Spelman College News September 29, 2011 Media Contact(s) : Dr. Sherry L.Turner (404) 523-5778 sturner@aucenter.edu Terrilyn Simmons (404) 270-5822 tsimmons8@spelman.edu<mailto:tsimmons8@spelman.edu> GM FOUNDATION AWARDS $75,000 TO ATLANTA UNIVERSITY CENTER TO SUPPORT STEM EFFORTS The General Motors Foundation today awarded $75,000 to Spelman College, Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University through the Atlanta University Center Consortium Inc. This gift was made in support of the AUC Dual Degree Engineering Program which supports science, technology, engineering and math programs at these institutions. This contribution is part of a longstanding partnership, dating back to 1975, established to increase the pipeline of minorities working in STEM fields. Royal Blackmon, production and maintenance leader, Vehicle Material Systems, and alumnus of the AUC DDEP, Charissee Edmondson, global manufacturing systems implementation engineer and Benjamin Bohannon, lead industrial engineer, Global Paint and Polymers, presented the award on behalf of the GM Foundation during GM Day. This event brings GM employees and the AUC community together for presentations and to showcase some of the innovative technologies being used by GM in the design of their vehicles. "Each of the Consortium's member institutions has proven commitments to significantly increasing the numbers of socially conscious leaders who excel in STEM disciplines," said Sherry L.Turner, executive director and CEO of the AUC Consortium. "Our graduates can be found making a difference in virtually every industry. The support from GM enables us to broaden the scope of our influence." The GM Foundation has provided more than $26 million since 2005 to support education initiatives in engineering, manufacturing, design and business across the country. The foundation's involvement with scholarships, internships, employment, and electric vehicle technology, provides a solid infrastructure for the development of African-American engineering and technology students. "Our students have benefitted tremendously from the mentoring and sponsorship by General Motors for over 30 years," said Tracey Martin-Toomer, director of the AUC DDEP. "This funding will strengthen the tutorial program, provide scholarships, assist with the development of curriculum and support special programs such as Spelman Robotics team, the SpelBots, which is developing humanoid robots designed to assist humans." About the AUC Consortium Inc. The world's oldest and largest association of historically Black colleges and universities, the Atlanta University Center Consortium is comprised of four member institutions - Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College. The Consortium is a vibrant intellectual community with a long tradition of scholarship, service, and community engagement. AUC Consortium, Inc. is a non-profit organization that operates on behalf of its members to advance each institution's mission and strategic goals by fostering collaboration, managing center-wide initiatives, offering services that benefit our students and community, and leveraging our shared resources. About the GM Foundation Since its inception in 1976, the GM Foundation has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to deserving American charities, educational organizations and to disaster relief efforts worldwide. The GM Foundation focuses on supporting Education, Health and Human Services, Environment and Energy and Community Development initiatives, mainly in the communities where GM operates. Funding of the GM Foundation comes solely from GM. The last contribution to the GM Foundation was made in 2001. ### Spelman College: Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a prestigious, highly selective, liberal arts college that prepares women to change the world. Located in Atlanta, Ga., this historically black college boasts an 83 percent graduation rate, and outstanding alumnae such as Children's Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; former U.S. Foreign Service Director General Ruth Davis, authors Tina McElroy Ansa and Pearl Cleage; and actress LaTanya Richardson. More than 85 percent of the full-time faculty members have Ph.D.s or other terminal degrees, and the average faculty to student ratio is 9:1. More than 2,100 students attend Spelman. For more information, visitwww.spelman.edu. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.