Everyone in the Geneus family is a doctor — either an M.D. or a Ph.D. Education is highly valued by the family, and parents Jacques and Chantal Geneus made sure to instill a love of learning and an obligation to help others in their children. Vladimir is the oldest, then Christian, and then Olivia. These siblings, from Boston, Massachusetts, are of Haitian origin, and attended the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass-Amherst) for their undergraduate degrees — Vladimir graduated in 2009, Christian in 2011, and Olivia in 2017.
Why UMass-Amherst? From Christian’s perspective, “UMass was just the mix of brilliant minds and being able to remain local, close to home was key.” Vladimir agrees, stating, “I wanted to stay in the state as long as possible. UMass made sense.” The siblings love Boston, and especially Boston sports.
How does one family have all this educational success? According to Vladimir, “Our parents — successful physicians — encouraged us. They always encouraged us to pursue education to be successful in life — to have an impact on ourselves, our family, and the community.” He added, “We’re from a very loving family.” According to research, family support is essential to college success, and especially for Black students as they face additional societal stressors that can work against their success and educational attainment. Black students in science in math need even more support as these fields are often unfriendly toward them.
Jacques and Chantal Geneus gave their children unconditional support, and a safety net of encouragement, while allowing them to pursue their individual dreams. Olivia commented, “Our parents emphasized the importance of education. It really didn’t matter what the field, they knew a lot of doors and opportunities would open with education. They said, ‘they can’t take away the degree from you.’ And with regard to the interest in science, Olivia noted that their parents didn’t push science, instead the interest came from regular exposure: “Our interest in science really came from seeing our parents’ everyday activities — going to their workplace and seeing the way they care for their patients.”
The Geneus parents emphasized “believing in your dreams” and were constantly saying “you can do it” and “We’re here with you. We’re here to support you. If you need any help, we got you.” According to Vladimir, “I think the idea was make sure you give it your all. That was the energy in the house.” He added, our parents told us, “You can go everywhere, You can shift careers. You can pivot.”
All three Geneus siblings feel that they are carrying on the legacy of their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. And all the support and encouragement from their parents, their ancestors, and of each other paid off for the Geneus siblings. Olivia earned her Ph.D. from SUNY-Buffalo in chemistry in 2022 and is currently working at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. Christian earned a Ph.D. in biostatistics and data science as well as math and computer science from Tulane University in 2020. He currently works at Proctor & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio. And, Vladimir earned his Ph.D. in statistics in 2017 from Florida State University. He works at AbbVie, in Chicago Illinois. The siblings remain incredibly close, supporting each other personally and professionally nearly every day, and carrying on the close family tradition in which they were raised.
The presence of the Geneus siblings is important beyond their parents’ dreams and their own success. According to research by Pew Research, Black people are still underrepresented in undergraduate STEM majors, in Ph.D.s in the STEM fields, and in STEM-related careers (see below). The Geneus siblings, with a deep interest in science and math and giving back to community — encouraged by their parents — are role models for those who come after them.
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