ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) announced today that Karl W. Reid, Ed.D. has been named its new executive director, effective June 2. Dr. Reid is currently senior vice president of research, innovation and member college engagement at the United Negro College Fund (UNCF).

For more than 15 years, Dr. Reid has been a leading advocate for increasing college access and opportunity for low-income and minority youth. At UNCF, he oversaw new program development, research and capacity building for the organization’s 37 historically black colleges and universities. Prior to joining UNCF, Dr. Reid was Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education and Director of the Office of Minority Education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he was responsible for the academic performance and leadership development of underrepresented minority students. He also served as Assistant to the MIT Chancellor for Student Diversity. Dr. Reid, who is 51 years old, replaces Virginia Womack, who has been NSBE’s interim executive director since November.

“NSBE is excited to have Dr. Reid as our new leader. He will help NSBE immensely as we work to increase the number of blacks in engineering,” said Sossena Wood, the NSBE National Chair. “We welcome his experience with developing metric-centered programs that can sustain the mission and cultivate our community.”

“I’m honored and humbled to have been selected as NSBE’s executive director,” Dr. Reid said. “I stand on the shoulders of 40 years of inspired leadership at NSBE. I am grateful for the enormous contribution that this great organization has made and from which I personally benefited as a student.”

Dr. Reid previously served as an NSBE chapter leader and as National Chairperson. “It is my hope that NSBE becomes more impactful globally during my tenure,” he said. “I want to work with partners to dramatically increase the number of young people who are excited about and prepared for successful careers in engineering and science. This is our mandate and it is as vital and relevant today as it was when it was envisioned by our founders in 1975.”

Earlier in his career, Dr. Reid served for eight years as executive director of Engineering Outreach Programs for MIT’s School of Engineering where he directed local and national college access programs that aimed to increase the number of students from underserved and underrepresented communities prepared to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). He also lectured on race, identity and academic achievement and served on MIT’s Committee on Undergraduate Engineering Practice, the Committee on Campus Race Relations and the Presidential Task Force on Minority Student Achievement.

Born and raised in New York City and Long Island, N.Y., Dr. Reid earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, and his Doctorate of Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His research interests include exploring the relationships between racial identity and self-efficacy, and their influence on the academic achievement of African American males in higher education.

After graduating from MIT, Dr. Reid worked for 12 years in the computer industry in product management, marketing, sales and consulting for several companies including IBM where he won several regional and branch awards. Dr. Reid is a member of the Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society. Among other activities, he directs Christian education at the Reid Temple AME Church and blogs about academic achievement and success strategies.

Dr. Reid is a recipient of the NSBE Golden Torch Award for “Minority Engineering Program Director of the Year” and the Outstanding Advisor of the Year award from the MIT Academic Resource Center. He is also a recipient of the YMCA Black Achievers Award, the MIT Presidential Award for Community Service and the MIT Excellence Award for his outreach efforts. He and his wife of 26 years, Andrea, live in Silver Spring, Md., and have three children.

For more, visit www.nsbe.org.