[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 92 (Monday, June 18, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     COMMEMORATING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEADERSHIP ALLIANCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHAKA FATTAH

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 18, 2012

  Mr. FATTAH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 20th 
anniversary of the Leadership Alliance. The Leadership Alliance, 
established in 1992, is a national academic consortium of leading 
research universities and minority serving institutions with the 
mission to develop underrepresented students into outstanding leaders 
and role models in academia, business and the public sector.
  Through an organized program of research, networking and mentorship 
at critical transitions along the entire academic training pathway, the 
Leadership Alliance prepares young scientists and scholars from 
underrepresented and underserved populations for graduate training and 
professional apprenticeships. Leadership Alliance faculty mentors 
provide high quality, cutting-edge research experiences in all academic 
disciplines at the nation's most competitive graduate training 
institutions and share insights into the nature of academic careers.
  In the 20 years since its establishment, the Leadership Alliance has 
mentored over 2,000 undergraduates who have participated in the Summer 
Research Early Identification Program and over 200 alumni who have 
obtained their PhD (215) or MD PhD (19) degrees as Leadership Alliance 
Doctoral Scholars.
  More than 53 percent of Leadership Alliance early identification 
students enroll into a graduate level program versus the national rate 
of 40 percent enrollment into graduate programs. Of this 53 percent, 42 
percent enrolled into or completed PhD programs. Of the 42 percent of 
students enrolling into doctoral training programs, 46 percent 
completed PhD programs and more than half of those were in the science, 
technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Leadership 
Alliance institutions graduated approximately 25 percent of all 
biomedical sciences PhD degrees to underrepresented minority students 
in a five year time period (2004 2008), making it a leading consortium 
grantor of PhD degrees in the biomedical sciences in the United States.
   In my district, over the past 18 summers, the University of 
Pennsylvania has hosted 210 undergraduates who were mentored by faculty 
and had an in-depth research experience designed to provide them with 
theoretical knowledge and practical training in research and scientific 
experimentation and other scholarly investigations.
  Leadership Alliance Doctoral Scholars are diversifying the academy 
with 58 percent of them at research-intensive institutions. Doctoral 
Scholars also are engaging in career positions in government and 
industry. The Leadership Alliance has demonstrated its effectiveness as 
a model for identifying, training and mentoring underrepresented 
minorities who are poised to expand and diversify the base of the 21st 
century workforce.
  I am pleased today to recognize the importance of sustaining efforts 
to invest in programs that identify, train and mentor talented 
underrepresented and underserved students; recognize the continued 
dedication of institutional leaders, faculty members, administrators 
and students across the United States and support their roles in the 
continued training and mentoring of underrepresented students along the 
academic pathway; and to congratulate and commend the Leadership 
Alliance, including the University of Pennsylvania, for 20 years of 
mentoring a diverse and competitive research and scholarly workforce.

                          ____________________