Spring 1998

NSBE strives to get more minorities to enter engineering

In 1985, Gerald Roberts was the only minority student in his graduating class at Rose-Hulman. He was glad to see a large contingent of African-American students attending this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Program on campus. Minority representation has come a long way. A total of 77 minority students attend Rose-Hulman. In that group are 39 Asian Americans, 22 African Americans, 11 Hispanic Americans and five Native Americans.

Expanding the diversity of the Rose-Hulman student body was among the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Rose-Hulman in 1993.

Members of Rose-Hulman's National Society of Black Engineers chapter are still not satisfied.

"We can do more to make minority students become interested in Rose-Hulman. But, first, we have to get them attracted to careers in science and engineering," says NSBE President Tifini McClyde, a sophomore chemical engineering major from Indianapolis.

NSBE has organized on-campus programs during the past two years to give area minority high school and middle school students the opportunity to explore science and engineering. Campus tours, plant trips and a SAT workshop were part of the program.

Campus and community relations programs this year have included hosting a one-woman dramatic production about Harriet Tubman's role in the Underground Railroad (Black History Month) and a group discussion about African-American issues by Roberts and NSBE members and minority students from Indiana State University (King Day).

The NSBE chapter includes approximately 25 students.

The college and NSBE have been able to strive toward more diversity thanks to various corporations and foundations who have enabled Rose-Hulman to increase its focus in this area.