Bucknell Program Seeks to Boost Retention of Minority Engineering Students

In 2010, Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, established the Engineering Success Alliance, a program designed to increase diversity among engineering majors and to boost retention of engineering students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Students who participate in the program receive academic support services, peer support, tutoring, and internship and research opportunities. Students get to interact with an advisory board that includes Bucknell engineering alumni and the university’s president. This year, there are nine sophomores and 13 freshmen enrolled in the Engineering Success Alliance.

George Pierson, CEO of the international engineering firm Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. and a 1984 Bucknell graduate, has pledged $250,000 to support the program for five years. The university has committed to raising $1 million to support the alliance and is more than halfway to its fundraising goal.

“The biggest thing the students get from the program is confidence,” said ESA Director Barbra Steinhurst. “Some of that is coming from the math lab and certainly with interactions with the advisory board. The persistence also comes from knowing someone is watching out for them.”

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs