Belonging in STEM

STEP at Old Westbury is more than a program—it’s a community.

Three students in white lab coats performing science experiments, and two students looking into microscopes.

Our Community

From laboratory workshops, field trips to academic campuses and research facilities, and participation in regional and statewide science symposiums and conferences, STEP at Old Westbury students enjoy the opportunity to connect with people and discover new places beyond the classroom.

 

STEP at Old Westbury network of collaborators:

Our partners include the Cradle of Aviation, Brookhaven National Laboratories, DNA Learning Center, Westbury School District STEAM Academy.

Click on any photo to enlarge.

Three STEP at Old Westbury students participating in laboratory experiments.
A group of STEP at Old Westbury students posing together during a field trip.
A STEP at Old Westbury student conducting an aviation activity at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.
STEP at Old Westbury students posing in front of the Columbia University Library during a field trip.
STEP at Old Westbury students partaking in a tour of the Institute for Research & Technology.
Three STEP at Old Westbury students in white lab coats, conducting experiments in a laboratory setting.
A group of STEP at Old Westbury students wearing green t-shirts, sitting on the steps of a building during a field trip.
STEP at Old Westbury students participating in a hands-on engineering activity.
A group of STEP at Old Westbury students walking through a tunnel during a field trip.
A group of STEP at Old Westbury students posing for a picture during a science competition.
Three STEP at Old Westbury students in white lab coats, testing samples in test tubes.
Shirley Barrera, STEP at Old Westbury Program Coordinator, leading a panel discussion with STEM professionals for an audience of students.

Stepping into STEM

Beginning a STEM education early in life is a ticket to academic success and a proven college and career pathway.

 
STEP at Old Westbury High School Graduation and College Acceptance

STEP at Old Westbury students have a 100% high school graduation rate and 100% college acceptance rate.

Percentage of High School Graduates Pursuing STEM College Degrees

On average, our graduates go on to pursue STEM college degrees at more than 2X the national rate for the same student demographic groups (59% versus 24%).

STEP at Old Westbury Student Population by Gender

54.8% of STEP participants are female underrepresented minority (URM) students.

STEP Alumni

 
STEP at Old Westbury alumni posing for a group photo with leadership team: Shirley Barrera, Patricia Roccanova, and Dr. Fernando Nieto.

Many of our students continue their educational success beyond the program, pursuing advanced degrees in diverse fields (including STEM) and other licensed professions. STEP alumni have enrolled in distinguished institutions such as Harvard, NYU, Howard, Columbia, Brown, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Dartmouth, and many more. STEP alumni have also become leaders in the fields of medicine, scientific research, education, engineering, information technology, politics, and legislature.

A Winning Program

A group of STEP at Old Westbury students, standing side by side, holding a large trophy.

Our research program has produced award-winning projects in Biological Life Sciences which have been recognized at the STEP Statewide Student Conference and Long Island STEM Diversity Summit.

Research and Publications

Dr. Fernando Nieto, STEP at Old Westbury co-director, demonstrating and explaining laboratory equipment and techniques to a group of students surrounding him.

STEP at Old Westbury students, with guidance from Dr. Fernando Nieto, have accomplished outstanding feats in academia, including co-authoring peer-reviewed papers, making discoveries mentioned in scientific journals, and gaining recognition in other publications.

Ian Febres dressed in a graduation cap and gown, smiling on SUNY Old Westbury campus.

“STEP AT OLD WESTBURY IS the main reason why I decided to go back to school to receive my Masters in Data Science. I encourage any young individual who is interested in the STEM fields to take advantage of the opportunity that STEP provides. It can open doors to opportunities that are not always visible to see.”

Ian Febres

STEP at Old Westbury Alumni

SUNY Old Westbury,
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics,
Masters of Science in Data Science

Our Leadership

The STEP at Old Westbury leadership team brings together more than 50 years of experience in science education and research training and is passionate about realizing social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion through our work in STEP. 

 

  • Fernando E. Nieto-Fernandez, PhD

    STEP Co-Director
    Professor of Biology (Ecology and Microbial Ecology) / Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education (PULSE) Fellow

    nietof@oldwestbury.edu

  • Patricia Roccanova, MA

    STEP Co-Director
    Masters in Biology

    roccanovap@oldwestbury.edu

ALUMNI: Share your success

We want to hear from you.We are proud of what our previous students are up to in the STEM world and beyond. We would love for you to share your story with our community, including our current students.

 

STEP at Old Westbury offers opportunities for alumni to stay involved and connected. We’re always looking for guest speakers, mentors, and advocates. Interested in helping us grow our community? Please reach out using the form below.

Stay Connected

 
Some pics from our academic year closing. More to come
Thank you Dr. Jonathan McGuire STEP alumni from the class of 2012 and Stony Brook CSTEP class of 2016 for coming to give the keynote address at our closing. # stepatoldwestbury #stepnysed @sbucstep
All set for our end of the Academic year closing ceremony
“What’s your elevator pitch?” Another great college and career reading workshop from Keba @dontsnoozeacademy
Our Saturday scholars are in Regents prep mode
Another successful college and career readiness workshop. Thank you Keba @dontsnoozeacademy