CAU to Host The Department of the NAVY’s Opportunity Awareness Workshop for HBCUs and MIs

07/02/2018

ATLANTA (JUNE 28, 2018) – Clark Atlanta University (CAU) President Ronald A. Johnson announced the University’s partnership with The Department of the Navy's (DoN) Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) program annual Naval Opportunity Awareness Workshop (OAW) on August 30-31. There will also be a special, student-focused pre-workshop event, August 29 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The student-focused event will take place in the Thomas Cole Research Center for Science and Technology; workshops occurring on August 30-31 will be held in the Bishop Cornelius Henderson Student Center, Juanita P. Baranco, J.D. multi-purpose room at 223 James P. Brawley Dr. S.W. Atlanta, GA 30314. 

The workshops are free and open to all college and university administration, faculty, staff and students from HBCU/MIs, but require advance registration. The OAW is the DoN’s HBCU/MI program’s premier event for outreach that will highlight research opportunities within the Navy and Marine Corps, summer faculty/sabbatical research opportunities, student internships and scholarships.

“We are extremely proud of our relationship with The Department of the Navy HBCU/MI program,” Johnson says.  “This forum constitutes a prime opportunity for the nation’s HBCUs and MIs to connect with experts who can share crucial information about how to engage with the program in ways that can significantly fortify their current STEM programming and, more importantly, help them to elevate the scope and capacity of their long-term STEM programming strategies to produce STEM graduates who are even more competitive in a global marketplace that is constantly evolving.  That is our end game here,” Johnson notes.

CAU will become the DoN’s OAW third installment since inception. Howard University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) both hosted the 2-day workshop, attracting attendance from institutions, agencies, and companies across academia, government and industry. The DoN HBCU/MIs program located in Arlington, VA hopes to involve the community and increase student engagement by hosting a day of sessions devoted to learning program fundamentals and ways to pursue procurement and technical opportunities. The OAW also provides an open platform for representatives to learn about their recruitment tools, become more involved in naval-relevant scientific research, and attract students to internships. 

"HBCU/MI students are a national asset," said Anthony C. Smith Sr., director, Department of the Navy, HBCU/MI program. "We're interested in fostering student interest in scientific research and implementing their research into the DoD."

The DoN HBCU/MI program is based at the Office of Naval Research, with the mission of discovering some of the best and brightest minds at HBCU/MIs. The program workshops are designed to expand opportunities for schools to successfully compete for grants and contracts for basic and applied research. In addition to outlining how to conduct business with the DoN, the workshops will offer scholarships, fellowships and internships to students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) studies; and HBCUs and MIs.  Participants will have an opportunity to network with the department of the Navy and other Federal Government Agencies throughout the day.  Admission to the DoN’s Opportunity Awareness Workshop at Clark Atlanta University is free.  Click here to register.

For more information on the DoN’s HBCU/MI OAW, August 30-31, and student-focused pre-workshop event, August 29, at Clark Atlanta University, visit www.cau.edu or call 404-880-8883.

About the Naval Opportunity Awareness Workshop:

The OAW is the DoN HBCU/MI Program’s premier event for outreach and engagement of minority-serving institutions in direct alignment with the Program’s vision, mission, and strategic plan. The purpose of the workshop is to provide the HBCU/MI community with first-hand information about research, fellowships, and internships. For more information on the DoN’s OAW, please visit, www.onr.navy.mil/hbcu