Travelers Increases Aid for Diversity Initiative
The Travelers Connecticut Foundation, the charitable arm of Travelers, has announced a new multi-year commitment from Travelers to enhance academic, outreach and diversity programs at the University.
This commitment of up to $1.6 million will be used to expand the successful Travelers Education Access Initiative (TEAI) at UConn, established by the company last year with gifts totaling $630,000. TEAI is designed to improve access to higher education for underrepresented populations and build awareness about careers in insurance and finance. UConn and Travelers are working collaboratively to fulfill the initiative’s mission.
“As Connecticut’s flagship public university, UConn is uniquely positioned to help Travelers remove barriers to higher education and careers that underrepresented students face,” says Marlene Ibsen, vice president of community relations at Travelers. “Travelers and UConn are structuring a comprehensive approach that we believe is a formula for success for underserved students.”
TEAI includes a wide range of efforts such as youth outreach in Greater Hartford school districts and a program that offers scholarships, internships and mentorship for students who demonstrate a commitment to multicultural diversity through leadership in activities at UConn or in their communities.
Lee Allen Aggison, Jr, associate dean of the Graduate School and associate professor-in-residence in molecular and cell biology, helps lead diversity outreach programs at UConn. He notes that support for programs like the Science, Engineering and Health Professions Collaborative Symposium (see photo), which educates minority undergraduate students considering careers in those fields, is making a significant difference for students as well as the state and country.
“In the coming years, as a more educated and skilled workforce is required within the state, more students will continue to look for opportunities to educate themselves about the science, engineering and medical professions,” says Aggison. “The symposium is crucial to bringing together students who want to achieve and the professionals who can assist them in doing so.”
He adds, “Beyond the University, it is vitally important for the community at large to demonstrate its commitment to diversity. With the economic challenges that corporations face, they are often forced to make difficult decisions. The returns on their investments in diversity initiatives are not always immediately evident, but they should know that their contributions have wide, far-reaching and significant impacts on the University, the state and the country as a whole.”