Welcome to the 2009 – 2010 NSBE year!  It is my honor to serve as your National Chair!  As we embark upon this upcoming year, we have many trials ahead.  But with many trials, come many opportunities to have significant impact.

Globally, we have experienced a lot.  The financial crisis and recession have left many jobless and fiscally vulnerable.  Development of new technologies is vital to preserve our environment and education is in dire need of reform.  From the NSBE Jr. student in Tuscaloosa, AL aspiring to be an engineer, to the technical professional in Ghana working to make sure that their country can technologically keep pace with the rest of the world, there is a huge demand for engineers to step up to the plate.

Even with all these issues, NSBE has continued to grow to more than  32,260  members.  We see NSBE Jr. members advance to get PhDs in Biomedical Engineering, and our Alumni Extension take ownership of the development of our youth in their respective communities.  We are still letting NSBE’s flame burn bright.  This gives me reassurance that regardless of the circumstances, NSBE can rise above that which may seem impossible.  Furthermore, we can lead the way in answering the scientific and cultural challenges that affect our community and the world.  It is with that in mind that I am proud to present to you the 2009 – 2010 National Directives: Retention; International Development,; Scholastic Achievement, and Economic Empowerment (RISE).

Retention

The United States graduates roughly 12% of its Black undergraduate students that are enrolled as an engineering major in a five-year time frame.  Furthermore, the dropout rate for first-year Black students declaring engineering as their major is approximately 60%*. NSBE will develop and implement programming aimed to increase the number of freshmen students who pass the gateway courses: calculus, physics, and chemistry.

International Development

Over the years, there has been considerable growth in NSBE international membership as well as incorporations in countries outside of the United States.   NSBE realizes, however, that a different approach needs to be taken when fulfilling the mission abroad. NSBE will clearly define the benefits of international membership as well as create a standardized process for international incorporation eligibility.

 
Scholastic Achievement

On average, Black students rank lowest of all races on national college entrance exams. NSBE realizes that in order for its pre-college members to be e competitive for college engineering programs, they must perform well on standardized tests.  Therefore, the organization will provide resources and programming to its  collegiate and technical professional members that will enable them to help improve SAT and ACT performance of our n junior members. Economic Empowerment

As the economic landscape changes, entrepreneurship has become more critical to the global economy.  NSBE will continue to provide programming to foster the development of Black-owned technical businesses. In addition, the organization recognizes the need to diversify its revenue streams to ensure sustainability  and will make it a priority to explore different funding avenues.

In addition to fulfilling these directives, it is my pleasure to lead us into one of the biggest events in NSBE history: our 36th Annual Convention in Toronto, Canada. Our 2010 Convention is more than an event, it is a statement and the embodiment that is saying NSBE is globally competitive and ready.

http://convention.nsbe.org/convention2010/

I look forward to serving all of you throughout this term.  It is going to be an extraordinary year!

*  Facts and figures are from the NACME 2008 Research Report “Confronting the ‘New’ American Dream: Underrepresented Minorities in Engineering – A Data-Based Look at Diversity”

Stacyann P. Russell
2009 - 2010 National Chairperson