GEM Gets Minorities Involved

Boston University and 26 other graduate schools sought to woo minority students into the fields of technology, science and engineering Saturday morning in the Photonics Building as part of the "Getting Ready for Advanced Degrees Lab."

The GRAD Lab was co-sponsored by GEM Consortium and Massachusetts Consortium of Science Technology Engineering and Math Programs, two organizations aimed at making graduate school more accessible to underrepresented students.

As a regional GEM graduate school fair, the event was "the first of its kind," according to BU Engineering Associate Graduate Dean Mark Horenstein.

By awarding fellowships to minority students pursuing a career in the STEM -- science, technology, engineering and mathematics -- fields, GEM seeks to "enhance the value of the nation's human capital by increasing the participation of underrepresented groups . . . at the masters and doctoral levels of engineering and science," according to the GEM website. Since 1976, GEM has graduated 3,000 students, including 200 doctorates in science.

MCSTEMP is an organization uniting the Massachusetts GEM schools. Formed one year ago, these schools include BU, Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Northeastern University and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

"[We have a] good facility, we're centrally located and we're very interested in being involved in this kind of event . . . so we volunteered, and the other MCSTEMP schools were comfortable with us hosting it," Conference Director Cheryl Kelley said.

BU Engineering Dean Kenneth Lutchen kicked off the conference. An audience of just under 100 students listened attentively around large round tables, eating their complimentary breakfasts.

GEM keynote speaker Michele Lezama, GEM's executive director, addressed the audience with a personalized style, drawing participation and many laughs from the audience. Part of her appeal was her personal success story through GEM.

While working for IBM, Lezama said she noticed "everyone who made a lot of money had a graduate degree."