2023 - 2024 Program
In 2024, we expanded our program from 20 to 28 students. Our program was highly competitive. Our application consisted of demographic questions, extracurricular activities information, short answer questions, and a resume upload.
We had 179 applications this year (up from 76 in 2022), and after careful review, we selected 28 students. We were especially proud to host many individuals from different backgrounds and communities. In the 2024 SERIS cohort of 28 students, we had 18 first-generation college students, 15 students who identified as female or non-binary, and 24 students of color. Additionally, we hosted students from a wide variety of engineering disciplines. Some interests included computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, mathematics, biology, civil engineering, materials science and engineering, and interdisciplinary sectors.
During the SERIS program, several activities were made possible by graduate students and faculty in support of DEI initiatives. We held two graduate student panels, comprised of 7 graduate students (4 Ph.D. and 3 Master’s Degree students) from Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Bioengineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Graduate students were able to share their experiences and undergraduate participants were able to ask questions regarding what graduate school looks like.
In addition to student panels, we also arranged three lab tours, led by graduate students. Undergraduate participants were able to tour two labs in Mechanical Engineering and one lab in Electrical Engineering. During the tour, students expressed interest in the type and variety of equipment available in each of the labs, and the impactful research they’re doing.
We arranged four research presentations by faculty speakers Thomas Jaramillo (Chemical Engineering), Danielle Mai (Chemical Engineering, courtesy Materials Science and Engineering), Zerina Kapetanovic (Electrical Engineering), and Keith Winstein (Computer Science, courtesy Electrical Engineering). These presentations brought perspective to the undergraduate students in terms of the wide variety of research areas that are possible, and which take place at Stanford.
“I truly appreciated being a part of this program and being able to talk to the board members to understand that PhD students truly are people too. Humanizing PhD students and faculty is helping overcome my imposter syndrome and seeing people who look like me in such high positions is an indescribable feeling of both pride and courage. Thank you SERIS!” - SERIS 2024 Participant
“Thank u guys so much for this opportunity. You guys are so cool! I’m so grateful for this opportunity I never thought that graduate school would be accessible to me as a fgli, but I felt reassured throughout this entire program!” - SERIS 2024 Participant
"This has made me much more confident in my ability to seek out research and email professors. If it wasn't for this, I would never apply to research.” - SERIS 2024 Participant