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ExxonMobil, National Society of Black Engineers Honor Universities
for Minority Retention Efforts
Inaugural Impact Award recognizes programs at Purdue, Virginia Tech
and University of Texas
Inaugural Impact Award
given by ExxonMobil and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)
honors university initiatives to retain minority engineering students.
Pictured left to right: Dr. Carl Mack, NSBE; Andrea Ogilvie, University
of Texas at Austin; Virginia Booth Cleghorn, Purdue University; Carolyn
Marsh, Virginia Tech; Kenneth Warren, ExxonMobil; Franklin Moore, NSBE
(Photo: Business Wire)
- Award honors universities for achievement in retention of
under-represented minority engineering students
- Universities receive $10,000 grant for outstanding programs
- ExxonMobil grant to National Society of Black Engineers to
administer Impact award
IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exxon Mobil Corporation and the
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) have announced the
inaugural winners of the Impact Award, a recognition that honors
universities for retaining under-represented minority students
enrolled in engineering programs on their campuses.
Purdue University, Virginia Tech and the University of Texas at
Austin each received a $10,000 award from ExxonMobil and NSBE to
bolster their efforts. All the recipients were recognized at an
event held April 13 at the Carnegie Institution for Science in
Washington, DC.
“As a company built on technology, ExxonMobil clearly understands
the importance of supporting the next generation of scientists and
engineers,” said Suzanne McCarron, general manager, public and
government affairs, Exxon Mobil Corporation. “ExxonMobil and NSBE
created the Impact Award to highlight retention models that are
keeping under-represented students in science, technology,
engineering or mathematics (STEM) fields and then sharing those best
practices with other universities.”
The Impact Award was created by ExxonMobil and NSBE in recognition
that under-represented minorities together make up just 10 percent
of Americans working in the science and engineering field. This
number would need to triple to match the share of minorities in the
U.S. population. Underlining the need for retention is the fact that
about 60 percent of African Americans who start STEM degrees change
their major.
“NSBE is proud to partner with ExxonMobil to create this award,”
said Dr. Carl B. Mack, executive director of NSBE. “Our organization
is dedicated to increasing the ranks of minorities in engineering,
and we are excited to highlight programs that are helping address
the critical issue of retention.”
The Impact Award recognizes collegiate programs that are not only
making significant inroads in retaining minority students to
engineering-related programs, but also have the ability to easily
replicate the programs at other universities:
- Purdue University - Program focuses on outreach, recruitment and
retention efforts and offers support to entering freshmen as well as
returning engineering students. The university has also implemented an
Academic Boot Camp, which is geared toward helping students adjust to
differences between high school and college and offering assistance
with first-year engineering courses.
- Virginia Tech - Center for Enhancement of Engineering Diversity
focuses on ensuring that freshman students successfully transition to
college. CEED implements a summer bridge program, freshman peer
mentoring and residential living-learning communities, all of which
contribute to the academic, personal and professional success of their
students.
- University of Texas at Austin - Equal Opportunity in Engineering
initiative focuses on academic success and personal growth and
includes First Year Interest Groups, or FIGs, that serve to assist
students in building support networks with other students and faculty
members. FIG cohorts also share a class schedule and weekly seminars
to encourage relationship building among peers.
ExxonMobil develops and supports other programs that encourage
students to develop a keen interest in STEM careers, specifically
promoting the involvement of women and minorities in these
industries, as well as initiatives to improve effectiveness of
teachers. ExxonMobil is a founding sponsor of the National Math and
Science Initiative (NMSI) and committed $125 million to support it.
NMSI was launched to improve math and science education by preparing
talented students and teachers. ExxonMobil also supports ExxonMobil
Bernard Harris Summer Science Camps, Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers
Academy and Science Ambassadors.
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