National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) and ExxonMobil Foundation Advance Opportunities for More Students to Pursue Engineering

April 10^th event featuring key government officials will discuss critical need to increase representation of minorities in engineering

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), a premier non-profit organization focused on increasing the number of underrepresented minority students pursuing careers in engineering, announced today that ExxonMobil Foundation is providing an additional $1 million to support pre-engineering educational activities.

The grant from the ExxonMobil Foundation will support Academies of Engineering – a National Academy of Engineering network of career academies – in selected regions where NACME Partner Universities are located across the United States.  These schools are small learning communities focused on engineering education and college readiness. The grant also supports scholarships for Academy of Engineering (AOE) graduating seniors to pursue an engineering degree at an accredited four-year institution.

"NACME is working to activate the hidden workforce of young men and women who have traditionally been underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers," said Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, President and CEO of NACME, Inc. "ExxonMobil's commitment to NACME has been instrumental in expanding our reach and impact, and we are grateful to consider them a key partner in advancing toward a common goal: ensuring America's future competitiveness and leadership in STEM fields."

ExxonMobil is a leading corporate partner, having provided the organization with critical programmatic and scholarship funding since its founding in 1974. NACME and ExxonMobil will celebrate this longstanding, fruitful partnership and recognize the renewed grant at a reception and dinner to be held on April 10 in Washington, D.C.  The event will review both partners' current efforts to increase minority representation in STEM education fields, and the importance of corporate partnerships in addressing this pressing issue.

"At ExxonMobil, we believe that all students deserve the chance to excel in math and science and to be inspired to pursue careers in engineering fields," said Suzanne McCarron, president, ExxonMobil Foundation. "It is critical that we work together to find meaningful solutions to the underrepresentation of minorities and women in engineering, and this partnership with NACME will help deliver quality programs in this area."

Scheduled speakers at Wednesday's event include NACME President and CEO, Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, ExxonMobil Vice President of Research and Engineering, Kenny Warren, U.S. Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson and Dr. Reginald Brothers, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research.

About NACME
Since 1974, NACME has provided leadership and support for the national effort to increase the number of successful African American, American Indian and Latino women and men in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers. With funding from corporate, foundation, and individual donors, NACME has supported over 24,000 students with more than $124 million in scholarships and other support. Currently, NACME provides scholarship support for approximately 1,300 underrepresented minority engineering students through a national network of 50 NACME Partner Universities. For more information go to: www.nacme.org

About the ExxonMobil Foundation
The ExxonMobil Foundation is the primary philanthropic arm of Exxon Mobil Corporation in the United States. The foundation and the corporation engage in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, health and science in the communities where ExxonMobil has significant operations. In the United States, ExxonMobil supports initiatives to improve math and science education at the K-12 and higher education levels. In 2012, together with its employees and retirees, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $256 million in contributions worldwide, of which $116 million was dedicated to education. www.exxonmobil.com/community.

SOURCE The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME)