Overview of MAC-AIChE College Scholarships for Underrepresented Minorities in Chemical Engineering

Since the inception of the Minority Affairs Committee (MAC) of AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) college scholarship program in 1994 for underrepresented minorities in chemical engineering a total about 240 scholarships have been awarded to African-American, Hispanic and Native American students who have excellent academic records and are also in financial needs. This paper will discuss the success of the scholarship program and give some insights into a similar program by ACS (American Chemical Society) that was initiated about the same time in 1994. We shall also examine the impact of the mentoring program for the scholars that supplement the MAC-AIChE scholarship program. The funding issue and sources to sustain the program will also be discussed.