SUNY Downstate and New York City Department of Education Hold College and Career Fair in the STEM Subjects
Feb 11, 2016
Nearly a Thousand Students Learn of Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Brooklyn, NY – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and the New York City Department of Education’s Brooklyn South Borough Field Support Center recently held one of the largest college and career fairs ever in New York City devoted solely to STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Nearly a thousand New York City students braved wintry weather to meet with representatives from more than 30 institutions of higher learning who discussed with the high school and middle school students the hottest STEM college and career opportunities. Students attended the event from 20 high schools and 10 middle schools in Brooklyn.
Mark Stewart, MD, PhD, dean of the School of Graduate Studies at SUNY Downstate, noted that the STEM event was a success beyond everything he imagined. “The level of engagement by students of all grades at the exhibits by our schools and area colleges and graduate schools was a joy to behold,” he said.
“SUNY Downstate has a history of using graduate students from our multiple colleges to teach STEM programming in area middle schools and high schools, and all five Downstate schools look to recruit students from our borough, but this event showed how much genuine interest in the biomedical sciences exists among our local schools,” he added.
Colleges who presented information at the STEM Fair included several in the statewide SUNY System, including the University at Albany, SUNY Canton, SUNY Oswego, SUNY Poly, SUNY Potsdam, and SUNY Old Westbury, in addition to several programs at SUNY Downstate. The STEM Fair was held on the SUNY Downstate campus.
Faculty and staff from Downstate’s Colleges of Nursing and Health Related Professions and Schools of Graduates Studies and Public Health were among the presenters, providing information about fields of study and careers in the health professions and related sciences. Students also heard from the Brooklyn Health Disparities Center, a partnership between SUNY Downstate, the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, and the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn is one of four academic health centers (AMCs) in The State University of New York (SUNY) 64-campus system and the only SUNY AMC in New York City dedicated to health education, research, and patient care for the borough’s 2.7 million residents. Its flagship hospital, University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), is a teaching hospital and benefits from the expertise of Downstate’s exceptional medical school and world-class academic center research facilities. With a staff of over 800 physicians representing 53 specialties and subspecialties, Downstate offers comprehensive healthcare services to the community.
UHD provides high-risk neonatal and infant services, pediatric nephrology, and dialysis for kidney diseases and is the only kidney transplantation program in Brooklyn. Beyond its clinical expertise, Downstate houses a range of esteemed educational institutions, including its College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Public Health. Downstate fosters innovation through its multifaceted biotechnology initiative, the Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT, which support early-stage and more mature biotech companies.