University of Nebraska–Lincoln recently re-joined The National GEM Consortium. The consortium is a network of colleges, universities, industry partners, and aspiring or current graduate students with a mission “to enhance the value of the nation’s human capital by increasing the participation of underrepresented groups… at the master’s and doctoral levels in engineering and science."
Since 1976, the consortium has been successful at matching more than 3,000 highly qualified graduate students with more than 130 universities and STEM graduate programs across the country and recently received the 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring.
The Office of Graduate Studies will house the university's GEM membership, working in partnership with the Office of Research & Economic Development, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and NUtech Ventures, as well as faculty and administrators from academic units. “Membership in The National GEM Consortium is an excellent opportunity for us to grow our graduate programs and support efforts in meeting N2025 goals for the recruitment of a diverse student body and strengthening engagement with industry partners,” explained Deb Hope, Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Graduate Education.
UNL’s membership in the GEM consortium provides:
- Graduate faculty access to a large graduate student recruiting network and database,
- Graduate student funding for qualified students through the consortium and/or industry partnerships
- Summer industry internships for graduate students in Master’s and Ph.D. programs.
The GEM Consortium boasts 77 industry members ranging from national laboratories, S&P 500 companies, high tech companies, and biotech firms. Companies who join the consortium have an opportunity to build talent pipelines by establishing relationships with students while they are still in school. Joy Eakin of NUtech Ventures will serve as the primary contact for interested industry partners.
Dr. Alisha Hanshaw of the Office of Graduate Studies, will serve as UNL’s primary contact for departments interested in recruiting GEM fellows. She will also work to bring UNL-GEM alumni together to support the participating graduate students and assist departments as they recruit new faculty to programs. If you are an alumnus of the Consortium, please connect with Dr. Alisha Hanshaw to become involved.
Students interested in becoming a GEM fellow are encouraged to learn more about this opportunity.