ATLANTA—Morehouse College, the nation’s only historically Black liberal arts institution dedicated to educating and developing men, is partnering with Verily, a subsidiary of Alphabet, focused on life sciences and healthcare, to provide Morehouse scholarship opportunities for exceptional scholars interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Mathematics, and Engineering) careers. Verily has donated a $575,000 gift to fund the Verily Scholars Program, an endowed award that will support the education of scholars majoring in science, technology, or mathematics and provide them with all-expenses-paid summer internships at Verily.
The internship program will expose Morehouse scholars to STEM careers. In addition, leading data scientists and engineers from Verily will also engage with Morehouse College as guest lecturers, career development advisors, and advisory board members with the goal of creating an institutional link between students and the biotech and life sciences industry.
“Black men are underrepresented in STEM careers, from the offices of Silicon Valley tech giants, and down the information highway to the health care industry where there are emerging opportunities in data science that offer very lucrative salaries,” said Monique Dozier, Vice President of the Office of Institutional Advancement at Morehouse College. “We are proud to be working with Verily to address this disparity, and I would like to thank them for their generous gift. Morehouse College is a center of excellence in STEM studies and moral leadership that prepares scholars for success in science and technology careers.”
The Verily Endowed Scholarship Fund will help to make a Morehouse education more affordable for students and connect rising scholars in life sciences, mathematics, and technology with industry leaders. The College educates 2,100 students annually, 50 percent of whom come from families with household incomes of $40,000 or less. A Morehouse education is transformative in economic, social, and professional mobility.
“To have a meaningful impact on healthcare, we must develop solutions that are accessible and useful to everyone, and that requires diverse perspectives and engagement from the beginning,” said Andrew Conrad, CEO and founder at Verily. “Morehouse College develops students who are academically excellent in science and technology and who are committed to leadership and service. Our goal with this endowment and annual internship program is to create a pipeline to help talented, historically underrepresented students enter the life sciences industry.”