HDR Diversity Initiative
HDR is actively pursuing opportunities with several key Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI) through the HDR Diversity Initiative. HDR's Diversity Initiative provides outreach to Historically Black Colleges & Universities and Minority Institutions with architecture and engineering programs. The focus the initiative in 2003 was on the Northeast Cluster of HDR offices and the HBCU institutions that align geographically with them. A joint meeting of leaders from HDR Northeast Cluster offices and leaders from Howard, Morgan State and Hampton Universities in January 2003 kicked off the program. Results of the 2003 Initiative include:
(i) HDR Howard University Fellowship Program. This program was created to support graduate students through their two-year education in the Howard Department of Civil Engineering and to give them opportunities for real-world experience in the field of water and wastewater treatment engineering. The $20,000 fellowship is awarded to a graduate student with exceptional technical talent in the field of water and wastewater. As part of the Fellowship Program, the recipient serves as a research assistant on HDR projects involving such innovations as membrane technology, and may intern at an HDR office over the summer.
(ii) HDR platinum membership in AMIE (Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering). AMIE Executive Director Myron Hardiman has attended diversity initiative meetings with several HBCU’s and HDR. According to Hardiman, the HDR Howard Fellowship is a prime example of the types of partnerships that AMIE helps to develop between its corporate members and an HBCU Engineering School. HDR recognizes diversity is a bottom line business issue that will lead the industry in developing long term win-win partnerships with HBCU academic institutions and takes membership and participation in AMIE and other minority associations quite seriously.
The focus the initiative in 2004 is to expand the network and reach out to other HBCU and Minority Institutions such as Morgan State University, the Society of Mexican American Engineers and Scientists and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Outreach activities will include establishing scholarship programs, attending association conferences and meetings, and presenting at institution events.