Mission

The Office of STEM Advising and Mentoring serves students interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and promotes the success of students from social groups historically underrepresented in those fields. We seek to ensure access to all students interested in STEM courses and in obtaining research experiences.

The office does this by focusing on three areas:

Recruitment

To increase the number and retention of students from groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM disciplines (e.g., students of color and students who are the first in their families to attend college) by helping them succeed in STEM courses and majors at Smith College.

Gateway Experience

To ensure success in our introductory STEM courses through our AEMES (Achieving Excellence in Mathematics, Engineering and Sciences) programming: AEMES Scholars, peer mentoring, learning strategies courses, study groups and community-building events.

Capstone Experience

To support students interested in completing honors and special studies projects through programs such as AEMES Scholars, Early Research and the McKinley Honors Fellowship Program. To recruit older peer mentors and peer tutors from the community to serve as leaders for younger students.

History

Peer Mentoring in the sciences at Smith was established in 1995 by Program Coordinator Casey Clark, in collaboration with Professor of Psychology Brenda Allen and several other science faculty members, to ensure access for diverse students in science, technology, engineering and math. In 2007, the AEMES Scholars program was launched alongside the Science Center Committee for Diveristy which has supported the creation of Early Research and the McKinley Honors Fellowship Program. All programs have been supported financially by Smith College and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.