Cincinnati Magazine's Realm highlights UC partnership
GE invests $5 million on a college-readiness program to improve diversity in engineering
Realm, Cincinnati Magazine's journal for Cincinnati CEOs, highlighted a new partnership between the University of Cincinnati and GE to improve diversity in engineering.
GE selected Cincinnati as one of four inaugural locations, aiming to inspire more than 3,500 local students ages 13 to 18, provide firsthand experiences of engineering and award financial support to pursue education in engineering. GE launched similar initiatives in South Africa, England and South Carolina as part of its goal to reach 85,000 students in 25 cities around the world over the next decade.
GE Foundation in 2021 announced the $100 million program to reach out to middle school and high school girls and students of color through its Next Engineers program.
"If students from those backgrounds aren't exposed to engineering before college, it can be really discouraging to step into a college classroom and not feel ready for that challenge," GE Aviation chief diversity officer Joe Allen told Realm.
UC will serve as GE's local partner.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Dean John Weidner told Cincinnati Magazine's Realm that the Next Engineers program is just one of many ways UC is addressing inclusion, including its Marian Spencer Scholars Program for high-achieving students in Cincinnati Public Schools.
"The bottom line for GE and for us as well is we need more engineers," Weidner told Realm. "We have to connect with students early to get them excited about engineering."
Featured image at top: GE Aviation engineer Alisha Kent-Davis talks about her experience as a young engineer during GE's announcement of Next Engineers. Photo/GE
UC President Neville Pinto, who spent his career teaching engineering, speaks about UC's partnership with GE to improve diversity in engineering. Photo/GE
Related Stories
‘Designer drug’ shows early neuroprotective signal in acute ischemic stroke
October 28, 2025
Medscape highlighted new trial results led by the University of Cincinnati's Eva Mistry that found an experimental drug shows promise in protecting injured brain cells for patients with acute ischemic stroke.
Is menstrual fluid ‘the most overlooked opportunity’ in women’s health?
October 27, 2025
The Guardian recently reported that period blood has long been thought of as ‘stinky and useless’, but startups are exploring using the fluid to test for a wide range of health conditions — including endometriosis.
What is squalane, and how does it work to moisturize skin?
October 27, 2025
The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos was featured in a Women's Health article discussing squalane, an ingredient being increasingly used in moisturizing skincare products.