Argonne National Laboratory

Article | Communications and Public Affairs

GEM Consortium Fellowship Program Supports STEM Careers for Minority Graduate Students

Education and Outreach

By
Nathan Schmidt
|
Argonne is happy to welcome the first cohort of students participating in the GEM Consortium fellowship program, which offers unique opportunities for graduate minority students to engage in diverse laboratory STEM research.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Argonne National Laboratory received its first cohort of fellows from the GEM Consortium — a nonprofit network of over 150 universities, government research facilities, and multinational corporations dedicated to promoting graduate education for minorities. Each year, GEM recruits almost 2,000 underrepresented minority (URM) students from top-ranked universities, helping guide them toward promising STEM careers.

Argonne’s internship program with the GEM Consortium this year marks the Lab’s first student program intended to carry over through several summers. The Lab matches students with mentors who will stay connected with them over the course of their graduate studies. This connection helps URM students develop critical STEM knowledge, graduate study skills, and professional research capabilities, while also giving the Lab access to GEM’s rich URM pool of STEM talent and potential career recruitment.

“We’re eager to welcome Argonne’s first cohort of fellows through the GEM Consortium,” said Laboratory Director Paul Kearns. ​“Our ability to deliver impactful science and advanced technology to increase the prosperity and security of all Americans benefits when our teams reflect a wide range of experiences, viewpoints, and expertise. Partnering with future STEM leaders from underrepresented minority groups is an essential strategy for our success.”

The first cohort comes from distinguished universities across 10 states, including California, Colorado, Maryland, Ohio, and South Carolina. Their STEM fields include applied mathematics, biomedical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, environmental engineering, and physics. Students will engage in diverse research across the Lab’s divisions, including Chemical Sciences and Engineering (CSE), Material Science (MSD), Nanoscience and Technology (NST), Nuclear Science and Engineering (NSE), and X-ray Science (XSD).

“I hope the students will gain a strong sense of belonging in the STEM community and discover that the DOE and national lab complex is a dynamic, enriching community where they can see themselves having a fruitful career,” said Argonne’s university student program coordinator Robert Schuch. ​“All the students that I’ve talked to have been so excited about their internship, and they all have an undeniable passion to pursue a career in STEM.