As an organization with the self-adopted mission of “promot[ing] the technological welfare of the nation by marshaling the knowledge and insights of eminent members of the profession,” we must recognize that the health, viability, and vitality of the engineering workforce are crucial to the continued success of our profession and our nation. A profession that exists to promote human well-being must be inclusive. There is a moral and social cost to the profession, and to the nation, when U.S. citizens do not have equal access to the opportunities and rewards that follow from an engineering education because of their gender, socioeconomic status or ethnic origin. An engineering education can open doors to career life-long professional growth and challenges, leadership opportunities, and material rewards in service to society.

The many causes of the engineering “diversity gap” are complex, and interrelated; they involve an entire system of economic, cultural, social, political, and historical factors that are manifested in families, communities, K–12 schools, institutions of higher education, and businesses across the country. In fact, addressing these complex problems requires the active involvement of organizations such as NAE whose members are leaders in the engineering community.