2019 AMIE Winter Strategy Retreat

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After a successful 26th-anniversary conference at Hampton University in Virginia this fall, the Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) organization is holding a Winter Retreat in the Engineering and Science Aviation Complex at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES).

The event features roundtable discussions focused on research and programs that fulfill AMIE’s mission to attract, educate, graduate and place minority students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

The 2019 AMIE Winter Strategy Retreat also doubles as a visit to UMES, one of the academic partners of AMIE, which includes all of the 15 historically black colleges and universities that have ABET-accredited Schools of Engineering.

The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) accredits education programs in applied and natural science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.

Combined, these 15 schools are responsible for graduating more than 30 percent of all blacks with a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

Since AMIE started operating in 1992, the partnership has grown into an integral part of the annual BEYA STEM Conference. Each year, the coalition of academic deans meets with top supporters of historically black college and university engineering schools on the sidelines of the event.

“As the executive director of AMIE, my goal is to position the organization as a conduit through which agencies, universities, and corporations can make an impact on the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) pipeline through strategic partnerships,” said Veronica Nelson.

“Giving HBCUs more exposure will increase their access to funding, scholarships, summer bridge programs, contracts, research, curriculum development, etc,” she said.

AMIE’s strategic partners include The MITRE Corporation, Abbott Labs, The Boeing Company, Boston Scientific, Corning Incorporated, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Penn State Applied Research Laboratory, Raytheon Company, Siemens PLM Software, and major U.S. Army commands. See other AMIE partners here.

“While many of our partners are doing great things and have taken the time to learn and take advantage of the capabilities that exist at HBCUs, there is much work that can be done to strengthen the talent and opportunity flow for everyone,” Nelson said.

Approximately one-third of African American graduates in science and engineering are produced at HBCUs and one-quarter of PhDs in science and engineering receive their undergraduate degrees at HBCUs.

AMIE academic partners in the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities are:

Alabama A&M University Florida A&M University Hampton University Howard University Jackson State University Morgan State University Norfolk State University North Carolina A&T State University Prairie View A&M University Southern University and A&M College Tennessee State University Tuskegee University University of the District of Columbia University of Maryland Eastern Shore Virginia State University

Industry and Government Agency Partners: