The Leadership Alliance has produced more than 100 Ph.D.s, one-third of whom are now working in the academy.

As a stellar student at Morehouse College in the 1990s, Dr. Jason Sello navigated a path to Harvard University where he earned a doctorate in biophysics. He credits his participation in the Brown University-based Leadership Alliance program for making it possible for him to conduct research alongside graduate students at the Harvard medical school during the summer before his senior year in college.

“I had a chance to see what Harvard was like on top of getting a better sense of research and what it’s like to be a graduate student. It provided me key exposure to science at Harvard, and it gave Harvard exposure to me. So, that combination made a big difference to facilitate many aspects of my scientific career,” says Sello, who is an assistant chemistry professor at Brown University.

This summer, the Leadership Alliance marked a milestone by celebrating the attainment of 100 Ph.D.s and M.D.-Ph.D.s by participants like Sello since the program’s launch in 1993. During the organization’s annual national symposium that was held in Hartford, Conn., the Leadership Alliance celebrated the 100 Ph.D. milestone with 550 in attendance, according to officials.

“I think it’s a fantastic accomplishment. There are many programs that seek to encourage underrepresented students to pursue graduate school, especially in the sciences. In this particular case, the results are tangible. To have 100 Ph.D.s among its participants is a huge accomplishment,” Sello says.

“With more than 100 Alliance graduates holding a Ph.D., we’ve been successful ... We’re fulfilling the promise of diversifying the academy and creating the next generation of minority leaders and scholars,” says Dr. Valerie Petit Wilson, the executive director of the Leadership Alliance.

Wilson notes that the 100th Ph.D. mark was attained last December and the Leadership Alliance boasts a grand total of 117 Ph.D.s among the college graduates who have participated in the program. With more than 100 doctoral scholars already in the pipeline, she expects the alliance to reach the 200 mark within a few years. Officials contend the alliance has produced a larger percentage of doctorates from among its participating students than similar program in the country and has produced a significant number of medical doctors.