Above from left: Felipe Correa, Spencer Aramburu-Perkins, Jordan During, and Camren Corbett; leaders from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and National Society of Black Engineers. (PHOTO COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH)
For the second year in a row, “Minority Engineer Magazine” has included the undergraduate engineering program at the University of Pittsburgh’s Swanson School of Engineering in its annual Top 20 Universities List. The magazine, published by Equal Opportunity Publications Inc., randomly surveys readers, asking them to name the top universities that have diverse student body and faculty and that diversify undergraduate curriculum and promote diversity and inclusivity.
“It is a great honor to be selected again by Minority Engineer Magazine,” said Mary Besterfield-Sacre, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Nickolas A. DeCecco Professor in Industrial Engineering. “This recognition validates efforts such as Pitt EXCEL, which understand that the Swanson School of Engineering and the broader field is stronger when students of all backgrounds and experiences can access the resources and the support they need to thrive.”
The Pitt EXCEL program seeks to recruit, retain, and graduate exceptional engineers, with a focus on those historically underrepresented in the field. Students in the program can access resources such as summer academies and research internships as well as tutoring and academic advising.
The program helps to ensure participating students can pursue their desired field in engineering while forming meaningful connections with peers, professors, staff, alumni, and industry relations that can last far beyond graduation.
“This honor acknowledges the outstanding and diligent effort at the Swanson School,” said Clyde Wilson Pickett (EDUC ’17G), Pitt’s vice chancellor for equity, diversity, and inclusion. “It’s the result of collective investment and hard work by everyone on the faculty and staff, especially the EXCEL program, to uplift students, including groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in STEM fields, and give them the tools they need to succeed and thrive at the top of a very demanding program.”
– by Steinur Bell,
University of Pittsburgh