Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence students awarded fellowships

Four students from the Auburn University Center for Inclusive Engineering Excellence program received the GEM Fellowship from the National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science.

The GEM Fellowship was designed to promote opportunities for individuals to enter the industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development, and other high-level technical careers. The objective of the program is to promote the benefits of a master's degree within the industry, according to their website.  

Students and alumni who received the fellowship are Joseph Green, Naomi Pitts, Kenya Andrews and Jasmine Williams.

The GEM Fellowship offers master’s and doctoral level students opportunities and access to top engineering and science firms and universities across the country. GEM fellows are provided practical engineering summer work experiences through an employer sponsor and an academic year fellowship of tuition, fees and a stipend which can be used at any participating GEM Member University.

“I was ecstatic when I found out I was selected as a recipient of the GEM Fellowship, especially since I applied knowing how tough the competition would be,” said Naomi Pitts, ’22 biosystems engineering. “I feel that being a part of Auburn’s biosystems department is what prepared me to be such a strong applicant among the others that applied. I’m looking forward to my internship with Colgate-Palmolive, whom I was paired with through this fellowship. My excitement and preparedness about pursuing my master's is much greater now that I was given this award.”

The minimum requirements to receive the GEM fellowship award include being a senior or graduate of an accredited engineering or computer science program at the time of application, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 and a contractual agreement to intern for two summers with sponsoring GEM Employer, beginning the summer after sponsorship.

“I’m super excited and honored to be a GEM recipient,” said Joseph Green, ’20 computer science. “This award honestly was the difference between whether I’d continue graduate school or not. With this fellowship, I can put my focus purely on academics without having to worry about the financial aspects of graduate school. It will also be a great way to connect with others in the STEM field and expand my network.”