Francisco Vivoni-Gallart, a professor of sociology, doesn't regret the day he picked up the shiny flier advertising the UI's Summer Research Opportunity Program.
At the time he was a junior at the University of Puerto Rico at Río Pedras, unsure what direction academia would lead him.
The flier pointed to the UI.
"I had never been to the Midwest but I decided to go for it," he said.
That was in 1997, and his path has become clearer in the years since.
He credits his success to the depth and breadth of Graduate College programs that assist underrepresented students. The programs also affected his decision to return to the UI to pursue his doctoral work.
"I was exposed to the process of academic research for the first time," he said, "and I came away with an eye-opening experience."
The Graduate College teamed him with a mentor he still communicates with, offered him fellowships and a teaching assistantship through the department of sociology to help him pay the bills, and basically groomed him to become an academic leader. He was granted a visiting position in 2010.
"All of these things have been great resources for me," said Vivoni-Gallart, adding he was required faculty service comparable to the amount of financial aid received.
"Not only did it give me the financial support I needed to get me through the program, it immersed me in an English-speaking academic environment," he said. "Without that support, it would have been much harder to get through those years."
Rayvon Fouché, a professor of history and an associate dean in the Graduate College, said Vivoni-Gallart's experience is one that continues to be replicated.
"It's a unique way of thinking about the pathway for underrepresented students," he said of the Graduate College's programs. "It's a scholarly support pathway."
Fouché said the program is in fact a process of seven distinct methods that are applied at different points throughout a student's academic career. The ultimate goal is to target underrepresented students and set them on the path toward professorship.
The processes involve identifying and recruiting high-performing students, offering summer research experiences for undergraduates, and continued networking for students further along in doctorate studies.
"The goal is to reach out to them at specific, important moments," he said. "We want to recruit early on and give students a sense of community," he said.
The processes targeting underrepresented students have been around the UI for at least two decades, but Fouché said Graduate College leaders have worked recently to bolster and better connect the disparate efforts.
"A lot of these pieces were happening, but they hadn't been put together," he said.
Fouché said underrepresented students sometimes struggle because of a variety of factors, including language barriers or being the first in a household to attend college. Others face difficulties based on the demands of becoming a fully appointed researcher.
"Sometimes they struggle understanding the transition from undergraduate to graduate," he said. "It's a different way of thinking; it's a focus on creating innovative research by finding a common thread amid loose connections."
Jamil D. Johnson, currently working toward a doctorate in education, policy, organization and leadership, said the Graduate College's varied programs have been lifelines for him.
"As a result of my traditionally underrepresented status and being from one of the toughest neighborhoods in Chicago, I never imagined I would be working toward my Ph.D.," he said.
The Graduate College not only helped him imagine it, but is helping make it
happen.
"If I ever need assistance or guidance, Ave (Alvarado, the director of Educational Equity Programs) knows exactly who to refer me to," he said. "It has put me on a path for a tenure-track position."
Fouché said part of the Graduate College's revamped processes includes better tracking of student outcomes, a development that was started this year.
"It's our first cohort and we're going to start tracking them much more closely," he said. "This will help us to take steps forward and keep the focus on areas where we need to improve."
The effort is already paying off, as evidenced in the recent Award for Excellence in Innovation in Graduate Education granted by the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools and the Educational Testing Center. It's the first time the university has earned the award, which will be presented at an April 13 conference in Chicago, .
"Not only will this award allow you to enhance support systems and networks designed to engage underrepresented student populations," said Samual Attoh, award committee chair, "it also reflects your commitment and dedication toward supporting quality programs that enhance graduate student development."
"It confirms we're on the right track," Fouché said. "We're changing the nature of graduate education for underrepresented students."