Unlocking Potential, Building Bridges
A fundamental question was asked by the founders of ADAPT: How can we scale efforts across the industry and academia in order to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive profession? The REA Summer Engineering Experience has one answer. This program helps engineering students thrive and graduate, some of whom enter the Intellectual Property professions.
What happens when a group of engineering alums ask themselves what more can be done to improve DEI in their profession? Great things. Enter the Rice Summer Engineering Experience (SEE) program. The brainchild of leaders of the Rice Engineering Alumni, one of the primary goals of the program is to retain students in the engineering program and provide an experience that would motivate the students to remain in the profession.
Introduction to REA
In the heart of Houston, Texas, Rice University’s Engineering Alumni (REA) Association is on a mission. Their goal? To support Rice students from under-resourced high schools to have a successful and exciting undergraduate experience that prepares them to achieve their career goals in the sciences. To do so, the REA established the The REA Summer Engineering Experience, an internship program that builds a bridge between academia and industry, fostering growth, diversity, and innovation.
Why It Matters
Creating Pathways
REA recognizes that every engineer starts somewhere. For many students, that first step can be daunting. That’s where the Summer Engineering Experience comes in. Launched in fall 2020, the program focuses on first and second year students, or those who need a first real-world engineering experience, and partners with corporate sponsors to open doors for students who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities. It’s about creating pathways for the next generation of engineers.
Diverse Talent
REA collaborates with firms of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, in providing opportunities to their students. REA mentors guide students in resume preparation and interview skills, ensuring they’re ready to shine. Corporate partners receive a curated selection of applicants based on their needs, from engineering majors to expected graduation years. It’s a win-win: students gain valuable experience, and companies tap into a diverse talent pool.
The Impact
100% student graduation success rate with engineers headed to the workforce or higher education.
The REA Summer Engineering Experience works closely with the Rice Emerging Scholars Program (RESP), as well as the Rice chapters of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) to proactively identify internship candidates. First generation students and those from low-income backgrounds are particularly targeted, as access to engineering role models is key to supporting their career success.
By engaging with students early, REA not only impacts their career trajectories but also provides companies with exceptional talent. It’s a chance to shape the future of engineering. REA hosts a luncheon each summer for the incoming class of RESP scholars. Other attendees include current/past SEE participants, REA Board members, and host company representatives. Along with a speaker, the focus of the luncheon meeting is to allow RESP students to meet with upperclassmen and be able to inquire about careers as well as being a university student.
By championing diversity, REA ensures that engineering reflects the world we live in—a world where innovation knows no boundaries.
“We focused on this because we wanted to help students see what engineering was about and to understand that it was more than just solving problem sets in the classroom to see what engineers do in the real world” - Jim Pyke, Rice Engineering Alumni Board
Voices from the Program
“When I heard I'd be working on ballistic missile submarines, at first I thought it was a joke. The CEO quickly let us know that it was not. So from there, there was a little bit of decision making to do, but I thought that well, this is as real as it gets. You know, those are the times that make you feel human and the fact I get to work or something like that is very special. I currently want to work in renewable energy. I don't know what specifically, but I do know that. Eventually I'd like to own my own engineering firm that works solely on renewable energies, and I'd like to be the CEO.”
Balla Sanogo, Rice Mechanical Engineering Student Intern, Unified Industries
“Our Rice interns did not expect to work on some of the most sophisticated weapons platforms in the world. The maturity they displayed demonstrated the level of respect and responsibility that is warranted and demanded in supporting the Department of Defense.”
Ted Adams – President of Unified Industries, Inc
“ I honestly didn't know what to expect, so I couldn't say that it was what I expected as a student who came from a lower background, this was an opportunity to expose myself to engineering. I got matched with Blade Energy Partners through an interview process and really friendly people, very nurturing and really helped me see the journey that being an engineering would take me.”
Leticia Souto, Rice Mechanical Engineering Student Intern, Blade Energy Partners
“I've been an electrical engineer for over 10 years and there aren't that many of us, so it was kind of like a mentorship or a sisterhood. I feel like that I could kind of give her some insight to what I've experienced as a female engineer and what she can expect to see and how she can overcome it.”
Alicia Boyd, EPG Project Manager, Key Capture Energy
Get Involved
Are you ready to empower the engineers of tomorrow? Visit the Rice Engineering Alumni website (https://www.riceengineeringalumni.org/) to learn more about the program and how you can build your own program. We can build a brighter future—one internship at a time.
Adam Jaffe
ADAPT Communications Committee
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