The major thrust of the Drexel University program focusses on the recruitment and retention of the target groups which are currently underrepresented in the graduate engineering fields. A multi- pronged approach is utilized to inform and attract the target groups into the PhD program through media advertising in appropriate journals, presentations at engineering education conferences, and through personal contacts with faculty and professional staff in engineering education across the U.S. To assure the continued success of the program, contacts will also be established and maintained with the undergraduate engineering programs and regional high schools through existing outreach programs at Drexel. There is a mentor system to create an educational, social and emotional environment conducive to fostering successful acclimation and advancement of the recruited students. The object is to oversee and assist the progress of the students from enrollment to employment. An optional Industrial Internship Program will be developed to encourage industrial participation, and to increase the financial resources available to the students. The NSF funds are viewed as seed money, namely for establishing the program and for leveraging external funds through industrial, private, state and University sources to sustain the program on a regular basis.
