Black and Brown adults are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, only making up 9% and 15% of the field, respectively. Additionally, Black and Brown adults are underrepresented among graduate students earning advanced STEM degrees, especially PhDs and other research doctorates.  

Accelerating the rate at which Black people and communities in the U.S. accumulate and retain wealth is a key focus for us at Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. One way to catalyze this growth is to create opportunities in higher education spaces where Black and Brown students can thrive. 

That’s why I’m so excited to announce that the second cohort of the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative (VTSI) was recently welcomed by Johns Hopkins University. VTSI – one of the Greenwood Initiative’s first investments in 2021 – is devoted to creating additional pathways and funding for high-performing scholars from our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to pursue and receive PhDs in STEM fields. Bloomberg Philanthropies has provided permanent funding to add a sustained cohort of approximately 100 diverse PhD candidates across JHU’s 30+STEM programs. 

The initiative’s namesake, Dr. Vivien Thomas, was a renowned Black scientist who helped develop the Blalock-Taussig shunt – a cardiac surgery technique to treat blue baby syndrome – at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1940s.   

The 15 members of this year’s cohort were chosen from over 250 applications and are all outstanding scholars; I’m confident they will all exemplify Dr. Thomas’ extraordinary spirit during their time at Johns Hopkins and after.  

• 67% attended an HBCU for undergraduate study  
• 33% are from the six Inaugural Partner School campuses – Howard University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County   
• 33% are from MSI partner institutions located in the greater DMV area  
• This cohort will be studying across 12 academic departments – Applied Mathematics & Statistics, Biomedical Engineering, Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Environmental Health, Geography and Environmental Engineering, Immunology, Mechanical Engineering, Neuroscience, Pharmacology & Molecular Sciences