USBE Magazine Reveals Star Rankings in the Top 400

BALTIMORE - May 12, 2017 - PRLog -- To mark the 15th year of Career Communications Group's (CCG) Top Supporters of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Engineering Schools list, a survey conducted by US Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE) magazine, private and government supporters have been ranked in five hierarchies based on the number of survey mentions since 2003.

For 2017, there are 394 employers in USBE magazine's All-Time Top Supporter ranking system, which features five tiers:  Diamond (14 annual appearances), Platinum (13-9), Gold (8-6), Silver (5-3), and Bronze (2-1).

Since 2003, engineering deans of HBCU engineering programs and the Advancing Minorities' Interest in Engineering (AMIE) corporate-academic alliance have completed USBE magazine's Top Supporters survey. The HBCU deans consider the following factors while making their decision: support for infrastructure modernization and enhancement, research, participation on advisory councils, faculty development opportunities, scholarships, student projects, stipends, internship and co-op opportunities, and job offers related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

The 15 HBCUs invited to participate in the 2017 survey are: Alabama A&M University, Florida A&M University, Hampton University, Howard University, Jackson State University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T State University, Norfolk 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, and Virginia State University.

"There is a critical need to increase the number of students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the United States," said Veronica Nelson, who was appointed the executive director of AMIE in March 2017.    "The US population demographics are becoming more diverse.  In order to increase the pipeline, we must increase the number of underrepresented minorities pursuing and successfully completing a degree in STEM.

"Our HBCUs are a rich resource for this heavily sought after talent," Ms. Nelson added. "They currently produce nearly 30 percent of all African American engineers in the country and they provide high-quality graduates who are prepared to produce innovative solutions for the most challenging problems.    HBCUs play a key role in generating the knowledge, innovation and diverse talent required to grow our businesses and maintain/increase our global competitiveness," she said.

"More and more, businesses are looking for opportunities that will give them an edge over the competition. They see the both majority and minority universities as potential ecosystems," said Dr. McCrary, vice president of research at Morgan State University.

"In HBCUs, our tradition has always been teaching institutions. We have been there to teach people and to grant them and confer degrees where they did not have an opportunity elsewhere. Of course, opportunities nowadays are different from opportunities 40, 50, even 100 years ago. Many of our people who received higher degrees became doctors, teachers, lawyers or clergy. Nowadays, when a student gets off the stage, he or she has to have the ability to get a job offer letter. Particularly in the STEM disciplines, it is extremely important to have that research experience."

USBE & IT magazine will salute the top corporate and government agencies in the Deans' Edition of USBE magazine in June 2017. AMIE-a coalition of corporations, government agencies, and ABET-accredited HBCU engineering schools- will be co-hosting the award ceremony with Career Communications Group (CCG) at the BEYA STEM Global Competitiveness Conference, February 8-10, 2018, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.

To view the full list please visit http://www.blackengineer.com