National award recognizes programs making a difference
The Program for the Mastery in Engineering Studies (PROMES) at the University of Houston received a 2018 Inspiring Programs Award in STEM from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the largest and oldest diversity and inclusion publication in higher education.
The award honors colleges and universities that encourage and assist students from underrepresented groups to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Award winners were selected by the magazine based on efforts to inspire and encourage a new generation of young people to consider careers in STEM through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives.
“Without PROMES hundreds if not thousands of Cullen College of Engineering graduates may not have earned their degrees. As much as it’s about helping prepare students academically, PROMES is also a family and a community, connecting students to campus, the college, employers and each other,” said Jerrod Henderson, director of PROMES. “This work, being in the trenches with students, is tremendously important and it’s great to be recognized for what you love to do.”
PROMES provides Cullen College students with recruitment, academic advising, workshops, scholarships, and professional and personal development opportunities.
“It’s positioned to help students through challenges and barriers and help them become acclimated to the academic rigors of engineering,” said Henderson, who is also an instructional assistant professor of First Year Experience at UH.
The program was established at the University of Houston in 1974 for the recruitment, retention, and academic development of underrepresented minorities in the Cullen College of Engineering. Today, PROMES is open to all Cullen College students and strives to provide a positive learning environment that supports the needs of undergraduate students.
“We want to honor the schools and organizations that have created programs that inspire and encourage young people who may currently be in or are interested in a future career in STEM,” said Lenore Pearlstein, owner and publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. “We are proud to honor these programs as role models to other institutions of higher education and beyond.”
PROMES will be featured, along with 77 other recipients, in the September 2018 issue of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
A call for nominations for this award was announced in April 2018.
For more information about the 2018 Inspiring Programs in STEM Award and INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, visit insightintodiversity.com.