CAREER OUTLOOK » HBCU Innovation Winners
Promoting Change and Innovation
How HBCUs Are Increasing Capacity to Do More Good F
or the past 30 years, there has been the HBCU Deans Council of Engineering, which has been comprised of the deans of the 15 ABET-accredited HBCUs. In several
discussions with Dean Eugene DeLoatch, I thought about how to raise the Council up to a more executive level. Above the deans, Vice President (VP) level executives build strategies and imagine how different entities and areas can work together. I had an idea two years ago to
bring five VPs for research together from what I consider the top five HBCUs in terms of research — Howard University, North Carolina A&T State, Florida A&M, Tuskegee, and Morgan State. One of the things we explored was how HBCUs could participate in more of those $65 billion federal opportunities. Building research capacity is critical for student success. As you probably know, 90 percent of African-American students do not go to HBCUs. The questions are, what attracts that 10% that does, and how do we make that number more inclusive? While we have a legacy of being an
Let’s say a drug company is looking for help with presenting the packing of our embedded computer systems. I surely envision the industry coming to Dr. Kevin Kornegay, who is doing work with the Internet of Things in the School of Engineering. I see this happening because graduate students and graduate faculty are more economical to employ than maintaining an in-house public research faculty.
U.S. students who attend their institutions. Because they’re U.S. citizens, those students could be eligible to work in the government or work, for example, for the Department of Defense contractors more than some majority institutions. This presents a great opportunity for HBCUs. There is a need that can be filled, and the HBCUs can fill it. That’s why the VPs have to be in the dialogue; they can begin building those strategic partnerships.
This forum is about HBCUs
becoming leaders in the business of research. That research is all about creating an eminent cadre of people of color that transforms lives. This forum is important because this is where America’s executives can come and engage initially with the university. I’m not suggesting that we take away the traditional path to university presidents and provosts, but oftentimes in the business of research you want to talk to an executive who is about the business of research. The VPs of research are the touch point
HBCU, we want to attract Latinos, Caucasians, international students, you name it. Again, people go to school because they want to get credentials, and they want to gain experience. From the social experience of meeting different people, to also getting educational and research experiences, students want to know that when they get off the stage, there is a job that is waiting for them because they have been exposed to cutting-edge research. HBCUs have a great opportunity here because they have a higher percentage of
82 USBE&IT | CONFERENCE ISSUE 2017
where representatives from GE, IBM, Google, Facebook, Oracle, etc., can call and talk directly about research and collaborations in developing technology. This forum creates a corporate portal where many industries can directly engage. These VPs of research can and will be that portal. Victor R. McCrary, BEYA's 2011 Scientist
Victor R. McCrary
of the Year and the 2004 Emerald Honoree for Career Achievement in Academia, has been tapped by the White House to serve as a Member of the National Science Board, National Science Foundation. S
www.blackengineer.com
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