This month, the oSTEM Diversity and Inclusion Team honors Rising Star, Malcolm Lewis. Malcolm is a STAR, in every sparkly meaning of the word. As oSTEM chapter president at the New York University, Malcolm with the executive board has successfully led their group to 3 national conferences, brought together STEM professionals from the likes of Google, Twitter, Facebook, and IBM to talk with students, and helped develop connections across the NYU campus, establishing the presence and impact of the chapter.
“…oSTEM connects us on such deep and intrinsic commonalities, and because of that I’ve made so many friends from all over the country, created lifelong bonds with people at NYU that I adore and who’ve helped me on so many levels (shoutout to the E-Board of oSTEM@NYU: Angie Gonzales, Eric Kwok, Akiyl El, Maria-Juliana Rojas, Hesper Chichester, Eloy Tijerina-Cazares, Joshua Flader, Thanuja Singh, FACULTY ADVISOR PETER LI ---- Sorry y’all, we’re tied for life, friends 5-EVA, shouldn’t have joined the eboard if you didn’t want this to happen!), and developed a professional network that leaves first-year Malcolm #shook beyond beliefs, and so excited and incredibly optimistic about the future.” – Malcolm Lewis
Malcolm’s passion for LGBTQA+ students branches beyond oSTEM into the NYU community, performing drag with the NYU LGBTQ Student Center, kikiing with the National Society of Black Engineers in the dorms, and occasionally fencing with the NYU Fencing Team. According to Malcolm, many clubs on campus collectively aim to support marginalized communities within NYU: “The culture on campus, and specifically at Tandon (NYU’s School of Engineering), is becoming much more open and accepting, and I think it’s because of pressure we’ve placed on the administration to support us in the recent years, and because these organizations, including oSTEM, really show up to create a community of deafening acceptance and genuine support. Adding this aspect of inclusivity onto our campus and demanding it be a standard I think is really changing the priorities here, and really queering engineering on this campus!”
Speaking of queering engineering, Malcolm is busy finishing up a BS in computer science and so many miscellaneous free electives. As part of their undergraduate research experience, they had the opportunity to collaborate on the design of a microphone that helps orthopedic surgeons know when they’ve drilled too far into bone matter. Malcolm hopes to extend the diversity and engineering skills they’ve gained at NYU into diversity and inclusion work within the tech industry, specifically engaging with communities that have a much harder time accessing technology and information.
When we asked about what comes next Malcolm told us it’s “the REAL world.” Malcolm will soon be graduating, hunting for the perfect job, and the next place to shine.
oSTEM thanks Malcolm for always lifting our spirits, thinking of others, and making the STEM community a stronger, more welcoming place for LGBTQA+ students and professionals.