Junior members of the National Society of Black Engineers interview EPA Head Lisa Jackson

Photo: Junior members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) interview U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson in her office at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.: (seated, left to right) Darius Simington, Devante Martin, Administrator Jackson, Alexis Clark and Alicia Tate. Jackson is a chemical engineer and was a NSBE chapter president at Tulane University, her undergraduate alma mater.

 Alexandria, VA (BlackNews.com) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson invited four junior members of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) to interview her at EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., this week. Jackson, a chemical engineer and the first African American to head the EPA, was a NSBE chapter president at Tulane University in New Orleans, La., her undergraduate alma mater. Alexis Clark, a sophomore at North Stafford High School in Stafford, Va.; Devante Martin and Darius Simington, both 10th graders at Martinsville High School in Martinsville, Va.; and Alicia Tate, a third-grader at Stonegate Elementary School in Silver Spring, Md., quizzed Administrator Jackson for 15 minutes about environmental issues of concern to them and their generation, and about career advice for budding engineers. The interview took place on Tuesday, March 15. “NSBE’s 35,776 members extend our thanks to Administrator Jackson for inviting our NSBE Jr. group to her offices,” says NSBE Executive Director Carl B. Mack. “Experiences like this can open new horizons for young people and instill in them a desire for community service and professional success that lasts a lifetime.”

 “This interview shows the great capacity of our young people to take on issues in technical areas when given the chance,” says NSBE National Chair Calvin Phelps, 23, a master’s degree student in mechanical engineering at Cornell University. “Many thanks to Ms. Jackson for taking the time to engage with our youth and present them with such an opportunity.”

 

ABOUT NSBE

The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), with more than 35,700 members, is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the country. Founded in 1975, NSBE now includes more than 394 collegiate, pre-collegiate and technical professional/Alumni chapters in the United States and abroad. NSBE’s mission is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” For more information about the National Society of Black Engineers, please visit www.nsbe.org.