The National Graduate Education for Minorities (GEM) Consortium is honoring Dr. Reginald DesRoches as the 2011 Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. Dr. DesRoches serves as Dean’s Professor 
of the College of Engineering as well as the associate chair in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech. He will receive this prestigious honor during the 2011 GEM Annual Conference & Gala, August 3-5 at the Gaylord Hotel – National Harbor in Washington, D.C.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the National GEM Consortium. For more than three decades, GEM has connected qualified under-represented graduate students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to a national network of more than 150 top-rated universities, national laboratories, and leading multi-national corporations.
This milestone will be celebrated via a comprehensive conference that highlights senior leaders of both university and employer communities within the organization’s institutional membership. Activities include a CEO Roundtable hosted by GEM President Alfred Grasso, as well as a University President Roundtable convened by Georgia Tech President, Dr. Bud Peterson. The conference will culminate with the black-tie 35th Anniversary Fundraising Gala on Friday evening, where Dr. DesRoches will be presented with the award.
The GEM Consortium is a partnership to promote the participation of underrepresented groups within post-graduate science and engineering education and within the technical workforce. This powerful program connects the best science students in the nation to a national network of universities and employers, providing graduate fellowships in engineering and science to highly qualified individuals. Its mission is to enhance the value of the nation’s human capital through increased participation of these underrepresented groups (African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanic Americans) at both the master's and doctoral levels in engineering and science. More than 3,000 men and women have received their master’s and doctoral degrees through the GEM graduate fellowship program. In turn, alumni of the GEM program have created an influential network to make an impact on America’s larger community as it relates to the advancement of technology in America’s under-represented populations. These alumni also serve as role models for incoming talent to the executive and professional ranks. The employees shaping the nation's ability to remain a global leader in innovation and economic prosperity must fully incorporate the talents of all Americans and reflect the country's changing demographics.
As an alumnus of the GEM program, Dr. DesRoches remains committed to the organization’s mission. He is deeply dedicated to utilizing his expertise for the benefit of others and he continues to be recognized for his teaching and scholarship. As a long-time mentor to underrepresented groups, he actively participates in numerous K-12, undergraduate, and graduate programs.
Dr. DesRoches was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and grew up in Queens, NY. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, an M.S. in Civil Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Structural Engineering – all from the University of California, Berkeley.
Additional information about Dr. Reginald DesRoches and his research is available at: http://desroches.ce.gatech.edu/.