MEDIA ADVISORY: UC Santa Cruz and community colleges will launch new program for engineering students with a reception at NASA Ames on May 5

The Collaborative for Higher Education, the University of California, Santa Cruz, and the Foothill-De Anza Community College District will hold a reception to celebrate the launch of their new program to help students prepare for careers in engineering.

Reporters are invited to attend this event

Funded by a $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation, the Developing Effective Engineering Pathways (DEEP) program gives community college students the guidance and preparation they need to transfer into engineering programs at UCSC's Baskin School of Engineering, and supports transfer students at UCSC with services and programs to ensure that they successfully complete a four-year degree.

When: Wednesday, May 5, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Where: The Mars Center, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA

Who: Speakers will include

. Martin M. Chemers, Acting Chancellor, UC Santa Cruz

. Steve Kang, Dean, Baskin School of Engineering, UCSC

. Carrol Moran, Director, Educational Partnership Center, UCSC

. Martha Kanter, President, Foothill-De Anza Community College District

. Edward Landesman, Education Director, Collaborative for Higher Education

Details: UC Provost M.R.C. Greenwood will be honored at the event for her vision as one of the founding members of the Collaborative for Higher Education, which she helped establish in 2000 as chancellor of UCSC. The collaborative brings together UCSC, San Jose State University, and Foothill-De Anza Community College District to work collectively on challenges facing higher education.

Engineering students who will benefit from the DEEP program will also be in attendance at the reception and will be available to talk to reporters.