Press Releases

Edwards Kicks Off ‘2014 HBCU STEM Tour’ with Visit to Morgan State University

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2014


Washington, DC – Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (MD-4) kicked off her “2014 HBCU STEM Tour” with a visit to Morgan State University. Congresswoman Edwards met with University President David Wilson, and toured the Visual Analytics Laboratory and Center for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies. As a senior member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Congresswoman Edwards is visiting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to tour their facilities and gain additional insight on how best engage women and minorities in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Congresswoman Edwards

“I want to applaud the work being done by President Wilson and Morgan State University. It is critical that we engage women and minorities in the STEM fields so that they can compete and excel in a 21st century, global economy. In the coming months, I will be working with my colleagues on the Science Committee to advance legislation that invests in STEM education and promotes innovative approaches to preparing our young people for careers in the sciences.”

Morgan State University President, Dr. David Wilson

“Congresswoman Edwards got a chance to see first-hand the role that Morgan State University is playing in producing high-quality minority and women graduates in engineering and science-based disciplines. Morgan is proud to be number one in the State of Maryland and number one in the United States in producing Black Electrical Engineers.  And we are also proud that we have one of the largest percentages of woman enrolled in our School of Engineering, and in the sciences, in the region.  There is so much opportunity at Morgan to play a more critical role in producing the graduates and generating the research that will enable America to continue to lead the world in innovation and competitiveness. And we are excited that Congresswoman Edwards will use this understanding of what we’re doing at Morgan to promote a greater Federal investment in our mission.”

Congresswoman Edwards has been a consistent advocate for investments in the STEM fields. She has secured STEM funding, passed an amendment to help high-needs schools and underrepresented minorities gain access to STEM grants, and hosts a forum yearly that brings together STEM stakeholders, from federal agencies, private companies, and Maryland's 4th Congressional District. As Ranking Member on the Science, Space and Technology Committee that handles NASA's budget, she introduced legislation this year to fund fully NASA's STEM education initiatives.

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