Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)

The program strives to remove barriers faced by under-represented students who are pursuing STEM degrees, while enhancing their academic experiences. The following opportunities are provided to LSAMP students:

Engage in Research. Participants conduct scholarly research under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Quality research projects provide a realistic picture of graduate school scholarship, while preparing students for the graduate school climate. Participants can conduct research during the fall and spring semesters, as well as an intensive 10-week summer research experience.

Develop and Deliver Professional Research Presentations. Summer research experiences conclude with students presenting their research at the RIT Undergraduate Research Symposium. Additionally, students have the opportunity to travel to conferences nationwide to present their research and to network with graduate school representatives, as well as other other students and alumni from across the country.

Attend Graduate School Preparation Seminars and Workshops. Students attend graduate school seminars and/or workshops that focus on specific topics designed to demystify the graduate school application process, including how to identify the graduate programs that fit their needs and interests, preparation for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), and how to excel in graduate school.

Visit Graduate Schools and Meet with Graduate Faculty Members. Participants can travel to various graduate schools throughout the country to examine institutions and departments as possible graduate school destinations.

Textbook Loan Program. Students are eligible to borrow a textbook from the program’s lending library, or have a limited number of books purchased for them each semester.

• Students must be members of a historically under-represented minority group
• Must be enrolled in an NSF designated STEM major (most, but not all, STEM majors at RIT qualify)
• Should have a GPA of 2.5 or above
• Can enroll during their first year at RIT

The National GEM Consortium seeks to increase the participation of underrepresented communities (African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans) in master’s and doctoral STEM degree programs.