During the 2020 AIChE Gala dessert reception, HBCU Week CEO Ashley Christopher moderated a Q&A panel entitled “From the Classroom to the Boardroom,” looking at the future of STEM education and the FOSSI program. Participants include Daryl Roberts, Chief Operations & Engineering Officer, DuPont; Ozem Onye-Franklin, chemical engineering student ’21, Prairie View A&M University; and Chris Jahn, CEO of one of FOSSI's Founding Partners, the American Chemistry Council.
In the discussion, you'll hear about when and why historically Black colleges and universities (HCBUs) were created, and about the important role they play in bringing diversity to STEM education. For example, did you know that while HBCUs account for just 3% of US colleges and universities, they account for 75% of Black PhDs, and 50% of Black engineers? You'll also hear a firsthand account from a Black chemical engineering student about how important her scholarship has been to her success. The video also covers thoughts on how the chemical industry can play an important role in promoting STEM diversity, and about some of critical hurdles Black STEM students face and how they can overcome them.
FOSSI program
FOSSI is a national industry-wide program which provides scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and connects these students to internships, leadership development, and mentoring opportunities at participating companies.
Learn more about the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative, FOSSI, at https://www.aiche.org/FOSSI
FOSSI scholarship application and deadline
Are you a high school student applying to a historically Black college and university for a STEM-related degree? Go to https://www.HBCUWeek.org/FOSSI to apply for a four-year FOSSI scholarship. The deadline for the 2021 scholarship application is March 1st, 2021. If you're an educator or parent who knows a potential scholar, please share this with them.
This initiative is supported by the AIChE Foundation's Doing a World of Good Campaign.
AIChE Foundation – All for Good Campaign
