The official biography below was current at the time of the award. See the organization's website for its latest information.

For 22 years, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering, Inc. (NACME) has led a national effort to increase the number of African American, Latino, and American Indian engineers. With mentoring as the cornerstone of its students' development programs, NACME has: I. Produced more than 6,000 underrepresented minority students who have completed engineering degrees through NACME scholarship programs, which include a strong mentoring component, academic support, professional development, undergraduate research or internships, and need-based financial aid; II. Demonstrated student success in various special programs -- 84 percent retention rate (out of 120 students) compared to the national average of 35 percent for minorities; an average GPA of 3.4 for these students, with almost half of the graduates pursuing advanced degrees full-time; III. Provides rigorous training for mentors, i.e. an engineer, a professor, or NACME staff; IV. Provides an effective structure in its projects for precollege, bridge and undergraduate support and solicits involvement from professionals, faculty, and professional societies; V. Disseminated program characteristics through publications and through projects designed for special groups; and VI. Developed a program that is replicable and likely to continue to influence the success of underrepresented groups for some time to come.