Dr. Jeffrey Russell is a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Chair of the Construction Engineering and Management Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His approach to creating opportunities for women and minorities is local-global," incorporating participation in national forums on diversity and mentoring. Russell has worked extensively with female undergraduate and graduate students both locally and nationally to encourage and support them in engineering, especially in construction engineering and management, an area in which women have been historically egregiously underrepresented. He sponsors their involvement in extracurricular activities through which they gain additional valuable experience (e.g., planning and carrying out a national convention with a three-quarters of a million dollar budget). His mentoring activities span more than fifteen years.
The submitted nomination package is in support of a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) to recognize outstanding mentoring efforts or programs that enhance the participation of historically underrepresented groups in science, mathematics, and engineering.
