HAMPTON, Va. – (September 8, 2020) – Hampton University is participating in the 27th Annual Advancing Minorities Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Conference, which takes place virtually Wednesday, September 9th and Thursday, September 10th. This year’s theme is “A New Decade: Discovering the Possibilities Through Research and Sustained Partnerships.”
“Even though this year’s Annual Advancing Minorities Interest in Engineering Conference is virtual, it is still a great opportunity for our students to be exposed to opportunities within the engineering profession. They will get to learn from and interact with engineering professionals and leaders from all over the country,” said Hampton University President, Dr. William R. Harvey.
Over twenty-five years ago, key leaders from corporate and government Communities, who had a vested interest in Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., (ABET) accredited HBCU Engineering Schools, sat down with several HBCU leaders and developed key strategies that would enhance HBCU engineering programs. Through this collaboration, these forward leaning leaders focused their efforts on long-term measures that would provide innovative academic programs of excellence at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to attract and graduate a greater number of minorities and women in engineering. AMIE evolved as a vehicle to bring more public/private resources to the HBCU Engineering Schools.
During this year’s virtual conference, engineering professionals and leaders from top corporations and government agencies will discuss strategies to empower engineering success from the classroom to the workforce and increase diversity in the engineering workforce. This year, due to the impact of COVID-19 on higher education, this topic will be discussed, along with innovative research and thriving in this new decade.
Speakers include Dr. Catherine Marsh, Director, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity; Camille Chang Gilmore, Vice President, Human Resources and Global Chief Diversity Officer for Boston Scientific Corporation; and Dr. Eugene DeLoatch, Dean Emeritus for the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University, along with several Hampton University scholars including Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, Dr. Joyce Shirazi.
“I am excited about this upcoming AMIE conference because our Hampton University engineering students are going to present their award winning design. From participation in the first AMIE Design Challenge in 2018, Hampton University engineering students have won 1st place for three years in a row. I call it the ‘Super Bowl’ of HBCU accredited engineering programs, because we are competing against some of the best engineering programs around. As a National Science Foundation I-Corps site, Hampton University students learn the business model canvas and they learn about customer discovery. Participation in the AMIE design challenge fine-tunes these skills, giving them a broader view of problem-solving, making them well-rounded engineers capable of addressing a multitude of audiences and design challenges, and showing what it means to be THE Standard of Excellence,” Dr. Shirazi said.
For more information about the 2020 Virtual AMIE Annual Conference, visit https://www.amiepartnerships.org/2020_annual_conference.
