BAMIT at the 2026 Alumni Leadership Conference

BAMIT Family Gathering

The ALC weekend kicked off with one of our favorite traditions — the BAMIT Family Gathering. Alumni and students came together over lunch, opening with soulful performances from the Gospel Choir, featuring both current students and alumni voices.

From there, the room buzzed with conversation. Small groups dove into guided questions designed to spark reflection, mentorship, and connection:

  • What advice would you give to your student self?

  • What did you gain from being part of the Black MIT community?

  • How did you build positive relationships at MIT — mentors, professors, administrators?

  • What does networking look like beyond adding someone on LinkedIn?

  • Which career path did you choose (grad school, industry, startup, etc.), and why?


These prompts helped break the ice, but the real magic came from alumni sharing lived experience and students asking the questions that matter most. It was a lively, intergenerational exchange — exactly what the Family Gathering is meant to be

BAMIT Annual Meeting

Full meeting recording, presentation, and financial report: bamit.org/2026

Quick Recap

The 2026 BAMIT Annual Meeting was a celebration of impact, legacy, and forward momentum. The theme — “Beyond Resilience: The Power of Collective Action” — set the tone for a conversation about moving from surviving to shaping change.

We honored Dr. Arnold Stancell ’62 as the 2026 BAMIT Waymaker for his groundbreaking contributions to chemical engineering and his decades of service to MIT and the nation. We reviewed major programs from the past year, including the Black Graduate Celebration, the Gospel Choir relaunch, K‑12 STEM outreach, and Research Super Day with NSBE Jr. Full details of activities can be found in the Appendix of the Annual Meeting Presentation.

Financial updates highlighted the need for sustainable funding and more volunteer engagement. We welcomed the new 2026–27 leadership team and thanked outgoing officers for their service. The meeting closed with a reminder that BAMIT’s strength lies in its collective power — alumni, students, faculty, and staff working together to support future generations.

Highlights

A Call to Action

The meeting opened with a powerful message: resilience is not enough. Our community thrives when we act together — standing against marginalization and building a future rooted in justice, equity, and opportunity.

Bylaws Amendment Passed

Members unanimously approved a change to remove write‑in candidates from Board elections due to incompatibility with the current online voting system.

Programs & Accomplishments

This year’s achievements included:

  • Black Graduate Celebration

  • Black Alumni Reception at Tech Reunions

  • Gospel Choir Relaunch

  • K‑12 STEM Committee initiatives

  • Research Super Day with NSBE Jr.

2026 BAMIT Waymaker: Dr. Arnold L. Stancell ’62

Honored for:

  • Being the first Black SCD graduate in chemical engineering at MIT

  • Pioneering surface plasma research

  • Service on the National Science Board

He received a commemorative plaque recognizing his legacy.

Community Recognition

  • Kristala and Darcy Prather were honored for 20 years of hosting the New England BBQ — a beloved tradition that has welcomed generations of Black students and staff.

  • Chocolate City 50th Reunion received the Great Dome Award and celebrated extraordinary attendance, with over one‑third of all CC alumni returning in person.

  • Retiring Board Members Patrick Gerdes, Vincent Kwapong, Al Tervalon, and Tisha Turner received the Helping Hand Soapstone Sculpture — symbolizing unity, support, and the infinite ripple of giving.

  • Cordelia Price was recognized for 14 years representing BAMIT on the IACME committee, advocating tirelessly at her own expense. She is succeeded by Ange Akono, Associate Professor at NC State (Course 1 PhD ’13, MS ’11).

2026–2027 BAMIT Leadership Team

  • Board Chair: Darcy Prather

  • Board Vice Chair: Danielle Geathers

  • Treasurer: Rosita Parker

  • Recording Secretary: Cat Holden

  • Clerk: Rocklyn Clarke, Sr. Plus additional Directors and Co‑Chairs across committees.

2026 - 2027 FOCUS

  • Financial sustainability – launch the endowment & collective giving

  • Mentorship & student pipeline at scale

    • Mentoring, coaching, networking

    • Research Slam & pipeline programs

    • Connecting alumni with students

  • Advocacy & accountability with the MIT administration

    • Admissions

    • OACES* (formerly OME) and support for the community

    • Discipline

    • Protest Policies

  • Alumni mobilization – turning presence into power

Program Planning

Requests:

  • Speaker ideas for the April Black Graduate Celebration

  • Volunteers to help launch a new speaker series

  • A subcommittee to complete the search for an endowment fund advisor (reviewing RFPs, validating criteria, making calls)

BAMIT Programs

Updates included:

  • OASES Momentum Program: summer jobs + mentoring for freshmen

  • Meet BAMIT Initiative: connecting alumni with STEM programs to mentor students

MITES Fundraising Impact

2025 Annual meeting donations resulted in:

  • 50 gifts totaling $6,500

  • Expanded recruitment to Louisiana, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, and Philadelphia

  • Tennessee applications increased from 4,300 to 5,700

  • Triple and quadruple application growth in first‑generation and lower‑income communities

Budget & Fundraising Challenges

BAMIT traditionally spends ~$14,000 annually on programming, but membership dues cover only ~25%. Members agreed future meetings should include more detailed budget discussions and possibly shift to semi‑annual or quarterly updates.

BAMIT Dinner

Over 30 Black alumni — including BAMIT Board members — gathered at BRED in Kendall Square for a warm, laughter‑filled evening of conversation, connection, and excellent food.


MIT Alumni Leadership Awards

Chocolate City 50th Reunion – Great Dome Award Recipient

The Chocolate City 50th Reunion embodied the best of MIT alumni leadership: five decades of brotherhood coming together to honor a legacy and chart a vision for the next 50 years.

Held in September 2025, the celebration drew 180 alumni, current members, and guests. Highlights included:

  • Friday reception at BRED

  • Saturday brunch workshops on academic support, leadership pipelines, and alumni engagement

  • Saturday gala with multimedia tributes, keynote remarks, and service awards

  • Sunday networking in Lobby 13 and a tour of the renovated New House

  • A closing barbecue at Walker Memorial

Since 1975, Chocolate City has championed academic excellence, leadership development, and community building. The 50th Reunion renewed that mission and strengthened intergenerational bonds.

Great Dome Award Recipients: David Akinyoyenu ’27, Bamlak Gessessew ’20, Stephon Henry‑Rerrie ’19, Devin Johnson ’22, Rakeem McFarlane ’28, Myles Noel ’24, Anthony Rolland ’19.

Reposted from MIT Alumni Association

MIT Tech Connection Down Under 2025 Planning Committee – Great Dome Award

The committee included R. Robert Wickham ’93, SM ’95, recognized for outstanding leadership and service.