We Have Lift-Off!

In the 2021-2022 academic year, NIU’s College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) entered into a formal partnership with Collins Aerospace’s Electric Power Systems division in Rockford, Illinois.

The objective, driven by a $50,000 donation from Collins, was to support growth of the college’s programming focused on diversity, equity and inclusion and to provide Collins with exposure to CEET’s diverse cohort of next-generation engineering talent.

“As engineers, we know that great creativity and innovation comes from bringing together a variety of backgrounds, beliefs, opinions and life experiences,” said Dean of CEET Don Peterson, Ph.D. “We’re delighted that Collins Aerospace is partnering with us to further our diversity, equity and inclusion programing and provide new opportunities to our students.”

The partnership engaged Collins Aerospace with CEET students by expanding resources and career networking opportunities. In the spring of 2022, the college held a Collins Aerospace Day where students had a chance to learn more about the organization and the career opportunities available. In addition, Collins participated in the college’s two on-campus engineering job and internship fairs and participated in the 2021-2022 Senior Design Program.

The agreement provided funding for NIU’s chapters of National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the Society for Women Engineers. It also provided resources for a Diversity Ball—an evening of music and socializing to celebrate the multicultural organizations that make NIU a dynamic place to live, learn and work.

“As an NIU graduate, I am proud to be a part of the Collins Aerospace-NIU partnership,” said Christian Griffiths, ’94, who serves as executive director of engineering – electric power systems for Collins Aerospace.

The partnership also resulted in seven lectures in spring 2022 called DEI Talks, a series of informative and engaging talks by CEET alumni who are emerging leaders in their fields.

“The College of Engineering and Engineering Technology looks forward to continuing our partnership with Collins Aerospace and bringing future opportunities to engineering students,” said Peterson.