By Cato T. Laurencin, M.D., Ph.D.
On April 29, I was invited to present the distinguished lecture for the annual Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (NEAGEP) and Five Colleges STEM Diversity Day. NEAGEP is one of 26 NSF-funded programs in the U.S. It focuses on increasing the number of underrepresented minority students in STEM. In my speech, ‘Innovation and Leadership in Science, Engineering and Medicine’, I shared my story and talk about aspects of the convergence of innovation and technology. I enjoyed sharing some principles for success as well as my personal philosophies in terms of successfully developing and encouraging young people in the STEM field. It was a fascinating event. Thanks to UMass Amherst for hosting the event.