Media release provided by Duke Energy Monday.
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Duke Energy today announced $150,000 in student scholarships to South Carolina State University that will help to create a diverse pipeline of talent for the nuclear workforce of the 21st century.
The Duke Energy Foundation has provided a grant to the university that is providing scholarships to 15 nuclear engineering students over a three-year period to increase the number of diverse graduates in the university’s Nuclear Engineering Program.
“We are very proud of our Nuclear Engineering Program, which is the only undergraduate program of its kind in South Carolina,” said South Carolina State University Interim President Alexander Conyers. “We appreciate Duke Energy, one of the nation’s premier energy providers, for supporting our program and helping create a diverse pipeline of talent for the nuclear workforce of the 21st century.
“Together we are working to ensure reliable, carbon-free and cost-effective nuclear power for generations,” Conyers said.
Strengthening relationships and recruiting strategy at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) has been a priority for the company’s talent acquisition team since 2018, when Duke Energy was the first utility to sign the HBCU Partnership Challenge. Congress created the challenge to increase engagement between corporations and HBCUs. At the time, 13 companies had signed, including Intel, Lyft and Amazon. Now, more than 40 are committed.
“South Carolina State University has a significant reputation as a leader in building the high-quality workforce our state and nation need today and in years to come,” said Mike Callahan, Duke Energy’s South Carolina state president. “We are excited about the future of the clean energy workforce and what these scholars will achieve.”
Visit https://scsu.edu/about-sc-state/ to learn more about South Carolina State University and its Nuclear Engineering Program.