Fall is recruitment season for universities, and Stony Brook University is actively seeking stellar students to join their 140+ graduate programs. Through the Center for Inclusive Education (CIE) in the Graduate School, our recruitment efforts focus on individuals from historically underrepresented groups who wish to obtain a Master’s or PhD in one of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields.

Having just attended the 42^nd National GEM Consortium Annual Board Meeting and Conference in Los Angeles, we were encouraged to see so many exceptionally talented graduate students pursuing Master’s and PhD’s in electrical and computer engineering, chemistry, biomedical engineering, and many other STEM subjects. It is clear that the applicant pool is full of stellar, diverse individuals with a strong desire to contribute to their scientific disciplines.

Our next stops this semester include the for Advancing Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference in San Antonio, TX from October 11 – 13, as well as the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) in Indianapolis, IN from November 14 – 17. This will be the 11^th year the CIE has the opportunity to participate in both conferences, and we’re thrilled to meet some of the best and brightest students in STEM. If you plan to attend, please visit our teams at booth #246 at SACNAS and booth #745 at ABRCMS – we’ll be giving out information on graduate programs and funding, we well as free giveaways and application fee waivers to those who qualify!

Though we are primarily interacting with undergraduate students interested in continuing their education, the CIE is also participating in the SREB Institute for Mentoring and Teaching in Arlington, VA from October 25 – 28. This is the 25^th Anniversary of the Institute, and the CIE is excited to return and meet prospective postdoctoral associates and faculty from historically underrepresented groups. Our graduate community thrives when our faculty represent diverse perspectives.

In addition to national conferences, the CIE staff coordinate local and regional trips to meet future STEM leaders at their undergraduate institutions. This fall we will visit Brooklyn College and Hunter College within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, as well as John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Rutgers University-New Brunswick and St. Peter’s University. We hope to have the opportunity to visit colleges in the Southeast as well, including the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, University of Maryland-College Park and Morgan State University. Our traveling recruitment team of faculty, students and staff present to prospective students in a more intimate classroom setting, allowing for in depth conversation and extended Q&A. If you’d like to host a Stony Brook team at your institution, or if you are faculty in a Stony Brook University Graduate Program interested in collaborating on a pathway development recruitment trip, please contact Rosalia Davi, Diversity Outreach Coordinator, at Rosalia.davi@stonybrook.edu.

Each year we are fortunate to meet so many inspiring individuals who are passionate and driven in their academic goals. The CIE hopes to connect them with the many funding and research opportunities available at Stony Brook, thereby strengthening the community of underrepresented and underrepresented minority scholars on campus and throughout STEM. Follow our travels on Facebook and Twitter – and if you see us on the road don’t hesitate to stop by and say hello!