INDUSTRY

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), an organization dedicated to increasing the number of black engineers, will celebrate Engineers Week from Feb. 22–26, 2016. For this popular event within the engineering community, organizations come together each year to call attention to the contributions that engineers make to society, increase public dialogue about the need for engineers and bring engineering to life for children, educators and parents.

At NSBE, Engineers Week goes beyond celebrating the contributions of black engineers. It also focuses American society on the untold stories of these engineers’ dynamic achievements and the impact of those achievements on the U.S. and the world. On Feb. 22, NSBE will launch a takeover of its homepage, www.nsbe.org, featuring content about black engineers and the thriving black communities within NSBE, including the Society’s Special Interest Groups, collegiate and NSBE Jr. membership, and NSBE Professionals. Among its activities in recognition of Engineering Week’s “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day,” NSBE will feature NAVAIR engineer LaTisha Durham on NSBE’s website and social media.

“Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to raise a generation of black engineers,” says NSBE’s national chair, Neville Green. “In order to achieve our collective goals, we must collaborate with partners who are also passionate about the topic,” Green says. “It is our hope that this cooperation with our partners to increase the number of black engineering graduates will fill a critical void in the nation’s workforce,” Green concludes.

Green references workforce demands that the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) community as a whole must overcome. For example, STEM jobs are projected to grow by 953,200 between 2012 and 2022, a growth rate that is 30 percent higher than that of the overall workforce. Yet this demand will be met with a projected shortfall of one million STEM workers over the next decade, according to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (2012).

In addition, NSBE will feature its ongoing campaign, Be 1 of 10,000, to increase the number of black engineering graduates. Visitors will be invited to the campaign landing page to “take the pledge,” to help NSBE meet its 10-year goal for U.S. colleges and universities. That goal is to graduate 10,000 black engineers annually, with bachelor’s degrees, by 2025. 

“Engineers Week is a great opportunity for those who are not familiar with NSBE to get a clear understanding of what our programs, and ultimately our mission, have to offer to the community at large,” says NSBE National Programs Chair Noral Walker. NSBE’s long history includes the creation and development of programs for pre-college students, including the Society’s Pre-College Initiative,  NSBE Jr. chapters and the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids (SEEK), as well as academic and professional development programs for NSBE’s collegiate and professional members. “It is our hope that many readers outside of our organization will enjoy our website content, participate in our activities and develop a lifelong love of engineering, or expand on the deep interest in engineering they may already have.”

NSBE invites the community to enjoy its content on NSBE.org and also partner with the organization and support its efforts. Please see the next page for NSBE activities and programs during Engineers Week.