NACME President and CEO to Participate in Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 42nd Annual Legislative Conference

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y., Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Irving Pressley McPhail, President and CEO of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME), has been selected to serve as a panelist for two sessions during the 2012 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 42^nd Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), September 19-22, in Washington, D.C.

The conference is host to nearly 10,000 African Americans who convene in Washington, D. C., to dialogue with opinion leaders, industry experts and Congressional Black Caucus Members on issues that are critical to this community. This year's conference theme is Inspiring Leaders/Building Generations.

On September 20, Dr. McPhail will appear on the panel, How You Can Help: Building Partnerships between Educators, Individuals, Community Organizations, Businesses and Institutions to Support Education in America, Dismantle the Cradle to Prison Pipeline and Close the Achievement Gap. He will address the power of public-private partnerships—like NACME, Inc.—in enhancing diversity with equity in engineering education and the workforce. The honorary host for this panel is Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D- Fla.).

He will appear on the Science and Technology Brain Trust on September 21, moderated by actress, Tatyana Ali, and NBC4-TV meteorologist, Veronica Johnson.  Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D- Texas) is the honorary host for this session.  Dr. McPhail will speak on the panel, Improving Our Teachers, Creating More Mentors and Developing More Leaders in STEM.

Rep. Johnson also invited Dr. McPhail to represent NACME during the Business and Industry STEM Education Coalition's (BISEC) annual meeting, to discuss the need to increase the presence of women and underrepresented minorities in STEM education and ultimately, careers. This meeting will take place on Thursday, Sept. 20 in Arlington, Va.

NACME has been an increasingly influential entity on Capitol Hill over the last several years, providing data on underrepresented minority students in STEM that have been used in legislative pieces currently being considered by Congress. NACME was also just recently announced as the recipient selected to receive the 2012 Claire Felbinger Award for Diversity from ABET (the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.).

The Claire Felbinger Award for Diversity is presented to recognize education-based organizations, individuals and firms in the United States, for extraordinary success in achieving or facilitating diversity and inclusiveness in the technological segments of our society.

About NACME:

Since its inception in 1974, NACME has stayed true to its mission: To ensure American resilience in a flat world by leading and supporting the national effort to expand U.S. capability through increasing the number of successful African American, American Indian, and Latino women and men in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers.

NACME Alumni hold leadership positions in industry, medicine, law, education and government. With funding from corporate and individual donors, NACME has supported more than 24,000 students with more than $124 million in scholarships and other support, and currently has more than 1,300 scholars at 50 partner institutions across the country. NACME is also implementing a middle school through community college strategy to increase the proportion of underrepresented minority students in STEM disciplines.

SOURCE National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc.