Media Advisory: Carnegie Mellon President Subra Suresh Invited to White House Workshop on College Opportunity

Contacts: Ken Walters / 412-268-1151 / walters1@andrew.cmu.edu
                Abby Simmons / 412-268-4290 / abbysimmons@cmu.edu

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh is among a select group of college and university presidents and leaders from nonprofits, foundations, state governments and businesses invited by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to the White House on Thursday, Jan. 16, to discuss expanding college opportunity.

"Carnegie Mellon has a long tradition of providing educational opportunities to those striving to be the first in their family to get a university degree," said President Suresh. "We continue to honor our legacy of education accessibility by engaging young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure that they are excited about and prepared for the challenges and rigors of postsecondary education."

Carnegie Mellon has pioneered a number of initiatives to open pathways to educational attainment for students from underrepresented groups and communities. These efforts include the Summer Academy for Math and Science, a rigorous residential summer experience for students who want to prepare for admission to selective colleges and universities; the Leonard Gelfand Center for Service Learning and Outreach, which engages CMU students and faculty in K-12 mentoring and professional development activities for educators throughout the Pittsburgh region; and Women@SCS, a nationally recognized effort to engage women and girls in computer science.

Most recently, President Suresh launched the Simon Initiative, which mobilizes CMU's leading research in the science of learning to unlock the mystery and potential of human learning focused on educational outcomes, helping students achieve their full potential. As part of this initiative, Suresh has convened a new Global Learning Council, which includes distinguished leaders from academia, foundations and business, with significant experience and a proven track record in influencing learning and education outcomes.

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Watch a live stream of the White House house event: http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/society/2014/winter/white-house-workshop.shtml