Below is the second in a series of discussions with Dean May as he outlines CoE goals and objectives for the future.

Q - A great deal has been written and discussed regarding increasing the STEM pipelines, particularly for minorities and women? How do you see Georgia Tech's role in this initiative?

May - "Georgia Tech is already the national leader in the production of women and minorities in engineering.  The challenge that remains is for us to provide sufficient leadership and sharing of best practices to allow our fellow colleges of engineering to also participate in this endeavor at a high level. This might require broader dissemination of policies and practices that we have found to be effective, perhaps through publications, colloquia, web sites, or other media. As the nation's largest college of engineering, we will lead in the development of human capital and the creation of engineering solutions to meet societal challenges and foster innovation that enables the technological, economic, and social enrichment of the state of Georgia, the nation, and the world."

The College of Engineering is already involved in numerous programs to increase the STEM pipeline. A few examples are below:

College of Engineering’s Diversity and Engineering Education Outreach. The College of Engineering’s Diversity and Engineering Education Outreach office is a key component of that effort to help guarantee that Georgia Tech remains a national leader in producing a diverse population of engineers. The office has two thrust areas: Pre-Collegiate Development and Academic Diversity.

SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering/Science Program). A ten-week summer research program designed to attract qualified minority students into graduate schools.

FACES (Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Science). A NSF-sponsored effort between Georgia Tech, Morehouse, Emory University and Spelman to increase the number of African-Americans attaining doctorates in engineering and science.

SECME (Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering).  Established by the engineering deans at six Southeast universities (University of Alabama, University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee and Tuskegee Institute now Tuskegee University). SECME is the oldest Pre-college (K-12) alliance, linking engineering universities, school systems, parents and corporate/government partners.