HOUSTON (Jan. 7, 2013) – Col. Christopher Sallese and Dr. Sunny Ohia, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Texas Southern University, signed a partnering agreement to commit the two organizations to work together to enhance opportunities for minority students throughout the Corps. TSU established a Maritime Transportation Management and Security program and will request Corps subject matter experts to help teach, coach and mentor students for careers in environmental science, engineering and civil programs.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Aug. 23, 2013) –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Galveston District signed a Cooperation Agreement with Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi, a Hispanic-serving institution, to commit the two organizations to work together to enhance opportunities for minority students throughout the Corps. 

The agreement establishes the basis for mutual understanding and cooperation between the Corps and the university, with a focus on preparing engineering students for responsible positions in an engineering environment to include environmental engineering and civil programs.

Additionally, staff will work to enlighten engineering students about the Corps, its missions, unique capabilities and opportunities through student career experience programs (CO-OP), internships and career development programs; assist Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in educating engineering students through guest lecture programs, co-executive sponsorship of student professional organizations and the creation of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as center of excellence for environmental programs and assist in producing a world class diverse pool of talents throughout the Corps by sharing information about student talent pools and participating in campus interview/job fairs.

Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering is comprised of 14 historically black colleges and universities that leads ABET- accredited Engineering Programs. AMIE is a catalyst that forges industry, government and academia partnerships that support programs to advance minorities’ interest in engineering:

• A promoter and encourager to minority students to pursue engineering careers
• A facilitator for the recruitment of minority students (coops, interns, graduates, and others) at member organizations
• An avenue for members to exchange “best practices” and solutions for the development of a diversified engineering workforce
• An enabler for the creation of engineering research and technology transfer agreements

Partnership History of USACE SWD and PVAMU: On Sept. 12, 1996, HQUSACE signed a partnering agreement with AMIE under the leadership of Lt. Gen. Joe N. Ballard designating the USACE Galveston District as the coordinator for this outreach effort; as well as a focal point for contacts throughout the Corps as it relate to PVAMU. A team of leaders met with PVAMU President Dr. Charles A. Hines and his cabinet to discuss and develop a partnership agreement that outlined the following goals:

• To prepare engineering students for responsible positions in an engineering environment to include environmental engineering and civil programs.
• To enlighten engineering students about the Corps, its missions, unique capabilities and opportunities through student career experience programs (CO-OP), internships and career development programs.
• To assist PVAMU University in educating engineering students through guest lecture programs, co-executive sponsorship of student professional organizations and the creation of PVAMU as center of excellence for environmental programs.
• To assist the Corps, PVAMU will provide faculty consultants and advisors, conduct leadership and diversity training and related programs at the Corps, and keep the Corps informed of the university’s research and engineering capabilities.
• To produce a world class diverse pool of talents throughout the Corps by sharing information on student talent pools and participates in campus interview/job fairs.

We achieve our goals through periodic partnering sessions, process improvement teams, special study groups and the personal commitment of team members in our respective organizations. As leaders we commit to promote partnering at all levels of our organizations in the conduct of our day-to-day business.

For additional information as it relate to upcoming events such as career fairs, AMIE conference or assistance with coordinating a campus visits, please contact 409-766-3920 or swgpao@usace.army.mil.