NSBE Fundraiser for Engineering Student Scholarships

"to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community."

- NSBE Mission

The UT Austin chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers was founded in 1986 to provide Black students in the Cockrell School of Engineering an outlet to serve their community and gain access to a social network of like-minded individuals and professional opportunities to bolster their careers.

Over the past few weeks, the UT NSBE officer team have been engaging in conversations with our membership to better support and advocate for their student experiences. One of the most common themes has been the financial hardship facing our members, creating a challenge that hinders ones ability to fully engage their education.

As a result, the UT NSBE team have created a fundraiser to support two new scholarships that will be awarded to an incoming Black freshman studying engineering at UT Austin:

1. John W. Hargis Scholarship

   • John W. Hargis was the first Black student to graduate with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at UT Austin. Hargis was a major leader in his community; while working on his undergrad, he established a chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, the national black fraternity for which he was recognized as "Alpha Man of the Year". Hargis is an exemplary leader, and has paved the way for many to follow in his steps.

      

2. Dr. Harovel Wheat Scholarship

   • Dr. Harovel Grays Wheat graduated with a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UT Austin in 1985. After graduating, she became a Research Associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at  UT Austin. Dr. Wheat has received multiple notable awards due to her brilliant research and model leadership. She was awarded the Department of Mechanical Engineering Teaching Award, the Banks McLaurin Fellowship in Engineering, and the Faculty Excellence Award in Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Wheat’s persistence and management will live on forever, impacting the future for the better.

To create these two scholarships, our fundraising goal is $60,000.

•  $5,000 will go to the creation of the John W. Hargis scholarship; $5,000 will go to the creation to the Dr. Harovel Wheat scholarship.
• The remaining $50,000 will create the "NSBE Scholarship Endowment Fund" which will sustain these scholarships long-term.

To accomplish this, we need YOUR help!

We believe that financial hardship should not be a barrier for anyone's access to higher education. Furthermore, scholarships can often be a deciding factor for a student to attend college, and your contribution today can potentially shift the trajectory of a young individual's life. Our hope is that these scholarships can provide students with access to the world renowned education at the University of Texas at Austin and a lifetime of memories made on the Forty Acres.

"What starts here changes the world."

By contributing and sharing, you're helping to create a better world by investing in our future generations. Any donation truly helps, and we plan to work tirelessly to achieve our goal.