Stories

Alisha Burch '24, a chemistry major, has been awarded a prestigious GEM fellowship for graduate studies and lab work in environmental engineering.

The National GEM Consortium provides doctoral fellowships to primarily underrepresented minority students who have either completed, are currently enrolled in a master’s in engineering program, or received admittance into a PhD program directly from a bachelor’s degree program. Fellowships may be used at any participating GEM Member University where the GEM Fellow is admitted. The consortium also includes a network of employers with whom fellows can secure summer internships.

Alisha will begin her PhD studies in environmental engineering at the University of California-Davis this coming fall. In the summer following her first year of graduate school, she will work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Mechanical Utilities Division, assisting in the technical investigation into the reuse of wastewater. 

"I applied for the GEM fellowship because I was informed of the many doors it opens to students as it provides employment, higher education, and funding," said Alisha. "I’ve met many recipients of the fellowship who have gone on to accomplish amazing things! I’m excited to gain experience through my internship and apply it to pursuing my Ph.D. I’m also excited for the new environment and people I will meet."

In her time at SCU, Alisha has been very active, both within and outside of her major. She worked as a laboratory teaching assistant and has served as a member of the student advisory councils for both the chemistry department and the College of Arts & Sciences. Alisha also received a Gilman Scholarship and an honorable mention for the Sweeney Endowed Award in Chemistry, which she used to finance a laboratory internship with Cement Australia. On top of all that, she participated in a devised theater course and contributed to the writing of a play, in which she also acted.

Alisha encourages students considering a similar path to take advantage of the resources available at SCU: "There is always an opportunity waiting to be discovered. The guidance I received here led me to a career path I didn't even know existed. Embrace risk and seek help—these steps have the power to transform your life profoundly." 

About the GEM Fellowship

Founded in 1976, GEM has operated quietly and steadily to graduate over 5,000 plus  researchers, professors, entrepreneurs, inventors, and business leaders, including over 500 men and women with doctorates in the physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering. The mission of The National GEM Consortium is to enhance the value of the nation’s human capital by increasing the participation of primarily underrepresented groups (African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans) at the master’s and doctoral levels in engineering and science.

GEM offers MS and Ph.D. level students an outstanding opportunity and access to dozens of the top Engineering and Science firms and Universities in the nation. The GEM Fellowship was designed to focus on promoting opportunities for individuals to enter industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development, and other high level technical careers. GEM also offers exposure to a number of opportunities in academia. Learn more here.