Grant will help qualified high school students from underserved Chicago communities prepare for college-level engineering courses.
Exelon Generation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corporation, is granting $300,000 over five years to the University of Illinois-Chicago to attract and develop the next generation of Illinois engineers and scientists. The grant will fund UIC scholarships, help underwrite construction of a new computer sciences building by 2021, and continue a summer program to help qualified high school students from underserved Chicago communities prepare for college-level engineering courses.
“Our enrollment has doubled since 2005, and we expect it to increase by another 50 percent by 2025,” said Peter Nelson, dean of UIC’s College of Engineering. “Exelon’s generous gift will significantly help us to continue to provide access to excellence for future engineering students.”
Exelon Generation is fulfilling a prior $50,000 pledge and will provide an additional $250,000 in contributions over the next five years.
“Helping UIC grow is good for our company and our communities,” said Bryan Hanson, Exelon Generation’s chief nuclear officer. “In the past three years alone, we have hired almost 100 UIC students for full-time positions and internships. It’s part of our commitment to inspiring, developing and hiring the best and brightest talent that reflects the diverse communities we serve.”
Since 2014, Exelon Generation and ComEd have been partnering with UIC’s Chance Program and the College of Engineering on a summer STEM program that introduces qualified high school students from underserved communities to college-level engineering courses. The program, which assists nearly two dozen students each year, also helps deserving high school students get access to scholarships, internships and full-time Exelon positions.
image: Baltimore Sun
