National Society of Black Engineers selects Karl Reid as executive director

 The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) has announced that Karl Reid, Ed.D. has been named its new executive director, effective June 2. Dr. Reid is currently senior vice president of research, innovation and member college engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

For more than 15 years, Dr. Reid has been a leading advocate for increasing college access and opportunity for low-income and minority youth. At UNCF, he oversaw new program development, research, and capacity building for the organization’s 37 historically black colleges and universities. Prior to joining UNCF, Dr. Reid was associate dean of undergraduate education and director of the Office of Minority Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was responsible for the academic performance and leadership development of underrepresented minority students. He also served as assistant to the MIT chancellor for student diversity.

Dr. Reid, 51, previously served as an NSBE chapter leader and national chairperson. “I hope that NSBE becomes more impactful globally during my tenure,” he says. “I want to work with partners to dramatically increase the number of young people who are excited about and prepared for successful careers in engineering and science. This is our mandate, and it is as vital and relevant today as it was when it was envisioned by our founders in 1975.”

Earlier in his career, Dr. Reid served for eight years as executive director of Engineering Outreach Programs for MIT’s School of Engineering where he directed local and national college access programs that aimed to increase the number of students from underserved and underrepresented communities prepared to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He also lectured on race, identity, and academic achievement and served on MIT’s Committee on Undergraduate Engineering Practice, the Committee on Campus Race Relations, and the Presidential Task Force on Minority Student Achievement.

Born and raised in New York City and Long Island, NY, Dr. Reid earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT and his Doctorate of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research interests include exploring the relationships between racial identity and self-efficacy and their influence on the academic achievement of African American males in higher education.

After graduating from MIT, Dr. Reid worked for 12 years in the computer industry in product management, marketing, sales, and consulting for several companies including IBM. Dr. Reid is a member of the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. Among other activities, he directs Christian education at the Reid Temple AME Church and blogs about academic achievement and success strategies.

With a membership of more than 30,000, NSBE is one of the nation’s largest student-governed organizations. NSBE was founded in 1975 to serve African Americans in engineering and technology. With more than 300 chapters in the United States and abroad, NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of college and pre-college students and technical professionals. For more information, visit www.nsbe.org.