Cummins Inc. and the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) have announced the start of their formal partnership in the Cummins-NSBE Integrated Pipeline Program (IPP). The Cummins-NSBE IPP, funded by a $1.48 million, five-year grant from Cummins, includes scholarship grants and academic and professional development support for select NSBE collegiate members beginning in their sophomore year, as well as resources to increase the success of the students’ universities in retaining and graduating engineering majors from groups underrepresented in the field. The program’s overarching goal is to increase the pool of diverse engineering talent entering the U.S. industrial workforce.
The IPP is part of Cummins’ US Diversity Initiative and aligns with NSBE’s push toward the Society’s main strategic goal, which is to lead the U.S. to increase its number of black engineering bachelor’s degree recipients to 10,000 annually by 2025.
NSBE National Chair Niasia T. Williams is a graduate student in STEM education at the University of Iowa and a test engineer at Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Company.
“Seeing the successful launch of the Cummins-NSBE IPP is a joyful moment for me and for all of the college students who make up the leadership of the National Society of Black Engineers,” Williams said. “As peers of the 50 undergraduates who will benefit directly from the program, we know the true value of the guidance and financial support it will give. On behalf of NSBE’s National Executive Board and the entire NSBE family, I extend my sincere thanks to our longtime partner Cummins for its commitment to our mission.”
“Cummins is at the forefront of significant changes in our industry including energy diversity, connectivity, and leveraging data and analytics. Our product portfolio in the future will broaden how we think about delivering power solutions to our customers,” said Jennifer Rumsey, vice president and chief technical officer at Cummins Inc. “We are committed to recruiting talented engineering students with varied experiences and capabilities who can grow their careers at Cummins in an innovative environment where each employee can thrive and contribute to their greatest potential.”
A total of 10 students will be selected for participation in the program in its first year: five from Howard University and five from Purdue University. Scholarship recipients accepted into the program will each be awarded a total of $15,000 during their junior and senior years. Each scholar will be required to apply for one summer internship assignment with Cummins, and select students may be offered return internships with the company, based on their work performance. Each Cummins-NSBE scholar will also be assigned a Cummins mentor who will support the scholar through his or her tenure in the program and over the course of the internship assignment. The program is open to majors in chemical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, industrial/systems engineering, mechanical engineering and software engineering.
The Cummins-NSBE IPP will also provide grants to Howard University, Purdue University and a third academic institution to be included in the program in the future. The “College Capacity-building Grants” will support the development of blended programs that engage institutional and student leaders — including NSBE chapter leaders — to improve student retention and success.
“This program shows that diversity and inclusion are alive and well among our nation’s employers who intend to remain leaders of their fields,” said NSBE Executive Director Karl W. Reid, Ed.D. “The new strategic partnership model that NSBE’s Corporate Relations and Programs teams have employed over the past several years is centered on collaboration with forward-thinking companies such as Cummins, and that model is bearing fruit. I look forward to working with the leadership of Cummins as NSBE continues “Unlocking Potential, Cultivating Confidence and Changing Lives!”
