The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering rose an impressive 51 spots in the ranks among engineering schools in the latest ranking by US News & World Report. The school is now ranked No. 40 among all public universities, according to the publication’s annual surveys.
The college is also now ranked No. 2 in the state of Florida, behind only the University of Florida.
FAMU and FSU students at the college are proud of the ranking and how far the college has come. They credit the dean, professors and their hardworking peers for this accomplishment.
“It’s been a long time coming. When I first came in, they were revitalizing the whole entire college of engineering. They brought in new staff and faculty and we got grants and I feel like that propelled us into a whole new world. Now we are actually on the come up of being one of the top schools in Florida, and I am proud and can’t wait to see where we go from here,” said Salamon Nguyen, a fifth-year computer engineering student at FAMU.
The HBCU-PWI partnership, unique among all institutions in the country, was created by the Legislature 38-years ago. The school is also recognized for its growing diversity among students. Their diversity is notable and not found anywhere else in an engineering school in the U.S.
“We are the No. 1 engineering college in terms of diversity and female percentage,” said Weston Dudley, a spring 2020 mechanical engineering graduate of Florida State. “We are trying to represent what we want to see our STEM programs recognized. The fact that our numbers are way better than what we are seeing in the world as far as representation, we are kind of the cutting edge of what to do. Schools kind of look up to us. We are a joint school that is in the South that has such high diversity numbers, and we are excelling— we are leading by example,” he said.
Recently, diversity and inclusivity in the workplace have been the topic of conversations throughout media and certain professions, especially in the STEM fields. Blacks and Hispanics are highly underrepresented in the field, according to Pew Research Center.
“The partnership is a win-win for FAMU and FSU, and I am delighted to have the quality and impact of our engineering education increasingly recognized,” Dean J. Murray Gibson, said in a press release provided by Florida State. “I’m also proud that our student body, combined from two major universities, is uniquely diverse and is changing the face of engineering for future generations,” he said.
Gibson was appointed to his position in 2016, and since his appointment the school has obviously benefited greatly. He can be recognized for the school’s growing access to resources and professors. Engineering students credit him for being hands-on.
“Without a doubt, I will be prepared for my career field because of the resources that are provided. I get a lot of opportunities provided with hands-on project experience at the e-school, as well. There are so many professors that have done extensive research in the courses I take, so there are plenty of people I can turn to,” said DeCarlo Carr, a graduating computer engineering student at FAMU.