News & Posts
GMS Honors Black History Month 2025
GMS is proud to celebrate Black History Month! This year marks the 49th annual Black History Month since it was federally recognized in 1976. The 2025 theme of Black History Month, “African Americans and Labor,” highlights “the various and profound ways that work and working of all kinds – free and unfree, skilled, and unskilled, vocational and voluntary – intersect with the collective experiences of Black people,” according to the Association for the Study of African American Life & History. Below, we have highlighted several Black History Month events to add to your calendar, as well as other resources, initiatives, and organizations both on- and off-campus. Please contact c3center@bu.edu if you would like to add other resources and events to this list.
Student Spotlight: Crystal Vejar, MAMS ‘25
Crystal Vejar is a second-year student in the Master of Science in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Program at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. A first-generation, non-traditional student and a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, Vejar has taken a unique path to Graduate Medical Sciences. Vejar’s journey has molded her into a strong researcher and future health care professional, as well as a passionate advocate for others – traits she will carry with her when she graduates in 2025. The Path to Medicine Raised in Utah as the oldest of three siblings, Vejar knew early on that she had both an affinity for science and for helping those around her. “I was the oldest child, and I think that instilled in me a strong sense of needing to care for others,” Vejar said. “I was always the one who cared for my siblings and friends.” Vejar attended a small, STEM-focused public charter high school... More
Welcome to First-Generation College Celebration Week 2024!
Monday, Nov. 4, marks the beginning of Boston University's 2024 First-Generation College Celebration Week, which recognizes the success and achievements of BU first-generation students across our campuses. Each year, BU, the Newbury Center and other offices mark the occasion with a week-long celebration program, full of events like workshops, social activities, seminars and networking opportunities. Check out this year's program of events here. Additionally, don't miss the Community Catalyst Center's upcoming First-Gen Celebration Lunch and Chat, hosted Wednesday, Nov. 6 from noon to 1 p.m. in L-209. The event is chance for our first-gen community to come together, connect and chat, and share their stories. We'll be joined by Dr. Karen Bottenfield and Dr. George Murphy, two first-gen faculty members who now mentor first-gen students across GMS. Click here to sign up! We've compiled a list of resources below for supporting our first-generation community, with additions from both on-campus and off-campus resources. We've... More
Mark Your Calendars for Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week!
Graduate Medical Sciences and the Community Catalyst Center are thrilled to celebrate the invaluable contributions of our graduate and professional student community during this year’s Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation week! We have planned a week full of social events, academic and professional development opportunities, food and swag pickups, and more to mark the occasion. Check out a full list of GPSAW week events at GMS below! Monday, April 1 Mindful Movement Yoga with Student Health Services Noon to 1 p.m. in Hiebert Lounge Kick off Graduate & Professional Student Appreciation Week with a well-deserved self-care break! Melissa Paz, assistant director of health promotion for Student Health Services, will lead a 45-minute yoga practice that combines breathing with gentle, self-paced movement to encourage calmness and increase resilience when stressed. This class incorporates trauma-responsive principles and practices. No previous experience is needed. Students are encouraged to bring their own yoga mats. Snacks provided! Sponsored by the GMS... More
C3 Mastering Self-Advocacy in Graduate School Panel Fills INS-401 Classroom
Twenty-five Graduate Medical Sciences community members attended the Community Catalyst Center's "Mastering Self-Advocacy in Graduate School" event, almost filling the INS-401 classroom space. Part-presentation and part-panel, the event was designed to discuss tips for navigating the graduate school experience by communicating effectively, negotiating confidently, being mindful of mental health and wellbeing and ultimately, using your voice to advocate for yourself and your community. The event began with a presentation from Rachel Levy-Bell, PhD, the program director for the Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program and a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Dr. Levy-Bell shared various thoughts on self-advocacy from a mental health and perspective, encouraging students to advocate for and prioritize their wellbeing throughout the course of their graduate school journey. Then, the event moved into a student panel, featuring four C3 student mentors: Kate Alimenti is a PhD candidate in... More
GMS Student Spotlight: Maxine Slattery (BMFS ’24)
Maxine Slattery is a second-year student in the Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) Biomedical Forensic Sciences master’s program with an eye for forensic biology, crime scene investigation and advocacy. Slattery was born in San Diego and spent her childhood summers between Boston and Cape Cod, where her parents grew up and met. Her older siblings moved to Boston and New York when she was a teenager. For Slattery, who already felt rooted on the East Coast, following suit felt like a natural choice. She accepted an offer at Boston University, matriculating in fall 2018 to study general biology with a minor in innovation & entrepreneurship. Through her minor, Slattery worked on several projects with the BUild Lab IDG Capital Student Innovation Center, including a challenge to redesign the MBTA green line to be more accessible for the elderly and people who are visually impaired. “I had always been into innovation,” Slattery said. “I had come... More
Spring 2024 Affinity Group Expo Kicks off the New Semester
The Community Catalyst Center kicked off its Spring 2024 programming with an Affinity Group Expo, hosted in the L-building lobby on Wednesday, Jan. 24. The expo gave students a chance to meet with several C3 peer mentors, learn more about C3's resources and seven affinity groups, sign up for upcoming events and pick up some swag and a snack. This semester, C3 is excited to host several events relating to academic wellbeing; professional development; community building; campus diversity, equity and inclusion and more. Check out our next two events below. Upcoming C3 Programming Microaggressions Bystander Intervention Training Monday, Feb. 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in L-311 Lunch provided Register here Presented by Associate Dean for Diversity & Inclusion Angelique Harris, PhD, MA, and Assistant Dean for Diversity & Inclusion Shoumita Dasgupta, PhD, this workshop will utilize the LIFT training. This workshop is only open to students. LIFT, which stands for "Lights on, Intent versus Impact, Full... More
Spring 2024 Office Hours with the Assistant Deans of Diversity & Inclusion
Join the Assistant Deans of Diversity & Inclusion at this semester's office hours! Get to know the deans with a safe space to bring up issues relating to: Navigating resources for diverse student needs Being connected to a peer or faculty mentor Professional development or other questions for which you’d like advice Navigating Boston as a member of a minoritized community Engaging with volunteer opportunities in the greater community Any other issues with which you’d like extra support! Pizza will be provided! Spring 2024 Office Hours Date Time Location Dean Tuesday, January 16 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Schon Tuesday, February 6 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Dasgupta Tuesday, February 20 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Schon Tuesday, March 5 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Dasgupta Tuesday, March 19 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Schon Tuesday, April 2 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Schon Tuesday, April 16 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Dasgupta Tuesday, April 30 Noon to 1 p.m. L-306 (C3 Suite) Dr. Schon Learn more about... More
MISO Hosts Winter Refuel & Cultural Exchange Event
Fifty guests attended a Winter Refuel & Cultural Exchange Event hosted by the Minority and International Scientists Organization (MISO) on Thursday, Dec. 7. The event, hosted in L-403, brought students, faculty and staff together for free wellness care packages, free Mediterranean food and an opportunity to meet this year's MISO student leaders: President Amaya Lewis, Co-President & Secretary Hawa Dansoko and Co-President & Treasurer Saron Bitew. Represented Graduate Medical Sciences programs included: MAMS, Oral Health Sciences, Biomedical Forensic Sciences, Biomedical Research Technologies, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Molecular & Translational Medicine (PiBS), Biochemistry (PiBS), Pharmacology and Clinical Research. The event also welcomed guests from the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee & Advisory Board and a representative from the Summer Training as Research Scholars (STaRS) program. Check out a reflection from MISO President Amaya Lewis below: After being on a post-pandemic hiatus, my fellow officers and I were proud to bring back the Minority & International Scientists... More
PhD Student Spotlight: Kara Vasilew
In her four years in Graduate Medical Sciences, Kara Vasilew has used both her scientific acumen to perform novel research and her voice to advocate for wide-reaching change across the Medical Campus and beyond. Vasilew entered Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in 2020 under the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (PiBS). Vasilew was born in California to parents from Scotland. When it came time to attend college in 2014, Vasilew took the jump and moved east. Vasilew earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2018. She chose to attend RIT because it houses the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, the first technological college in the world for students who are deaf or hard of hearing. Vasilew, who is hard of hearing with over 75% hearing loss in both ears, attended RIT for more support with accessibility services throughout her academic career. Following her graduation, More