INFORMATION FOR
William Paterson University is now accepting applications for the third cohort of its unique pre-doctoral fellowship program aimed at supporting advanced-standing doctoral or terminal degree candidates from underrepresented backgrounds who wish to pursue careers in academia. The University launched this teaching fellowship program in 2021 to expand diversity in higher education.
William Paterson is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse regional universities in the northern United States by U.S. News & World Report, which also ranks the institution as a standout performer in social mobility.
Doctoral candidates from across the nation are eligible to apply for an in-person fellowship at the University of up to two years, beginning in August 2025, in the fields of urban planning and policy, business analytics, and computer science or information technology. One fellow for each area will be selected. The fellowship in computer science may be at the pre- or post-doctoral level.
An online information session and related webinar will be held on Friday, January 17, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. EST. The event will include a keynote address by Lorgia García Peña, PhD—a writer, activist, and scholar who serves as director of Princeton University’s program in Latino Studies. García Peña will discuss some of the lessons that have helped her thrive as a scholar of color despite the political climate, budget cuts, and other challenges. Her talk, titled “How to Survive and Thrive in Academia: Community as Praxis,” will be followed by an information session at 4:00 p.m. EST for prospective applicants to the fellowship program.
To register for the information session and webinar, click here.
Since launching its fellowship program in 2021, William Paterson has supported seven fellows as they completed their dissertations or degree requirements and launched their academic careers. All are now in tenure-track positions—five of them at William Paterson University.
“It has been a pleasure to see the professional and personal development of now two cohorts of fellows: all of them are highly qualified and motivated scholars who are committed to our mission as a teaching institution that serves diverse students,” says Joshua Powers, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “These emerging faculty members play a critical role in higher education: advancing faculty diversity; bringing their unique and much-needed perspectives to the 21st century academy; and serving as role models in whom our students can see themselves.”
Academic departments on campus that host fellows commit to mentoring them and providing them similar levels of research support as they would for tenure-track faculty. The fellows teach in the department and participate in a cohort experience intended to position them for success in a tenure-track faculty appointment at William Paterson University or another institution of higher education.
“William Paterson University's teaching fellowship provides the sort of career preparation that most graduate programs aren’t able to offer their doctoral candidates. Fellows learn how a department functions, how to build their teaching skills and advance their research agendas, and how to navigate university processes as an employee, all with targeted supports,” says Kara Rabbitt, associate provost of academic initiatives, who serves as the program’s co-coordinator, along with the University’s chief diversity officer, Jeanne Arnold.
“Intentional mentorship, ongoing sessions on professional processes, and the connections among peers from the cohort and from previous cohorts supports the fellows as they learn how to balance teaching, research, and service and to build a solid foundation for a successful academic career,” Rabbitt continues. “We are also proud that this program allows the period of the fellowship to count toward tenure review for those fellows who seek to make William Paterson University their academic home, as nearly all have done.”
01/06/25
