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Above: CU �鶹ӰԺ NSBE Chapter Membership, 2019.
Top: CU �鶹ӰԺ NSBE Executive Leadership Board, 2019-2020 

The �鶹ӰԺ College of Engineering and Applied Science has been selected to host the National Society of Black Engineers National Leadership Conference in 2020 and 2021. The conference is NSBE’s premier training program for approximately 250 national and regional officers who spend four days focused on leadership training and skill-building. The conference was created over 20 years ago to support NSBE’s mission to end the underrepresentation of Black engineering students in the U.S. by graduating 10,000 Black engineers annually by 2025.

“The �鶹ӰԺ is a perfect match for NSBE, not only as a venue that provides great facilities for our National Leadership Conference but also as an institution with a proven commitment to diversity and inclusion in engineering,” said NSBE National Chair Jocelyn Jackson, a doctoral student in engineering education research at the University of Michigan. “The success of CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Broadening Opportunities through Leadership and Diversity (BOLD) Center, its outreach to HBCUs such as Howard University, its partnership with organizations such as the National GEM Consortium and its longtime support of the CU NSBE chapter are just a few of the efforts that have led us to choose this campus as our leadership conference site for the next two years.”

The NLC brings together these regional and national student leaders for an opportunity to build community, share ideas and expand their professional development. They also study key leadership tools including effective communication, coalition-building, asset-mapping and conflict resolution.

Dedication to Change

The �鶹ӰԺ is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive community and facilitating leadership development that supports growth and development on campus while also empowering students to create systemic change when they enter their professional careers. For this reason, the university plans to partner with industry leaders to make the 2020 and 2021 conferences high-impact experiences that build community and create positive change. In fall 2019, CU Engineering admitted its largest and most diverse class.

CEAS is partnering with CU �鶹ӰԺ’s Office of the Provost to bring the NSBE National Leadership Conference to campus. "We're proud to host the NSBE National Conference, as it affirms our college and our university's commitment to diversity and inclusion in education," said Interim Dean Keith Molenaar. "I anticipate this program to be full of learning and growth for everyone participating." 

Karl W. Reid, Ed.D, executive director of NSBE, has “witnessed incredible progress toward our mutual goal of increasing the number of African Americans and other underrepresented minorities in the field of engineering” since he first visited CU �鶹ӰԺ for the university’s Diversity Summit in November 2016. “The leadership of the College of Engineering Applied Science clearly knows that diversity matters, and I look forward to the growth of our partnership with the college in the years to come,” said Reid.

NSBE at CU �鶹ӰԺ

“I hope that having the NSBE NLC at CU �鶹ӰԺ, a predominantly white institution, provides support and encouragement to our Black student population,” said Holiness. “This type of partnership could inspire our students as well as Black youth to pursue an engineering education and join the field of professional engineers.”

The CU �鶹ӰԺ chapter is supported by Tanya Ennis, their advisor and the BOLD Center Director. Ennis, who helped charter the NSBE chapter at Southern University, has a long history with the organization. “NSBE was a part of my engineering identity development. As vice-president of the chapter, I planned outreach programs for area high schools, hosted high school students on campus to teach engineering design and technology and conducted professional development workshops for NSBE members. The NSBE community is like a proud family who cares for our
members and fosters the academic and professional success of the membership”

�鶹ӰԺ NSBE
With more than 600 chapters and more than 24,000 active members in the U.S. and abroad, the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE, founded in 1975, supports and promotes the aspirations of collegiate and pre-collegiate students and technical professionals in engineering and technology. NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” For more information, visit .

Maria Kuntz is the assistant director, admissions marketing and inclusive community in the College of Engineering & Applied Science.