BCoE supports national diversity movement

August 19, 2015

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Dean Jason Keith and the Bagley College of Engineering have joined universities across the country to support a national diversity movement.

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) declared this as the “Year of Action in Diversity” to focus on increasing diversity in engineering. The organization has encouraged participating universities to establish, promote and develop programs that provide opportunities for minority students to excel in the field of engineering.

“We have an excellent diversity office in the BCoE,” Keith said. “We are already doing a lot of things outlined in the declaration, so our participation reaffirms our commitment to promoting diversity in our college.”

Keith is one of more than 120 engineering deans who signed ASEE’s pledge to support diversity initiatives. He says that the BCoE plans to continue its support of minority student populations and work toward increasing faculty diversity in the coming years.

The letter of intent was presented to the White House during its recent Demo Day, which focused on entrepreneurship and startup companies from diverse innovators from across the country. President Barack Obama made prominent mention of the ASEE initiative during his speech, stressing the importance of diversity in engineering to create a more dynamic economy.

ASEE has challenged participating universities to construct a diversity plan that commits to establishing a diversity-focused pipeline from high schools and community colleges, well as increasing diversity among their faculty ranks and developing partnerships with minority-serving universities.

Already part of the most diverse university in the 14-member Southeastern Conference, Mississippi State’s Bagley College plans to use its diversity programs to further increase its female population to 25 percent and its African American enrollment to 20 percent.

As the newly selected dean, Keith plans to hire faculty members with diverse backgrounds and research areas. He has also developed proposals for companies to support programs that increase minority participation in engineering fields.

The Bagley College’s existing diversity program’s mission to increase the participation of minorities and women in engineering directly coincides with ASEE’s new initiative. Through programs such as the National Society of Black Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education, the college gives students the opportunity to meet, support and network with their colleagues.

Five weeks before each fall semester, minority engineering students enrolled at Mississippi State are invited to participate in the Dow Chemical-sponsored Summer Bridge. Part of the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation, the program helps incoming freshmen adjust to life at the university while giving them the opportunity to take classes and compete for scholarships from Dow.

Recently the Bagley College of Engineering signed an agreement with Tugaloo College that will recruit students to complete a four-year Bachelors of Science at the historically African American, non-doctorate granting college followed by a doctoral degree in engineering from Mississippi State University.

“The office of diversity in the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University is committed to helping our students transition to the university and to do well throughout our curriculum,” Keith said. “This would not be possible without the help of the Hearin Foundation and corporations such as Dow Chemical, Chevron and Southern Company.”

Founded in 1893, ASEE furthers education in engineering and engineering technology through research, service and leadership. The non-profit organization provides professional opportunities for engineering faculty through increased communication among educational institutions, government officials and corporations.

More information about the American Society for Engineering Education can be found at www.asee.org.

For more information about the Bagley College of Engineering, visit www.bagley.msstate.edu.

By: Erin Boozer Zimmer