Alabama A&M University is both pleased and honored to be one of the participants in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative. In my opinion, this is one of the most important endeavors in which we can participate. As the largest producer of African American food scientists and foresters in the nation, as the second largest producer of black physicists with Ph.d.'s, the 13th largest producer of blacks with degrees in biological and biomedical sciences, the 15th largest producer of black engineers, and the 24th in the nation in producing black computer scientists, this Initiative will help to strengthen the course for which we are widely known in the sciences and throughout the Academy, especially as a historically black land-grant university.
We are confident that this Initiative will help us to achieve new levels of excellence in the STEM areas as we strive to produce a cadre of competent and capable individuals that can help to keep our nation competitive in the sciences. To be able to collaborate with Indiana University, one of the nation's premiere institutions of higher learning, will prove to be a plus for both of our institutions. I know that faculty and student exchanges as well as research and learning initiatives in which we will participate will prove beneficial both now and in the future as we seek to do our part in combating some of the social, technological, environmental, economic and political trends and events that are likely to occur over the next 20 years. Indeed, we are excited and look forward to this Initiative.
