Campus Culture & Diversity

Speed School Diversity Programs

The following diversity-based initiatives cultivate a welcoming environment for all Speed School students.

• Brown Forman Scholarship
  Through this scholarship, underrepresented populations can be awarded half tuition, $500 worth of books, and a potential co-op with Brown Forman. Contact us to apply.
• Diversity Celebration
  This luncheon event promotes networking with students, faculty, and staff.
• Diversity Speaker Series
  Speed School hosts a speaker series addressing the need for diversity and mentor-ship within Engineering.
• Diversity Week
  Each fall, Speed School and UofL provide events and programming that celebrate the cultures, languages, and lifestyles of our students and community to make this a more inclusive campus.
• Women’s Leadership Conference
  Speed School alumna Alison Seward brings together 100 students each year to meet with industry experts. The focus is on developing confidence to be a future engineering leader.
• Women’s Luncheon
  Speed School supports women in STEM with this annual networking event, co-sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs and the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

On-Campus Groups

These organizations advance the personal and professional development of Speed School’s diverse student body in academia, extracurricular activities, and engineering.

• African American Female Initiative
  This program offers structured academic support and counseling to assist first-year enrolled African American female students.
• African Students Union
  This student organization fosters collaboration between African students and those interested in Africa and is committed to the cultural, economic, intellectual, and political awareness of the continent.
• American Institute of Chemical Engineers
  Chemical Engineering majors can take advantage of the many amazing opportunities this organization holds and will find it to be a useful resource for the rest of their careers.
• American Society of Civil Engineers
  Joining this organization is a great opportunity to meet and learn from other engineering students, meet members of the faculty and graduated professional engineers, compete in engineering competitions, and more
• American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin
  This organization provides young engineers of Indian origin with networking events, internship and research opportunities, and meeting colleagues at elite conventions.
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
  The purpose of this organization is to promote networking of our members with industry professionals, expand and disseminate industry knowledge, and host speakers and tours.
• Bangladeshi Student Association
  This student organization is for students from Bangladesh or interested in Bangladesh and is dedicated to the celebration of and exposure to that nation’s culture.
• Biomedical Engineering Society
  The purpose of this organization is to promote the profession of biomedical engineering, discuss its research, and disseminate knowledge.
• Black Male Initiative
  This organization is dedicated to increasing the retention, graduation rate, and overall success of African American men by addressing various academic and social challenges.
• Black Student Union
  The mission of this organization is to promote the political, social, cultural, and academic health of UofL’s African American student community and recognize the need for unity.
• Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association
  This student association provides a forum of communication between graduate chemical engineering students and faculty, eases the transition of new students into the curriculum, and enables interaction between graduate students and alumni.
• Chinese Club
  This organization introduces the student body to the Chinese language and culture and fosters intercultural dialogue.
• Chinese Scholars Union
  This organization is for Chinese students and professors as well as those interested in Chinese culture.
• Collegiate 100
  The purpose of this service organization is to supplement the mentoring, tutoring, and culturally beneficial programs of 100 Black Men of Louisville.
• Empowering Ladies Together
  ELT is minority focused but tailored for all women and enables its members to excel academically, socially, culturally, and professionally.
• Engineers Without Borders
  This engineering organization welcomes all majors and partners with communities in developing or third-world countries on projects to help them meet their basic needs.
• French Club
  The purpose of this group is to promote the understanding, study, and appreciation of the French language and culture and to organize activities relating to the francophone world.
• Hillel
  Hillel is a nationwide organization promoting Jewish involvement on campus and in the community.
• Hispanic and Latin@ Initiatives
  This initiative builds a strong support system for UofL’s Hispanic and Latin@ students through programming and events.
• Indian Student Association
  This organization represents and promotes the common interest of the student body, creates a spirit of togetherness, and showcases India’s rich cultural heritage.
• Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers
  The UofL chapter of this nonprofit association is dedicated to improving the application, education, training, research, and development of industrial engineering.
• Iranian Student Foundation
  The purpose of this organization is to sponsor activities and events pertaining to Iran’s history and culture to foster friendship among different cultural groups and to provide support for Iranian students at the university.
• Japan Club
  This student group is for everyone interested in learning about Japanese culture, politics, food, and more.
• Korean American Student Association
  This organization encourages Korean American students and students interested in Korean culture to join and participate in its meetings and events.
• Lambda Law Caucus
  The purpose of this organization is furthering the interests of LGBT+ students and individuals through networking and activism.
• Latino Student Union
  This student organization is dedicated to celebrating the wide variety of Latin American and Hispanic history, heritage, cultures, and traditions present on UofL and throughout the community.
• Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Program
  This program seeks to increase the number of underrepresented students in STEM fields and works to meet those goals through scholarship, mentorship, retention, service, and program initiatives.
• Minority Association of Graduate Students
  This association fosters relationships across academic disciplines and provides support to underrepresented groups by helping students persist toward graduation.
• Muslim Student Association
  As the local MSA chapter of MSA National, this organization meets the needs of Muslim youth on campus and offers community volunteer initiatives and social events.
• NAACP
  UofL’s chapter is dedicated to ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and eliminating race-based discrimination.
• National Society of Black Engineers
  NSBE’s mission is to increase the ranks of black engineers and empower them to excel academically and professionally and as role models within their communities.
• Nepalese Student Association
  This organization helps incoming Nepalese students in their cultural transition and gets them settled in and familiarized with the university and community.
• Sisters United
  This student group is dedicated to the empowerment and professionalism of black women at UofL through cultural awareness, mentorship, and community service.
• Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos, and Native Americans
  UofL’s SACNAS student chapter promotes professional development of minorities in science and research and creates professional opportunities for its members.
• Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
  The local chapter of SHPE strives to be a support system for Hispanic and Latinx students in the STEM fields.
• Society of Women Engineers
  This national organization includes non-engineering and male members but is dedicated to nurturing and supporting female engineers and engineering students. Outreach is focused on girls and young women in K–12 programs.
• Somali Student Association
  The Somali Student Association raises awareness of Somali culture and is a representation of the diverse Somali community of Louisville.
• Speed Association for Computing Machinery
  Speed ACM is open to anyone interested in computers, programming, or computing technology in general
• Speed School Student Council
  This group is the official organization of the student body of the J.B. Speed School of Engineering and serves as a liaison between UofL students, faculty, and alumni.
• Speed Spectrum
  This student organization provides a safe space for LGBT+ and allied engineering students and promotes awareness of and advocates LGBT+ issues in the engineering community.
• The German Club
  This group provides a sense of community for students interested in learning about German language and culture and takes an active role in planning and hosting on-campus German cultural events.
• The Women’s Center
  The mission of the Women’s Center is to offer support and resources to empower women with the goal of promoting an inclusive and equitable campus community and to develop engaged and compassionate leaders.
• United Nations Association at UofL
  This organization is an active Model UN group that competes nationally and hosts events on issues ranging from social justice issues to the environment.
• Women Scholars of Color
  The women doctoral students of UofL aim to promote the growth of women of color in education, leadership, and in the community through the academic dedication of obtaining a doctoral degree.
• Woodford R. Porter Scholars
  This society is the largest African American scholarship organization at UofL. Named after the late trustee, it provides support and assistance for the retention of Porter Scholars, enhances their undergraduate leadership opportunities, and encourages graduate-level education.

To learn more about any of these groups, see our campus registry of organizations.

Partnerships with Local Schools

Speed School participates in outreach programs with local schools. Our mission is to enlighten, excite, and engage students about engineering and applying to a college or university-level engineering program.

• INSPIRE 2020
  Sponsored by Brown-Forman, INSPIRE stands for Increasing Student Preparedness and Interest in the Requisites for Engineering. It is a June program that introduces engineering primarily to African American, Hispanic, Native American, and female students who attend Louisville-area public or private high schools, although the program is open to all high school students. There is no cost to participate in the program, but students must find their own transportation to campus each day.
• Nativity Academy Partnership
  Similar to West End, we are partnering with the Nativity Academy to provide continuous education, scholarships, and a maker space. Groups from Nativity have toured the University of Louisville campus, and shadowed our students to get a sense of a day in the life at Speed School.
• West End School Partnership
  How can engineering schools develop interest in underrepresented populations? Speed School is already solving this problem at the local level. We are building a maker space within the West End School, we provide weekly tutoring on-site, and we offer scholarship opportunities for West End students upon admission into Speed School.