Polytechnic University Awarded in Recognition for Commitment to Diversity in Federal Employment

The School of Engineering and Geomatic Sciences was hand-picked to participate in the Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act initiatives for greater diversity

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, November 8, 2011 – Committed to more than standards of excellence in secondary education, the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico (PUPR) was awarded by Cirrus Technology, Inc. in recognition of their support to the program to increase minority contracting in the United States Department of Defense and their contribution to increasing the pool of qualified minority cost estimators under the Senior Executive Service (SES) Diversity Assurance Act of 2009.

Fifteen universities were chosen in the United States and its territories to support these efforts through cooperative education programs. The PUPR was the only university in Puerto Rico selected to collaborate with these efforts due to its highly competitive curriculum in Cost Estimation Analysis. Jorge González and María Rivera, both graduate students majoring in Construction Engineering at the Polytechnic University Graduate School, were selected to be a part of the Cirrus Technology team.

“The Polytechnic University was highly recommended and regarded as the ‘Harvard of the Caribbean’ by our colleagues in the Pentagon and the US Secretary of Defense,” said Jerry Harris, President and CEO of Cirrus Technology, Inc. “The Polytechnic University is the only university in Puerto Rico that offers courses aimed at developing specialists in this area, which was necessary for the execution of this project. The students carried themselves above expectations, even when compared to the students from selected universities in the United States. These students are beyond bright, sharp and intelligent.”

The SES Diversity Assurance Act, an initiative begun by Congressman Danny K. Davis and Harris himself, aims to provide for greater diversity within, and to improve policy direction and oversight of, the Senior Executive Service. The SES Diversity Assurance Act also establishes the Senior Executive Service Resource Office, tasked with managing and promoting an efficient, elite and diverse corps of senior servants.

“The United States Department of Defense has a pool of cost estimators that are close to retirement,” said Rafael Lineros, Director of Security and Project Manager for Cirrus Technology. “The United States will soon have a lack of qualified specialists in this field, which we aim to fill with this new generation of cost estimators. A more diverse and talented generation of cost estimators.”

For more information on these and other initiatives by the Polytechnic University School of Engineering and Geomatic Sciences, and the Cooperative Education Program and Placement Office, please call 787-622-8000 ext. 279 or visit http://www.pupr.edu//coop.