Get Involved
Philanthropic Support and Other Involvement
Leading in the competitive and exciting field of engineering requires substantial resources that will enable us to attract the best faculty, researchers, and students and provide them with the means to excel. MIT welcomes all contributions to support increased diversity in engineering. Opportunities for encouraging diversity in the School of Engineering exist throughout our departments, labs, and centers. See current priorities below. For inquiries, contact:
Deborah J. Cohen
Senior Director of Development and Communications
School of Engineering
Phone: 617.253.2222
Fax: 617.253.8549
deco@mit.edu
MIT welcomes all contributions to support increased diversity in engineering. Giving opportunities include:
Endow the MITES program
The Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science Program (MITES) supports MIT's educational mission to provide all students with the intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus and community and to serve the nation's need for a diverse pool of highly qualified scientists and engineers, including underrepresented minorities and those from other underserved populations. For a complete description of the program and its goals, please view the MITES home page.
Entering the first rung of college education can be a major hurdle for many participants, especially in engineering and science fields. Since 1974, the School of Engineering has run MITES, a six-week summer residential program that introduces high school juniors to the challenges and rewards of pursuing careers in those fields. Over 1,400 participants have completed the program since its inception. Approximately half of all participants in recent years return to MIT as freshmen. However, the program is small and the demand is high (as many as 700 applications per year). Applicants from all races are considered, and we seek participants who will benefit the most from and contribute the most to the program's objectives and success. MITES is 100 percent scholarship-based — all living and educational expenses are provided for each of the admitted students, as many as 80 per year.
To ensure the continuing success of MITES, the School of Engineering seeks to endow 60 MITES scholars through individual named funds and contributions to two funds established in honor of former MITES Director William H. Ramsey and Professor Wesley L. Harris. Endowing the program through these funds will provide a solid base from which the program can identify and prepare many more qualified students in the coming years than the 60-80 it serves annually. The endowment of MITES will cover all educational and administrative expenses needed to run the program.
