The U.S. Virgin Islands is home
to exceptional scientists.
Securing STEM Island Pathways makes sure they have a reason, and a pathway, to stay and work in their chosen field.
The loss of educated talent is a real problem in the USVI. We're changing that.
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics graduates from the U.S. Virgin Islands work hard to earn their degrees. But when they finish, the territory doesn't always have clear pathways waiting for them and too many end up leaving STEM, or leaving the islands entirely.
This loss matters. The USVI has real, growing workforce needs in marine science, conservation, and environmental research. And the population of STEM graduates here, those predominantly from communities that are underrepresented in science nationally, represents exactly the kind of talent the field needs more of. Securing STEM Island Pathways (SSIP) helps close that gap.
We match talent with opportunity.
SSIP places post-degree graduates from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), a Historically Black College and University and the only institution of higher learning in the territory, into paid short- and long-term fellowships with local STEM employers and research organizations. We also provide dedicated funding for UVI graduates to continue into UVI's Master of Marine and Environmental Science program.
Fellows receive more than a job placement. They get structured mentoring, professional development support, connections to a growing network of USVI and national STEM professionals, and a cohort of peers navigating the same career moment.
Securing STEM Island Pathways seeks to:
STABILIZE
We create real job opportunities: short-term, long-term, and graduate, so USVI STEM graduates have a place to land and grow after earning their degrees.
INCREASE
Fellowships are designed to build career confidence, deepen professional readiness, and strengthen each fellow's sense of belonging in the scientific community.
CONNECT
Fellows are linked to mentors, peers, and professional networks (locally and nationally) that extend well beyond the fellowship itself.
STRENGTHEN
By investing in individual scientists, SSIP builds lasting capacity within USVI partner organizations and contributes to a stronger, more diverse national STEM workforce.
Fellow Spotlight
After earning her Master of Marine and Environmental Science from the University of the Virgin Islands in Fall 2024, Adeline was awarded a Securing STEM Island Pathways fellowship under the mentorship of her thesis advisor, Dr. Tyler Smith.
As a member of the Smith Lab, Adeline plays a key role in critical initiatives like the Territorial Coral Reef Monitoring Program and the Endangered Coral Mapping Project.
“I am grateful for this opportunity, which not only allows me to refine my fieldwork skills as a scientific diver but also contribute invaluable habitat assessment and species monitoring data for the Caribbean region.” – Adeline Shelby
Securing STEM Island Pathways leverages partnerships, programs, and resources developed by VI-EPSCoR and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) INCLUDES SEAS Islands Alliance and Navigating Home projects, building on those projects’ early successes and infrastructure.
