Seven Straight Years: Siemens PLM Software Named Among Top Supporters of HBCU-Accredited Engineering Programs Again for 2009

Industry Leader’s Commitment to Empowering Future Generations of Engineers is Key to Recognition.

PLANO, Texas - Siemens PLM Software, a business unit of the Siemens Industry Automation Division and a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced the company is ranked among Fortune 500 corporations and United States (U.S.) government agencies in its support of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) Engineering Schools in the U.S., according to a recent independent survey of the deans of those schools. This is the seventh consecutive year that Siemens PLM Software has been recognized by U.S. Black Engineer & Information Technology (USBE&IT) Magazine as a top supporter of historically black engineering schools in the U.S.

Career Communications Group, publisher of USBE&IT Magazine, conducted the survey last month asking the deans of ABET-accredited HBCU engineering programs to list the 10 companies they feel contribute most to their schools’ institutional missions. The deans considered support for infrastructure modernization and enhancement, research, participation on advisory councils, faculty development opportunities, scholarships, student projects, stipends, co-ops and career opportunities.

The corporate-academic alliance Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) was also asked what companies provide the most support to HBCU engineering schools. In all, 50 private-sector companies and 35 government and nonprofit organizations were named as Top Supporters.

“AMIE is honored to have Siemens PLM Software as an active member of its Board of Directors. We are a coalition of corporations, government agencies and the ABET accredited HBCU Engineering Schools. AMIE's primary mission is to facilitate the development of partnerships between our member organizations and one or more of the HBCU Engineering Schools. Siemens PLM Software's recognition as a top supporter of the HBCU Engineering Schools is a demonstration of their continued commitment to diversifying the engineering/technical workforce,” said Myron Hardiman, executive director, AMIE.

“Siemens PLM Software strives to develop and nurture partnerships that provide significant value for academic institutions, youth/displaced workers development programs, Regional Productivity Partnerships, Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE) and our global communities,” said Dave Shirk, executive vice president, Global Marketing, Siemens PLM Software. “We work closely with AMIE to improve the technical stature of HBCUs and their ability to develop top-notch engineers and technologists.”

Siemens PLM Software has provided in-kind software grants with a list price of more than $1.2 billion to HBCU & HSCU (Historically Spanish Colleges and Universities) engineering schools, empowering these students with the same PLM tools used by leading manufacturers and technology companies to aggressively compete on the basis of time-to-market, product cost, quality and innovation.
GO PLM Program

Siemens PLM Software’s GO PLM™ initiative leads the industry in the commercial value of the in-kind grants it provides and brings together four complementary community involvement programs focused on academic partnership, regional productivity, youth and displaced worker development and the PACE (Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education) program. GO PLM provides PLM technology to more than 1,000,000 students yearly at nearly 10,200 global institutions, where it is used at every academic level – from middle schools to graduate engineering research programs.