Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (ERC/RMS)

Bringing Native American Students Into Manufacturing Engineering

Recently the University of Michigan's ERC for Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (ERC/RMS) received a grant from the National Science Foundation to involve Native American students from Tribal Colleges in the field of manufacturing engineering and to mentor them through their undergraduate careers. The novel idea for this proposal was meant to address the shortage of students from underrepresented minority groups in engineering and science.

This grant is built on the Center's flagship educational outreach project, the Portable Manufacturing System Project (PMSP). The Native American students will be taking part in the PMSP and promoting it as a technology unit in a middle school near their college. They will also take part in the ERC's summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program. Upon graduation, the students will be considered for full funding through the Ph.D. level to further prepare them to enter the professional or professorial arena.

We visualize the effect of this grant to be a pipeline that will draw Native American students and faculty into the College of Engineering and ultimately contribute to a diverse and well-prepared workforce.

To learn more about this topic:
Visit the Engineering Research Center for Reconfigurable Machining Systems education outreach page at http://erc.engin.umich.edu/education/college.htm

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Last modified: April 12, 2006