$500,000 Grant Increases Representation in Civil Engineering

CAEM's new Building Pathways Program, which is designed to increase enrollment and support underrepresented students in the field of civil engineering, will provide cohort-based linked courses, peer mentorship, faculty interaction, internship opportunities and more. The program is funded by a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and is part of the college’s ENGineering Access, Greater Equity and Diversity program, or ENGAGED.

When CAEM professors Kevin Lansey and Dean Papajohn heard about the NSF initiative, which is specifically for Hispanic-Serving Institutions like the University of Arizona, they decided to team up with ENGAGED Director Noel Hennessey.

“We brought together some of the programs already in existence with a little civil flavor and civil expertise,” Hennessey said. “Civil engineering is a degree pathway that’s well suited for an HSI because it’s got a real connection to local economy and to students who are more inclined to stay closer to family and to contribute to infrastructure.”

Lansey added that the program supports the college’s efforts to increase enrollment by aiding a wider range of students. Building Pathways is centered around three goals: promoting academic success, providing engineering students with a sense of community and belonging, and helping each student develop an engineering identity. The team hopes to enroll 25 students per year into the program.