resources
Student Groups
Featured on this page are student organizations our trainees are involved in. Getting involved in a student organization is a great way to practice your leadership skills, meet people who share the same interests as you, serve the community, and have fun. For more information or details on how to join, email the contacts provided.
Association of Multicultural Scientists
The primary function of AMS is to assist all students in their successful completion of the Ph.D. by offering activities and support which will meet academic, social and professional needs in an atmosphere of cultural context and comfort.
Contact: ams-eboard@umich.edu
Professional Development, DEI, Community Building, Outreach, Skill Building
African Graduate Students’ Association
The African Graduate Students’ Association (AGSA) serves as a social, academic, and professional network for African graduate students and their allies from all schools at the University of Michigan.
Community Building, Networking, Professional Development
Association for Women in Science
AWIS is a graduate student-run organization that supports individuals in STEM and sets the stage for professional success by fostering connections between female scientists and trainees working in all employee sectors.
Contact: michiganawis.membership@gmail.com
Professional Development, Skill Building
Biomedical Graduate Student Government
BGSG is composed of representatives from each program under the PIBS umbrella. Their goal is to represent the interests of graduate students in these programs and to provide an organized way for graduate students to voice their concerns and opinions on their education and environment. They also provide services and programs to enhance the experience of biomedical graduate students.
Contact: bgsg-eboard@umich.edu
Community Building
The mission of the DEI Task Force is to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment at the University of Michigan by fostering fundamental changes in our institutional culture.
Contact: deitaskforce@umich.edu
DEI, Community Building
DFB is a graduate student-led organization with the mission to ensure that the next generation of biologists learn the core concepts of developmental biology and are made aware of the opportunities that exist to pursue a career in the sciences regardless of their race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
Contact: contactdfb@umich.edu
Outreach, Education, DEI, Professional Development
Engaging Scientists in Policy and Advocacy
ESPA is an interdisciplinary group of undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff that aim to promote the participation of research scientists in policy and advocacy. They provide training to develop effective science advocacy and communication as well as comprehension and analysis of science policy.
Contact: ESPA-UMich-leaders@umich.edu
Policy, Advocacy, Professional Development
Women+ Excelling More in Math Engineering and the Sciences (F.E.M.M.E.S.)
Our student organization aims to increase the number of women* who pursue careers in science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM) fields by fostering girls’ interests at a young age. We work with women role models (UM faculty and students) to demonstrate how women can and do excel in STEM by providing free activity supplies, meals, and transportation to students of all ages schools in underserved communities.
*We support inclusive definitions of “women” and welcome all people who identify as women, including transgender and non-binary women. Although our events are targeted toward girls, students of any gender identity are welcome to participate.
Contact: umich.femmes@gmail.com
Outreach, advocacy, K-12 education, DEI
Graduate Employees’ Organization
The Graduate Employees’ Organization is a labor union, founded by graduate students in 1975. Since then, grad students like you collectively negotiate the terms of our employment like salary and healthcare benefits with the university. All graduate students should join their colleagues by becoming members of GEO — we all benefit from a strong contract.
Contact: umgeo@geo3550.org
Advocacy
Graduate Society of Black Engineers and Scientists (GSBES)
The mission of GSBES is to recruit and retain Black graduate students in science and engineering through outreach and advocacy.
Contact: gsbes.communications@gmail.com
Professional Development, Outreach, DEI, Community Building
GWC at UM DCMB teaches computer programming skills to K-12 students through weekly club meetings and other outreach events.
Contact: gwc.bioinfo-requests@umich.edu
Professional Development, K-12 Education, Outreach, DEI
University of Michigan Young Science Innovators (U-MYScI)
U-MYScI (formerly InnoWorks) encourages socioeconomically disadvantaged students to enter the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine (STEM^2) by running a free week-long summer camp, planned and run entirely by the University of Michigan student volunteers.
Contact: U-MYScI.info@umich.edu
Education, Outreach, DEI
MIDNA Day is an outreach organization comprised of early-career scientists who travel to Michigan high schools and teach interactive lessons about genetics and technology to students across the state.
Contact: midnaday@gmail.com
K-12 Education, Science Communication, Outreach, DEI, Community Building
As a professional development nonprofit organization, we aim to develop graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Michigan into exceptional young professionals through close collaboration with the business community. We strive to solve the complex problems facing our partners nationwide, while building students’ professional skill set with practical experience in non-academic industries.
Contact: Membership@milead.org
Professional Development
is a student organization dedicated to improving the written communication abilities of scientists, improving public understanding of science, & advocating for science communication as a field.
Contact: misciwriters.leaders@umich.edu
Science Communication, Skill Building
Out of the Darkness at the University of Michigan
Our chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is part of a national organization created to prevent suicide and provide hope for those affected by suicide. Our chapter serves UM students by advocating for mental health, raising and allocating funds for resources and suicide prevention tools, and organizing our annual Out of the Darkness walks.
Contact: kimsnod@umich.edu
Outreach, Mental Health, Community Building, Suicide Prevention
Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
SACNAS at UMich is an inclusive organization dedicated to fostering the success of under represented scientists in attaining advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM.
Contact: sacnasatumich@gmail.com
Professional Development, DEI, Community Building
SEEK (Science Education & Engagement for Kids)
SEEK aims to inspire engagement and academic exploration in the sciences by leveraging the mentorship and time of UM graduate students to provide academic support in local high-need, low-resource elementary classrooms.
Contact: seek.leadership@umich.edu
K-12 Education, Outreach, Science Communication, DEI
Scientists for Outreach on Addiction Research
SOAR is an interdisciplinary group of scientists, students, and professors that share the common goal of scientific outreach. SOAR uses research, education, and outreach to destigmatize the topic of addiction in the local community.
Contact: joslott@umich.edu
Outreach, Community Building, Mentorship