This project addresses two fundamental tasks: 1) to attract more students into engineering and 2) to increase the persistence of these students in engineering. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that significant improvements in retention and workforce throughput can be achieved by combining scholarships, mentorship, professional development activities, intervention, and academic support in a coherent program designed to help empower students to take responsibility for their own success. Fourteen (14) undergraduates in Electrical, Mechanical, and Industrial and Systems Engineering will participate as a cohort group from their freshman to senior year. Key program elements include scholarships, a comprehensive mentorship program, research internships, and a Professional Development Seminar Series designed to help students bridge the gap between the classroom environment and the expectations and realities of the workplace. Project success, defined in terms of five performance objectives and four research questions, are systematically evaluated, reported, and disseminated.
