Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

Stanford Engineering is committed to creating a culture where all students are supported, respected, included, and empowered to do their best work. Gifts to the Equity and Inclusion Fund help us attract and educate the next generation of engineering leaders in a community where all are equipped with the resources they need to thrive.

Meet Nicole W. Xu

A Stanford for all

One of the challenges to increasing the diversity of our population is the limited number of applications we receive from highly capable individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. Some incredibly talented students don’t apply, either because they don’t know enough about Stanford or they can’t “see” themselves in our programs. We’re on a mission to change that. The Equity and Inclusion Fund supports initiatives like Graduate Pathways to Stem (GPS), Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF), and Stanford Exposure to Research and Graduate Education (SERGE).

Support outstanding undergrads

Stanford Summer Engineering Academy (SSEA)

Attending college is a life-changing experience. SSEA is a four-week residential summer program that helps level the playing field for incoming Stanford undergrads who are underrepresented in engineering fields.

Learn about SSEA

Supporting graduates

Summer First

Summer Opportunities in Engineering Research and Leadership, or Summer First, facilitates the transition to Stanford Engineering for a small cohort of incoming PhD students who may be traditionally underrepresented in engineering, first in their family to pursue an advanced degree, or from environments with limited exposure to research universities.

Learn about Summer First

“I was intimidated by Stanford and its academic culture at first. By going through SSEA, I found that there are pathways that make engineering very accessible. SSEA has made me feel like I will have a great support system through whatever engineering pathway I take.”

-Sydney Johnson, Class of 2020

Coterm Fellowship Program

Some 40% of our undergraduates currently pursue a coterm degree, staying an extra year to receive their bachelor’s and master’s degrees simultaneously. We believe these students are better prepared to land their first job and, ultimately, are better equipped to tackle urgent global challenges. Our goal? Support some of our most promising students when need-based financial aid ends with an undergraduate degree.

Learn more

An endowed coterm fellowship can be established with a gift of $250,000 or more. A gift of $2 million will fully fund a coterm fellowship. Contact a Stanford Engineering gift officer to learn more.

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