Incoming Grad Students Awarded Inaugural Inclusive Excellence Fellowship
As part of its commitment to inclusive excellence in graduate research and education, Ā鶹ĪŽĀė°ę has awarded its new to four incoming Ph.D. students from the whose studies will contribute to the representation of Black scholars in academia and beyond.
āThe Chancellorās Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence is designed to attract top-notch doctoral students to our campus who will raise awareness of Black scholarship and help build more inclusive communities of research and higher education,ā interim Vice Provost and Graduate Dean Chris Kello said. āOur goal was to fund at least three awardees this fall, and we had an excellent selection of highly competitive candidates that resulted in four admissions-plus-fellowship offers being accepted.ā
The year-long, $30,000 recruiting fellowship is the result of a partnership between the and , in consultation with graduate group chairs, , and other stakeholders.
āWe established this predoctoral fellowship to recruit the highest-caliber graduate student applicants who will contribute to the diversity and inclusiveness of our academic community, especially in terms of the research and education of Black scholars,ā Chancellor Juan SĆ”nchez MuƱoz said. āI am pleased this yearās recipients accepted our invitation to join Ā鶹ĪŽĀė°ę as part of their academic journey, and I look forward to future cohorts of equally accomplished and compelling applicants.ā
Jarrod Brown Jr. is entering the with Professor Laura Hamilton. His research interests are examining educational inequalities ā something the San Francisco native knows about firsthand.
āPrior to my college experience, my educational experience was rough,ā Brown said. He struggled when issues arose during K-12 because his schools did not provide ample assistance and resorted to suspension and eventually expulsion. This resulted in him earning his high school diploma from a continuation school.
āTo now be in a doctoral program and receive the Chancellor's Fellowship for Inclusive Excellence makes me feel valued as a future African American scholar,ā Brown said. āIt is an amazing feeling to be recognized and awarded for my academic record and my future promise as a scholar.ā
For his master's degree thesis in sociology at Sacramento State University, he applied the theory of social reproduction to examine how teachers and faculty in a behavior-focused alternative high school perceive their roles in helping students return to traditional, comprehensive high schools. Brown said he will use the fellowship to learn the ropes and get a jump start on his second-year thesis.
āGraduate school is very rigorous and demanding,ā Brown said. āBeing able to get one academic year to fully concentrate on my trajectory, my scholarship and research, and my professional development is a big advantage for me.ā
Sociology Ph.D. student Eliana Fonsah from Cameroon earned masterās degrees from the University of YaoundĆ© 1, Cameroon, and Pennsylvania State University.
Fonsah will work with Professor Kyle Dodson to further develop her research in social movements, labor, transnational social movements and political sociology.
āLooking at where I come from, my journey so far and the barriers Iāve had to navigate as a woman, this fellowship means the world to me,ā she said. āIn addition to the terrific benefits I will gain from this fellowship and the exchanges and impact I will have the opportunity to be a part of within the Merced student community and beyond, this fellowship sends a strong message to young women from rural, poor and traditional settings in Cameroon and the world.
āNothing can stop you from achieving your goals and reaching your full potential. No amount of barriers can limit you; keep working and someone somewhere will recognize and reward your hard work.ā
We established this predoctoral fellowship to recruit the highest-caliber graduate student applicants who will contribute to the diversity and inclusiveness of our academic community, especially in terms of the research and education of Black scholars.
Sabrina Rawson from Sebastopol is joining the with Professor Christina Baker.
The objective of her undergraduate senior thesis at Sonoma State University, āActivism of Septima Clark: The Necessity of Education as the Cornerstone of Freedom,ā was to recognize Clarkās place in Civil Rights historiography with a clear explanation of why education was downplayed in the movement.
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