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Both minority and female students seeking careers in the energy field and the energy industry itself are benefitting from the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program at UNLV.

The program links UNLV's Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering with Georgia's Fort Valley State University, one of the nation's historically black universities, to produce university graduates with dual degrees in mathematics and engineering.

The impetus for the program, according to William Wells, dean of UNLV's College of Engineering, came from the U.S. Department of Energy and companies in the energy industry which realized that the pool of engineers needed to meet future energy demands could not be achieved without using all potential talent, including minorities and women. In order to meet those needs, those entities decided to take steps to encourage more racial minorities and women to enter the engineering field, he said.

Students are recruited nationwide for the five-year program. Those selected begin their studies at Fort Valley where they spend three years before transferring to UNLV for two years. Upon graduation they have earned two bachelor's degrees -- one in mathematics from Fort Valley and a second in engineering from UNLV. The engineering degrees can be earned in the fields of civil, electrical, or mechanical engineering. Scholarships are provided for eligible students. Additionally, students are provided internships or summer jobs with energy-related agencies and companies.

To date, 10 students have completed the program at UNLV and another 21 are currently enrolled in the university's engineering courses.

"This is a case where government and industry saw a problem and began looking for ways to solve it rather than waiting for someone else to do it," Wells said. "I applaud them on their efforts, which I think have proved successful. We are seeking out and assisting qualified minority and female students who have potential to be successful engineers. This is good for the industry, good for the students, and good for UNLV which also is committed to diversifying its student population."

"It truly is a win-win situation," said Eugene McGaugh, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, who oversees UNLV's portion of the program. "The students chosen for the program are above-average students who are highly motivated. They are provided not only a quality education at the two institutions, but also receive meaningful internships and summer jobs along the way. As a result, they graduate not only with two degrees, but with valuable hands-on experience in the energy industry. That combination of factors certainly gives them a leg up on the competition when they graduate and begin looking for work."

Jason White graduated from the program in December and now is a civil designer with Lochsa Engineering in Southern Nevada. He gives the program high marks for the on-the-job experience he gained while working at Raytheon Services Nevada and Bechtel-Nevada while in college.

"Those jobs provided me with valuable skills that were useful when I began looking for a full-time job in the engineering field," White said.

For additional information on the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program at UNLV, call McGaugh at 895-1334.