What is CDEP?

Dr. Isaac J. Crumbly founded the Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) on the campus of Fort Valley State University (FVSU) in 1983. CDEP, initially funded with seed money from the U.S. Department of Energy, began as an internship program to address the underrepresentation of minorities and females in the energy industry.

In 1992, CDEP formed university partnerships and implemented a 3+2 dual degree STEM program consisting of the following disciplines: mathematics, engineering, chemistry, geology, geophysics, biology, and health physics. CDEP scholars received a bachelor’s degree from Fort Valley State University in three years and a second bachelor’s degree from a partner university in two years. CDEP added Computer Science to the dual degree curriculum in 2022. The program now offers a 3+3 dual degree program with a bachelor’s degree from Fort Valley State University and a graduate degree from a partner university.

Partnering corporations and governmental agencies have provided over 480 STEM scholarships and more than 850 internships to academically talented minority and female students participating in CDEP’s dual degree program. Also, FVSU-CDEP and its university partners have awarded over 450 STEM degrees.

In 1993, CDEP established a pre-collegiate component for 9^th -12^th grade students called the Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Academy, which is a feeder program for CDEP’s dual degree program. CDEP’s pre-collegiate/collegiate STEM pipeline addresses the nation’s challenges of establishing a diverse and inclusive workforce.

CDEP accomplishes the overall objectives of the program through the following methods:

• Dual degree programs in engineering, geology, geophysics, and computer science
• Scholarships
• Internships
• Industry & Government Participation
• Career/Job Opportunities
• Pre-College Mathematics, Science, & Engineering Academy (M-SEA)