FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Bryan Hill, assistant dean for student recruitment, honors and international programs in the College of Engineering, is one of the three finalists selected for the 2014 GEDC Airbus Diversity Award.

The three 2014 finalists are from Australia and the United States and were selected from more than 20 candidates from 12 countries.

The $10,000 award is sponsored by Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, and the Global Engineering Dean’s Council. It recognizes individuals who have proactively introduced more diversity into their engineering institutions, as well as initiatives that encourage students of all profiles and backgrounds to study and succeed in engineering. The long-term aim of the award is to increase diversity among the global community of engineers so that the engineering industry reflects the diversity of the communities it supports.

Hill directs the Engineering Career Awareness Program, or ECAP, a College of Engineering initiative designed to recruit underrepresented, financially needy students into engineering, and give those students the support they need to graduate and begin engineering careers. ECAP provides financial assistance, as well as a summer bridge program and a network of academic and social support.

 “We are all very proud that Airbus and the GEDC have recognized Bryan’s contributions to diversity in the College of Engineering,” said Dean John English. “He has been an integral part of the ECAP team from the beginning, and the strengths and skills he has brought to the program have been a major contributor to its success. Bryan’s dedication to the cause, his networking and leadership abilities, his organizational skills and his aptitude for research and data-gathering have made this program what it is: a model program on our campus and beyond.”

As a finalist, Hill will present his work in diversity to a distinguished jury at the World Education in Engineering Forum in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 3. The selection criteria will focus on the measureable success of the initiative, the transferability of the idea and the potential to inspire other diversity initiatives.