News Dr. Sylvanus N. WosuDr. Sylvanus N. Wosu Associate Dean for Diversity Affairs Leading Diversity in Engineering
The EOD mission is to create a bridge for the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students that contribute to the school’s diversity and to promote a positive multicultural environment that empowers traditionally underrepresented students to excellence in engineering education. The Swanson School of Engineering has had a Diversity Action Plan (DAP) in place since 2000, which emphasizes early identification of students that contribute to the school’s diversity goals, recruitment of students with improved probability of graduation, increase in freshman and graduation retention rates, and promotion of a broadened inclusive vision of diversity. This vision acknowledges and celebrates those differences (race, religion, gender, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, age, geographic origin, socio-economic level, culture, language, ethnic background, intellectual skills, and others) that individuals contribute to the school’s diversity goals while providing multicultural education to the entire engineering community. Just one year after implementing the diversity plan, the Swanson School of Engineering was ranked number one in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the number of African American graduates according to the Engineering Workforce Commission. African American enrollment has been above average since fall 2001, and the enrollment of women has been above national average since fall 2000. Wosu is also the director of the Pitt Engineering Career Access Program (PECAP) which has two components: pre-college and college EXCEL, and offers comprehensive services for students from high school through graduate school. The pre-college initiatives include INVESTING NOW and CARE. EXCEL is a comprehensive program committed to the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students from groups traditionally underrepresented in the field of engineering. Program activities include academic counseling, tutoring, workshops, engineering research, and mentoring opportunities, as well as a two-week intensive study skills and math review session for pre-freshmen. Wosu obtained his PhD in engineering physics from the University of Oklahoma. In addition to directing the school’s diversity initiatives, he holds a joint appointment in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he teaches classes on composites and conducts research on is in the areas of impact physics and engineering of composite materials, dynamic problems in composites failure, and biomechanics of cerebral oxygen metabolism. Learn more about Pitt’s diversity programs. |
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With the creation of the Engineering Office of Diversity (EOD) and the appointment of Sylvanus Wosu as assistant dean for diversity in 2000, and promoted to associate dean in 2005, the school began building upon its 30-year history of diversity efforts, instituting a cutting-edge diversity vision that carried the school into the new millennium. Wosu explains the school’s commitment to diversity as “reflecting population and demographic realities. We want to be equally as committed to diversity as others in society and corporate America who have been creating diversity programs to educate, encourage, and inspire minority students, especially since this is where the future of our students lies.” Benedum Hall
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