement

As we round up season two of the Word to the W.I.S.E. podcast, we present you with an episode that unpacks why standards matter and touch every aspect of our lives.

UL Standards & Engagement embarked on a project to align its standards catalogue and standards development process with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We're joined by the principal movers of that mission, David Wroth, Director, Data Science at UL Standards & Engagement and Grace Callahan, International Standards Specialist for UL Standards & Engagement.

One of the key indicators of the move toward gender responsive standards is the increased participation of women experts in decision making and technical bodies. Toward that effort, we travel today to Shanghai to speak to Miss Lin Xing, Director Standards and Institute of Testing Technology, Shanghai Electrical Apparatus Research Institute (SEARI). She is part of multiple UL Standards and Engagement Standards Technical Committees (TCs) today.

For standards to be relevant and sustainable, having younger voices at the standards development table, or "age diversity," is becoming an important point of discussion. On this episode we speak to Carrie Schmaus, Technology Manager, US Department of Energy and Chair of the Young and Emerging Professionals, YEP Committee, the USNC and Grace Callahan, International Standard Specialist for UL Standards & Engagement, selected for the 2022 IEC Young Professionals Workshop at the IEC General Meeting this year.

We explore the institutions or systems out there to support the next generation of standards and encourage younger professionals to look at standardization as a career prospect.

Developing standards that are truly gender responsive and representative of current realities requires working with a diverse set of voices and perspectives. In this conversation, we speak with Filwah Alqahtani, manager of the National and International Technical Committees Department at the Saudi Standards Meteorology and Quality Organization (SASO), and Dr. Azizah Alogali, who oversees the organization's aspects of strategic planning. Both are working toward creating more opportunities for women to have a say in standardization, not just locally or regionally, but globally as well.

Greater participation by women, especially young and emerging professionals, will be pivotal to the future of inclusive and representative standards globally. What will it take for more diverse voices to take the lead on standards development? In this episode we speak with Veronica Lancaster, Vice President of Standards Programs at the Consumer Technology Association, North America's largest technology trade association. Veronica is also the President of the Board of Directors at Women in Standards, a community of Standardization professionals focusing on the elevation and education of the standards development community on the importance of diversity, inclusion and gender responsiveness.

Stakeholder diversity is critical to facilitating innovation in the way standards are developed. So, what changes must take place to ensure the voice of diverse groups are in fact counted on in technical committees and decision-making bodies? On this episode we speak with Megan Hayes, Senior Technical Director, Operations at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). She also serves as the Chair of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC).

Do listen till the end as Megan extends an open invitation to listeners.