NSBE Chapter Celebrates 48 Years and Launch of Black Alumni Association at Columbia Engineering

Nearly five decades after its founding, Columbia Engineering’s chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) continues to expand its legacy of community and leadership. This year’s 48th anniversary celebration, held Feb. 20 in Carleton Commons, also marked a major milestone: the launch of the Columbia Engineering Black Alumni Association (CEBAA), strengthening connections across generations of Black engineers. 

The programming, led by founding NSBE chapter president Greg Tarver BS‘78 MS’82, featured a keynote address from George Ellis BS’79, an inaugural member of Columbia’s NSBE chapter and current member of the School’s Board of Visitors, and remarks from the current chapter president, Adh-Dhuha Hamid Ahmed BS’27. 

Ellis credited the connections he made with fellow Black students while an undergraduate at Columbia for setting the stage for his own career. At Columbia, he played on the freshman and varsity football team, and served as the president of both the NSBE Columbia chapter and his fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, in his senior year. “Apparently, I didn't believe in free time,” he said with a laugh.

“When I look back on those four years, I realize how formative they were: setting the stage for a robust management career, ongoing nonprofit leadership, and the foundation for building a successful family,” Ellis said. “So when I say I'm grateful to Columbia – when I say I'm grateful to NSBE – it's because NSBE didn't just help shape my resume. NSBE helped shape my identity.”

Said Dean Shih-Fu Chang, “The NSBE reunion is a wonderful occasion for celebration, and this year we were especially looking forward to the launch of the Columbia Engineering Black Alumni Association. We’ve seen so much incredible enthusiasm from our alumni base since first hosting the NSBE reunion two years ago. I know that the team is excited to keep this momentum going and to engage even more alumni and students.”

Building a New–and Lasting–Community 

The inspiration for CEBAA came after NSBE’s 46th anniversary celebration in 2024, when Columbia Engineering Black alumni began organizing to build a stronger community that would facilitate engagement with Black graduates in the STEM community. Led by Ellis, the organization’s president, CEBAA will include new board members Tarver, Daneen Cooper BS’80, Angela Edwards BS’92, MS’97, Carlos Barksdale BS’14, and Amanda Jenkins BS’25. In partnership with Columbia Engineering’s Blueprint Mentorship program, CEBAA aims to bridge meaningful connections between Black students and alumni in STEM through professional development, mentorship opportunities, and community building. “CEBAA was born from a single but powerful question: What happens when Black alumni decide not only to look back, but to build forward?” Ellis said. 

Current NSBE Chapter President Ahmed echoed this sentiment when addressing the attendees at the celebration. “To sit at the table with the very people who paved the way for me, and to see their ongoing, unwavering commitment to the students coming up behind them, has been a defining experience of my time here,” she said. “It taught me what it means to truly reach back and pull someone up.” Through CEBAA's dedication, NSBE hopes to sponsor all chapter members to attend the annual NSBE National Convention, a massive career event that connects students with hundreds of academic institutions, professionals, and industry recruiters. 

For Ellis, who helped build NSBE’s chapter from the ground up, the anniversary celebration was a chance to pay it forward. He closed his keynote with a quote from Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress. “‘Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth.’ CEBAA is part of our rent. NSBE is part of our rent, ” Ellis said.

“And the beautiful thing is, when we pay that rent, we don't lose anything. We gain community.”

Lead Photo Caption:  Some of the current and founding members of Columbia’s NSBE chapter pose for a lighthearted photo. 

Lead Photo Credit: Michael DiVito/Columbia Engineering