Our History
Great Minds in STEM is at the forefront of implementing innovative programs and partnerships focused on the continuous expansion of STEM education opportunities for multiple communities across our nation.
Founders Ray and Carmela Mellado, in partnership with Tyrone Taborn of Career Communications Group, held the first GMiS Conference to identify, honor and document the contributions of world-class STEM professionals and bring them together with college students. Rear Admiral Benjamin Montoya selected as first Engineer of the Year.
The GMiS Hall of Fame founded to recognize the world-class achievements of the most accomplished past HENAAC award winners. 14 members were inducted in its inaugural class to mark the organization’s 10 year anniversary. The Hall of Fame now has 35 inductees.
The inaugural GMiS College Bowl is held. This very popular conference competition provides an experience unlike any other for sponsors to interact with students.
The GMiS Scholars Program launches. Since then over 1,500 STEM students have received scholarships total-ing more than $4.6 million. GMiS continues to award hundreds of thousands of dollars in travel grants and registration assistance to university students attending the HENAAC conference and serving K-12 programs.
The Viva Technology Program was created to engage youth, teachers and parents in STEM opportunities so they could gain understanding, appreciation, motivation and access to STEM-related education and career paths. Since then, Viva Technology has been implemented in 18 states and the District of Columbia, reaching over 137,000 students, teachers and parents!
Future STEM Leaders Awards launches to honor the next generation of our nation’s U.S. Department of Defense personnel by highlighting Cadets and ROTC students for their academic and leadership achievements.
The STEM-Up Initiative, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive community-based program, was introduced in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. The initiative implements a value chain of opportunities to create Awareness, Inspiration, Motivation and Skills for students from 20 public schools, their parents, and teachers. Locally based STEM entities are actively engaged in associated activities.
MentorNet, established in 1997, becomes a division of Great Minds in STEM. Through MentorNet, GMiS offers structured virtual mentoring year-round, leveraging technology to match STEM students with professional mentors. Any STEM student at an accredited institution of higher education in the U.S. and professionals with STEM degrees may join.
Timeline Heading
GMiS, along with its 6 sister engineering diversity organizations, receives support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a collaborative research project titled ASSIST, to increase early-career engineering faculty. The success of this project led to a broader NSF INCLUDES award (#1649384) for a design and development launch project titled LEVERAGE.
GMiS enters into a historic partnership with the Computing Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institutions (CAHSI) for the GMiS Conference.
GMiS receives presitigious NSF Administered Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) in Washington, D.C.
GMiS is awarded the inaugural U.S. Army CCDC HBCU/MI Student Design Competition.
GMiS introduces the first recipients of California Medical Scholarships, a program that provides financial assistance for underrepresented students pursuing medical degrees in California.
In response to the historic COVID-19 pandemic, GMiS hosted virtual conferences in 2020 and 2021, which included the continuation of its prestigious professional awards and scholarship awards to students, as well as popular programs like the College Bowl in virtual format.
GMiS returns to an in-person event for its 35th anniversary conference in Pasadena, CA. This also marked the first conference without GMiS Founder, Ray Mellado, who passed away in late 2021
The GMiS Conference returned to Texas for 2024, as Forth Worth joined Houston, Austin, El Paso and South Padre Island as host cities for the 36th annual gathering.
For the first time in its history, Great Minds in STEM will be bringing its conference to the State of New Mexico, with the conference moving to September for only the second time .