UW-Madison College of Engineering – Interdisciplinary Professional Programs (InterPro) is proud to share our continued engagement with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Through establishing powerful connections with a professional development session for UW–Madison’s on-campus NSBE chapter, InterPro sponsored students to attend the 2025 NSBE conference, which took place March 4th-6th in Chicago, IL. We also had the pleasure of sponsoring a booth at the NSBE career fair.
Interpro staff members Karene Cary and Chelsy Cegielski were present throughout the conference and had a wonderful time connecting with aspiring engineers and engineers. Through InterPro sponsorship, UW students Aiden and Mulu, also attended the conference and mentored pre-college NESBEjr members at the career fair. When asking them to reflect on their time, Mulu stated, “[It was a] great experience talking to the youth about STEM and their futuristic goals. Thanks once again for this wonderful opportunity.”
As an organization that deeply values connection, the NSBE Conference allowed us to further grow and establish connections with engineers from across the country. Karene Cary highlights the importance of the “power of connection” when reflecting on her mentoring experience:
“I connected at NSBE with a student that I mentor on campus. At the conference, I was able to give her some professional guidance, coach her and connect her to professionals that I know in the industry. Through this, she was able to improve her interview experiences and make some wonderful new professional connections.”
It is stories like this that continue to inspire us to be involved with the NSBE organization and attend their conferences. A special shout-out to our big, inflatable Bucky for drawing in those who know and trust the UW Badger.
In the future, we look forward to continuing to work closely with the NSBE, as our collaboration is a prime example of the InterPro mission: To advance the Wisconsin Idea for the College of Engineering by delivering professional education programs and learning services to individuals and organizations.