UA Little Rock Students Secure Career Opportunities at National Society of Black Engineers Convention
Nearly 30 UA Little Rock students attended the 50th Annual Convention of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), where they learned valuable skills and made great connections with colleagues and future employers.
“It was a very successful conference, and there were over 18,000 people who attended,” said Faith Shelton, a senior civil and construction engineering major. “I attended the career fair, our regional opening event, and I had one-on-one interviews with several companies. I learned more about potential job opportunities from many companies that I never heard of. I was also able to see how NSBE chapters in our region are working together to accomplish goals. I feel like it was a really good learning experience.”
The students spent their spring break attending the conference from March 20-24 in Atlanta, Georgia. The 29 students who are members of the UA Little Rock student chapter of NSBE were able to attend the conference with funding provided by the Donaghey College of Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics as well as the School of Business.
UA Little Rock students who attended the conference include Adedapo Adeniyi, Praise Uthman, Adepeju Tugbogo, Lotenna Nwana, Emmanuel Bediako-Tandoh, Tomisin Fowowe, Precious Sani, Emma Egbon, John Ita, Catherine Alemoh, Olakunle Durosomo, Kemisola Kasali, Olanrewaju Oyinbooke, Oyindamola Koleoso, Ridwan Amure, Abiodun Quadri, Racheal Ogan, Oseghale Obeto, Omasan Okpaghoro, Ogooluwa Ojo, Kam’Ron Coleman, Tope Christopher Falade, Tashiba Harris, Faith Shelton, Nzubechukwu Okolie, Antarence Tyree, Anulika Nwashili, and Emmanuel Addai.
The convention provided many networking and employment opportunities for a greater number of UA Little Rock students. Only seven UA Little Rock students were able to attend the NSBE Annual Convention in 2023.
“I learned many valuable things at the NSBE Conference,” said Antarence Tyree, an electrical and computer engineering major. “They have many workshops that prepare you in soft skills like resume building and interviewing. I got to talk to people with a lot of experience, and it was valuable to see the skills that are necessary going forward into this career. I spoke with recruiters about their expectations for up and coming graduates. It was a great spring break, and I really enjoyed it.”
Philip Ojo, a senior mechanical engineering major, is feeling confident after leaving the conference with a job offer to work as a process engineer at Intel starting in June.
“There are many valuable things to learn at the NSBE Conference,” said Philip Ojo. “It can be difficult to get an internship or job through online applications. I remember applying for several positions online and getting rejections. With NSBE, it brings the companies right to us and gives us a chance to tell them what we can do in person. This is a dream come true, and thanks to NSBE, I am able to actualize my dream. That is why I believe this conference is so important.”
Students were immersed in a wealth of opportunities and experiences that have enriched their academic and professional growth while opening doors to promising career prospects.
“Thanks to NSBE, I got an internship in a supply chain department at a company in Columbus, Indiana,” said Emma Egbon, a business information systems and analytics major. “One would think that opportunities are only open to engineering students at NSBE, but there are lots of opportunities for many students, including in the medical field.”
Anulika Nwashili, a graduate student studying bioinformatics, found the experience empowering as she received the People’s Choice Poster Award after presenting her research at the NSBE Technical Research Exhibition. Her research aims to develop more effective Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) drugs by modifying existing drug molecules that have proven to be effective in previous research.
“I had a really great experience presenting my research at NSBE,” Nwashili said. “It was my second time presenting at a conference, and it was fun to communicate with different people and share my research in a positive way. We received the People’s Choice Award, which is a huge highlight for me and puts our chapter on the map.”
Adedapo Adeniyi, a graduate student in business information systems and analytics, and current President of the school chapter received a job offer for a technical sales position while attending the NSBE Convention.
“There are a lot of opportunities to receive job offers and internships at NSBE, and it’s not just engineering,” he said. “There are many different opportunities across STEM fields. This is an opportunity that every student should have. Our goal is to continue growing NSBE at UALR and grow the number of students who can go to the conference. We want to have many more students benefit from the conference in the future.”
