AT&T Contributes to OU for Multicultural Engineering Program

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AT&T announced a $1 million contribution to the University of Oklahoma Foundation to support a program aimed at enhancing the educational experience of new engineering students, many of whom are minorities. Don Cain, president of AT&T Oklahoma, and Tom Landers, dean of the OU College of Engineering, made the announcement on campus on February 13th. "To continue to prosper and succeed, Oklahoma needs more Oklahomans to attend college, earn a degree and choose to live and work in our great state," Cain said. "We hope this program will help more students persevere with their course work, graduate and then use their talents and knowledge to make Oklahoma an even better place to live and work." 

The AT&T contribution establishes an endowment for the newly named AT&T Summer Bridge Program. The program offers a group of freshman engineering students a three-week summer program before the start of the fall semester. Participants will be given intensive academic preparation in various subjects, such as calculus and freshman composition, and offered highly individualized academic counseling. "The support from AT&T will ensure that this visionary program will continue to grow and encourage students who need a head start on the challenging course work facing today's future engineers," Landers said. "I appreciate AT&T's continuing commitment to education in Oklahoma, particularly its focus on underserved students, who often need additional financial assistance, counseling and encouragement." The summer bridge program was launched last year with about 20 students. However, with the AT&T contribution, the program is expected to grow to 60 students each summer. This is the second $1 million-plus contribution in less than 18 months from the AT&T Foundation to OU. In October 2006, AT&T donated $1.5 million to OU to establish a scholarship endowment program for American Indian students. Glenn Coffee, co-Senate president pro tem of Oklahoma City, said that for the state's higher-education institutions to excel, they need ongoing support from the state's business community. "The quality of education in Oklahoma should be the concern of every citizen and every business in our great state," Coffee said. "AT&T has long been a leader in giving to our schools and colleges. This contribution only continues that tradition of support." Education is a primary funding priority for the AT&T Foundation. Since 1996, the AT&T Foundation has distributed more than $219 million to fund education programs that promote academic excellence for all students.

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