Letter from Founder

My name is Dr. Geriel Ettienne-Modeste "Dr. GEM". I was born in Grenada, West Indies and grew up in Bloomfield, Connecticut.  Earlier on in my life, my passion has always been to make a positive impact in education, health and wellness for my community. Ever since I was 11 years old, I began teaching science and mathematics and mentored my two younger sisters and four younger children in my community. As a child my passion has always been to provide training and knowledge in STEM education to under-served communities.

I graduated from University of Connecticut with a BS in Biomedical Engineering.  I attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County and received my PhD in Mechanical Engineering.  I completed my postdoctoral training and first teaching position at the University of Connecticut where I taught, mentored and developed opportunities in STEM education for underrepresented minority engineering and science undergraduate and graduate students. 

Throughout my life, I have always been an advocate and core participant in STEM initiatives and continue to spread my passion to the world.  From Co-developing and leading the STEMWorks conference(s) with the National Society of Black Engineers and the National Urban League, to teaching STEM through many private organizations and university programs as well as creating my own STEM programs through GEM Innovations Institute; my desire to make a difference in STEM is a part of my DNA!!!

I became the first African-American women to receive a BS and PhD in biomedical and mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and the University of Maryland Baltimore County, respectively. Being the only women in most of my engineering classes caused isolation and disconnected me from what I loved doing the most because of cultural, language, and gender dynamics within academia and the government research labs.  While completing working in academia and a few government agencies, I noticed that I was a fourth minority – non-US born, second generation college graduate, a woman, and African-American. I knew I wasn’t the only student of color from a small Caribbean island to become an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering at a research one university and work at many research laboratories, but I was one of a few at this prestigious university and federal agencies and that was a problem!!

So, I decided to invest my interests into what I was most passionate about- mentoring and teaching K-12 STEM Education for under-served students.  It was an obvious need for more professionals of color to develop their passions, to be taught how the professional world works, and to encourage students to use their genius to innovate solutions to solve problems in our communities.

I wanted to develop an organization who’s mission is to equip students from under-valued communities to explore and develop their passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Through GEM Innovations Institute, we focus on providing opportunities for students to gain exposure and experiences while promoting collaborative engagement with high expectations for their success!! We encourage innovation to engage students in their desired STEM discipline and provide opportunity in research and development so that they can make a positive impact in their communities.

We value the importance of STEM education and encourage our students to work smarter than harder at becoming out-of-the-box learners, critical thinkers and multi-discipline innovators. We teach our students how to be independent thinkers and encourage them to focus on education and leadership in hope to begin addressing the causes of inequities within our communities.

Our goal is to make a positive impact and provide opportunity for each student’s success!! We invest our time and talent to ensure the BEST educational resources for our students and we ask for your investment in GEM Innovations Institute. We are committed to serving our students and providing excellence in STEM education and innovation. We aspire to change the mindset of our communities by empowering the next generation of STEM leaders.

We encourage you to learn a little more about STEM by becoming a part of GEM Innovations Institute. Your generosity and willingness to push the envelope in innovation and excellence will make a tremendous contribution to our communities and society as a whole.

Sincerely,

Geriel Ettienne-Modeste, PhD

Founder and CEO