School of Engineering IMPACT program marks 50th anniversary

Karl LewisThe Swanson School of Engineering will celebrate the legacy of the Pitt IMPACT program with a three-day event.

The program — which was founded in 1969 and ran through 2002, according to the School of Engineering — offered six weeks of training for minorities and economically disadvantaged students interested in studying engineering.

It also gave incoming freshmen study skill development, academic and career counseling and more. According to the School of Engineering, the program helped in the creation of two current initiatives: Pitt Excel and Investing Now.

Pitt Excel is a program created to increase diversity, retention and graduation for undergraduates studying engineering. Investing Now helped pre-college students from underrepresented groups in the STEM field by offering a college prep program.

In addition, there will be a memorial to Karl Lewis, who founded the IMPACT program, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. June 21 at Heinz Memorial Chapel. He retired from Pitt in 1999 as an associate professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering and passed away in March.

Other activities, including networking sessions, campus tours and panel discussions, will be a part of the program.

The event will take place from June 21 to 23. Registration is $149 and will include the events and meals. For registration and other details, visit this website.