WASHINGTON, May 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With the support of
43 chemical manufacturers and related industry stakeholders, the
founding partners of the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative
(FOSSI) today announced the program surpassed its 2021 goal
to fund scholarships for 150 students majoring in science,
technology, engineering, and math (STEM) at Historically Black
Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program will support 151
scholars in its inaugural year, at an investment of $7.2 million dollars. Multi-year commitments from
sponsoring organizations have raised an additional $4 million in support of future scholars.
Launched last year by the American Chemistry
Council (ACC), the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (AIChE), The Chemours Company and the
HBCU Week Foundation, FOSSI is the chemical industry's
collaborative equity, diversity and inclusion initiative aimed at
creating pathways for more underrepresented groups to enter and
succeed in the chemical industry. FOSSI provides scholarship
recipients $10,000 per year for four
years, as well as opportunities for internships, mentoring and
leadership training.
"I am proud to stand with the more than 40 ACC members and
affiliates who have eagerly responded to our ambitious goal to
raise $7.2 million in support of
FOSSI in its inaugural year," stated ACC President & CEO
Chris Jahn. "ACC and our members
are committed to leading our industry in enhancing diversity in our
facilities, our communities and nationwide."
ACC Board of Director's Chairman, Chemours President and CEO,
and founding chair of FOSSI, Mark
Vergnano, stated, "As lead sponsor of FOSSI, Chemours is
thrilled to bring our Corporate Responsibility Commitment to
action. It is with the support of organizations like these that we
can have a meaningful impact on the future workforce of the
chemical industry."
Nearly 1,700 high school students across the nation applied for
FOSSI scholarships, and the 151 scholarship recipients represent 26
states, with students planning to attend 23 HBCUs.
Ashley Christopher, Founder and
CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, noted, "The incredible interest
we saw from these applicants illustrates the need this scholarship
fills within our black and brown communities. The excitement
from recipients and their families as we've notified
each student has been overwhelming, and we are looking forward to
building and growing the program to reach even more scholars in the
future."
In welcoming the new FOSSI scholars, June Wispelwey, Executive Director and CEO of
AIChE, commented, "AIChE's commitment to FOSSI exemplifies its
IDEAL vision of driving Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Anti-Racism,
and Learning, which is embodied in our Foundation's All for Good:
Engineering for Inclusion priority. Our leadership is ensuring that
the success of both the FOSSI initiative and our FOSSI scholars
will have profound impacts on the STEM professions. We are thrilled
to be taking this active role in nurturing, inspiring, and building
the future workforce."
To learn more about FOSSI,
visit aiche.org/fossi.
About the American Chemistry Council
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents the leading
companies engaged in the business of chemistry. ACC members apply
the science of chemistry to make innovative products and services
that make people's lives better, healthier and safer. ACC is
committed to improved environmental, health and safety performance
through Responsible Care®; common sense advocacy
designed to address major public policy issues; and health and
environmental research and product testing. The business of
chemistry is a $565 billion
enterprise and a key element of the nation's economy. It is among
the largest exporters in the nation, accounting for ten percent of
all U.S. goods exports. Chemistry companies are among the largest
investors in research and development. Safety and security have
always been primary concerns of ACC members, and they have
intensified their efforts, working closely with government agencies
to improve security and to defend against any threat to the
nation's critical infrastructure. Learn more about ACC member
company commitments to sustainability, diversity, equity and
inclusion here.
About the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers
The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a
professional society of more than 60,000 chemical engineers in 110
countries. Its members work in corporations, universities, and
government using their knowledge of chemical processes to develop
safe and useful products for the benefit of society. Through its
varied programs, AIChE continues to be a focal point for
information exchange on the frontiers of chemical
engineering research in such areas as energy, sustainability,
biological and environmental engineering, nanotechnology, and
chemical plant safety and security. More information about AIChE is
available at www.aiche.org. Detail about the AIChE
Foundation's Doing a World of Good campaign and other programs is
available at www.aiche.org/giving/. More about AIChE's
IDEAL statement can be found here:
https://www.aiche.org/IDEAL.
About The Chemours Company
The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) is a global leader in Titanium
Technologies, Thermal & Specialized Solutions, Advanced
Performance Materials, and Chemical Solutions providing its
customers with solutions in a wide range of industries with
market-defining products, application expertise and chemistry-based
innovations. We deliver customized solutions with a wide range of
industrial and specialty chemicals products for markets, including
coatings, plastics, refrigeration, and air conditioning,
transportation, semiconductor and consumer electronics, general
industrial, mining and oil and gas. Our flagship products
include prominent brands such as Ti-Pure™, Opteon™, Freon™,
Teflon™, Viton™, Nafion™, and Krytox™. In 2019, Chemours was
named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies.
The company has approximately 6,500 employees and 30 manufacturing
sites serving approximately 3,300 customers in approximately 120
countries. Chemours is headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware and is listed on the NYSE
under the symbol CC.
About the HBCU Week Foundation
The mission of the HBCU Week Foundation is to encourage high-school
aged youth to enroll into HBCU's, provide scholarship dollars for
matriculation and sustain a pipeline for employment from
undergraduate school to corporate America. The most impactful event
during HBCU Week is the HBCU College Fair. HBCU Week Foundation,
Inc. is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
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SOURCE American Chemistry Council