Nissan’s support of Mississippi’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities STEM programs reaches $2.5 million

Special to The Canton News

For the tenth consecutive year, Nissan has contributed to STEM-focused programming at Mississippi’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Continuing its long-time support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Nissan is donating $250,000 to Mississippi’s seven HBCUs to further STEM education. Since launching the Mississippi HBCU STEM Initiative in 2014, Nissan has invested a total of $2.5 million to support and encourage innovative program development that serves Mississippi HBCU students, helping to build the tech workforce of the future.
 

“It’s our privilege to support Mississippi’s HBCUs as they prepare a new generation to take on the STEM challenges and opportunities of tomorrow,” said Chandra Vasser, vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) officer, Nissan Americas, and an HBCU alumnus. “Many of Nissan’s Canton employees are graduates of a Mississippi HBCU and are helping to shape the future of our business. We’re proud to support the schools that have prepared them to make a positive impact, not only within our company, but within the communities we serve.”
 

The seven HBCUs receiving a Nissan donation are Alcorn State University, Coahoma Community College, Hinds Community College - Utica Campus, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College and Tougaloo College. Among the funded projects are:
●    Alcorn State University Applied Sciences Programs and Robotics and Automation Technology Enhancements, a two-part project that provides STEM learning opportunities for middle and high school students, including STEM camps and robotics competitions, that build interest and skills in technical career pathways and advancements to robotics laboratories.
●    Jackson State University Student Robotics Lab and Program, a dedicated space for students to engage in activities related to robotics and advancing technologies. Activities in the lab support senior design projects, competition preparation and student innovations. 
●    Tougaloo College STEM Pipeline Project, an initiative to create a pathway to educate and strengthen pre-college and college students’ knowledge of advanced technology and innovation. Key activities include a research symposium, STEM workshop, and summer science and engineering program.
 

“As an alumnus of Alcorn State University, I am especially proud to be a Nissan employee today,” said Victor Taylor, vice president, manufacturing, Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant. “I was well prepared by my alma mater to take on a STEM career in the automotive industry and to advance Nissan’s vehicle electrification endeavors. HBCUs are a major pipeline of talent for us, and we’re thrilled to support the STEM learning opportunities they offer their student body.”
 

For more than two decades, employees at Nissan Canton have assembled high-quality, award-winning vehicles. The plant’s opening in 2003 brought automotive manufacturing to Mississippi for the first time, and has since contributed to the state’s economic development. Building on that rich history, Nissan Canton is undergoing a transformation to become a center of U.S. EV manufacturing that will bring all-new, all-electric models to the U.S. market.
 

Nissan Canton has become a central institution in Mississippi, creating more than 25,000 jobs statewide, contributing more than $20 million to local nonprofit organizations and logging more than 12,000 volunteer hours to help build stronger communities.
 

The plant employs more than 5,000 people and currently produces the Nissan Altima, Frontier and TITAN.