Women in STEM

“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.”

~ Mae Jemison, first African American woman astronaut in space

Increasingly, women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are beginning their studies at community colleges. The National Science Foundation reports that the number of science and engineering degrees earned by women between 2011 and 2022 increased by 63% at the associate level – as compared to 34% at the bachelor’s level, 45% at the master’s degree level and 18% at the doctoral level.

At BMCC, with over 60 academic programs to choose from as well as an Honors Scholars Program, you can start here – and go anywhere!

BMCC offers women a robust, hands-on STEM learning experience that provides mentoring, research experience and access to internships and international placements that will help you advance in your studies and careers.

Our Mission: BMCC is committed to ensuring that women have the STEM preparation, support and professional networks needed to address the global challenges of our age, innovate the solutions of tomorrow, and broaden all of our perspectives as to what is possible.

Mentoring, Networking and Community-Building

BMCC has a strong research program; students are mentored by research faculty. There are opportunities to work with over 80 professors in their specialties, such as

• Astronomy Professor K. E. Saavik Ford who studies black holes and works with NASA,
• Professor Jun Liang Rice, who studies how genes affect the aging process and implications for cancer treatments, and
• Professor Jane M. Johnston Tezapsidis, whose research addresses the cellular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration. and is regarded as an expert in molecular neuroscience relating to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, as well as preclinical drug development.

BMCC Annual Research Symposium (BARS)

The BMCC Annual Research Symposium (BARS) showcases the work of students who have completed research throughout the academic year. GIS student Mia Pinto was awarded First Place in spring 2024, for her environmentally-themed project,

“How does Your Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status Influence Your Flood Vulnerability? A GIS (Geographic Information Science)-Based Assessment of Flood Mitigation In Brooklyn“

Mia has continued on to present her project at additional conferences.

STEM Student Clubs

Science Student Clubs include:

• Women in STEM Club
• Neuroscience Club
• Robotics Club
• Research and Nature Club
• Pre-Med Club
• Computer Programming Club
• Astro Club

These clubs offer additional opportunities for guest lectures, site visits and group projects.

The Computer Information Science department offers boot camps and hackathons for students to learn more and gain valuable experience. offers further opportunities for networking and skills development.

Exceptional Alumni Network

BMCC has a strong alumni network of accomplished women. The Women in Computer Science alumni have returned to BMCC to speak about their career paths and answer student questions. In the words of BMCC Alumna and Senior Software Engineer Gabriella Uwadiegwu,

“Don’t ever think you’re too small to achieve anything great. ALL the women I knew studying computer science at BMCC work at and are excelling in the largest tech institutions in the world: Microsoft, Google etc. Don’t settle for less.”

Affordable Tuition

Students start their educational journey at BMCC because our tuition is significantly lower than a 4-year institution. Starting at BMCC will cut your overall education costs and save you thousands of dollars. Seven out of 10 BMCC students attend tuition-free and 9 out of 10 BMCC graduates earn their degree debt-free.

Unparalleled Support Services

When you choose BMCC, you’re choosing an inclusive college that truly cares about your success. We believe in meeting you where you are in life and providing guidance, resources and programs, that will help you persist and thrive. BMCC has the most support programs in all of CUNY.

STEM Student Transfer Opportunities

• Articulation Agreements with STEM focused universities allow BMCC students to seamlessly transfer to a four year college.
• Transfer Partnerships and Scholarships: These programs offer benefits ranging from an immersive research experience to discounted tuition for the BMCC community.
• BMCC participates in the Transfer Scholars Network, assisting top students in gaining access to highly competitive four year colleges.
• BMCC-NYU Pipeline Opportunities for Intercollegiate STEM Education (POISE) – BMCC-NYU POISE is a transfer pipeline program from BMCC to the College of Arts and Science (CAS) NYU for students pursuing STEM (specifically science, computer science and math) disciplines to continue their education and earn a Bachelor’s degree from NYU. Through this opportunity, students are supported and mentored by BMCC and NYU faculty, staff, and students, in addition to the ongoing support provided by BMCC.
• CCNY Bridges to Baccalaureate: Our Manhattan-Bridge program seeks to enhance the number of underrepresented students in biomedical and behavioral sciences research by bridging the path from a minority-serving community college (BMCC) to a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field at a minority-serving senior college (The City College of New York [CCNY]).  Manhattan-Bridge is a two-year scholarship that includes, a coordinated system of faculty mentoring, peer mentoring, peer support, diversity training, STEM coursework, laboratory training, tutoring, career/academic enrichment workshops, and funds for research, conferences and tuition.