LP Building Solutions (LP), a leading manufacturer of high-performance building products, today announced the establishment of college scholarships to attract greater diversity into the manufacturing industry and foster a more inclusive and representative workforce.
LP partnered with SHPE: Leading Hispanics in STEM (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) and the National Society of Black Engineers to establish the scholarships for 2023–2024 academic year.
“LP believes that investing in education and opportunities for underrepresented groups is essential to create a more diverse industry,” says LP Chair and CEO Brad Southern. “Engagement with students can introduce them to our industry and help them develop the skills toward long, rewarding careers. I am proud to be part of an organization that puts words into action to foster diversity in future generations of engineers.”
This is not the first time LP has supported the National Society of Black Engineers, following a 2022 donation. However, this marks the company’s first collaboration with both national engineering associations to establish scholarships. Named the LP Building Solutions—Building a Better World Scholarship, the recipients must be pursuing engineering degrees relevant to LP’s operations, including industrial, chemical, electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. Applicants are required to answer one essay question: How will you use your engineering degree to build a better world?
“Huge NSBE thanks to LP Building Solutions for supporting our collegiate members with this scholarship and for recognizing the value of our longtime work toward greater diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM,” says NSBE National Executive Board Chair Avery Layne. “LP is the type of corporate partner NSBE is seeking—companies that have solid strategic plans to bring more people of color and women to STEM careers and that are committing substantial resources, creativity and energy to actualize those plans,” adds Layne, who is a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park.
“Through this collaboration, LP is not only providing crucial financial support to students pursuing engineering degrees but also demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion in the engineering industry,” says SHPE Research & Impact Manager Robert Tovar. “Together, we can empower talented individuals to establish their careers and make a lasting impact in their communities.”
“Receiving this scholarship validates the dedication I’ve poured into my academic and career pursuits,” says SHPE scholarship recipient and Purdue University Ph.D. student Jehan Shalabi. “This scholarship ignites my drive to shape a brighter future for our world and serves as an investment in my forthcoming journey. I am profoundly grateful for the support provided during my Ph.D. and aspire to return this generosity to others in the future.”
These scholarships complement LP’s initiatives to invest in the future of the industry through grants and support for organizations. For example, LP is involved in the Manufacturing Institute’s ’35×30′ initiative, an ambitious, industry-wide effort to close the gender gap in manufacturing by adding half a million women to the industry by 2030. In the last two years, LP has established a three-year bursary for students of Vancouver Island University’s Indigenous Peoples and Women in Trades Training program, the LP STEM Kit Library in support of Metro Nashville Public Schools, and a virtual reality program to teach high school math with Nashville, Tennessee-based LEAD Public Schools. Furthermore, LP has made monetary contributions to various nonprofits, including the Urban League of Middle Tennessee’s Real Estate Developers Academy, Serving Souls, the National Association of Women in Construction, and Black Women Build.LP also currently offers the LP Scholarship Program for the children of team members who excel in their studies and make positive contributions to their communities.
