Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M’23

Brittany Sanders-Bell ’20, M’23 Receives the 2024 Roaring10 Award

Brittany Sanders-Bell has two Clemson degrees and is working on a third. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial engineering in 2020 and 2023, respectively, and expects to complete a doctorate in engineering and science education in 2027.

She is Assistant Director of Next Engineers Greenville, a $5.5 million partnership between the GE Aerospace Foundation, GE Vernova and Clemson’s PEER and WISE program. The mission of PEER (Programs for Educational Enrichment and Retention) and WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) is to educate, recruit and retain students in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math through mentoring, academic coaching and academic enrichment.

Brittany oversees Next Engineers Greenville’s operations, logistics, reporting and relationships. She also facilitates quarterly meetings with colleagues in other Next Engineers global cities (Cincinnati, Ohio; Johannesburg, South Africa; and Staffordshire, United Kingdom) to share best practices, foster connections and discuss programming. Under her leadership, the first cohort of Next Engineers Greenville produced 49 graduates, many of whom enrolled at Clemson.

In her dual role as an assistant director for PEER and WISE, focusing on mentoring and supporting underrepresented students in STEM, she has been instrumental in guiding students from diverse backgrounds toward academic and professional success. Also, her experience as a working mother allows her to empathize with and support students balancing academic and personal challenges.

Brittany gives impromptu tours of Clemson’s campus to potential engineering students and their families and participates in outreach to local schools, encouraging students to pursue STEM careers and ensuring more diverse voices are represented in engineering fields. She is married to Derek Wayne Bell.