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Student Spotlights

Student Spotlight: Rachel Cawkwell

Rachel has a history of engaged learning and deep commitment to volunteerism that she honed during her undergraduate experience at Emory University. In her first year of her Ph.D. program, she took an engaged learning course in the Residential College, the lone...

Student Spotlight: Colleen Crouch

Colleen is exploring. She grew up on a farm and went to college in a big city. She lived in the Southeast and on the West coast. Now she’s enjoying what the Midwest has to offer. “Ann Arbor offered a chance for something completely new. I wanted to explore a different...

Student Spotlight: Nkemka Anyiwo

Nkemka did a lot of work in youth community organizations over a number of years and through those experiences, she recognized that so many people have intentions of what they want to do with the kids they support but don’t have the research foundation to ground...

Student Spotlight: Amy Westmoreland

Amy’s dissertation looks at diversity in the workplace and how racial stereotypes influence chances for upward mobility. She particularly focuses on Asian Americans and the model minority myth that portrays Asian Americans as competent and smart but lacking social...

Student Spotlight: Brandon Patterson

Before coming to U-M for his dual Master’s degrees, Brandon worked in international education at his alma mater, The University of Utah. He worked for the International Center advising students on immigration regulations. It was through building close relationships...

Student Spotlight: Heidi Gansen

As a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in Sociology, Heidi Gansen is at home here at the University of Michigan. Originally from Iowa, she attended nearby University of Northern Iowa for her bachelor’s in Sociology and Criminology and then for her Master’s in Sociology. Moving...

Student Spotlight: Chukwuka Mbagwu

As a junior in high school in Southern California, Chuky developed a real interest in physics, science and engineering. The timing was good, since he was shaping up college applications as that interest grew. And that is apparently how a rocket scientist is made....

Student Spotlight: Teona Williams

Before entering grad school, Teona worked as a communications assistant at a non-profit organization in Washington, DC focused on establishing marine protected areas around the world. It was during that experience that it sunk in for Teona: “I realized how important...

Student Spotlight: Elizabeth Dreyer

Her sophomore year at Michigan Tech University, Liz discovered optics and fell in love with light. “To me waves make sense. In electrical engineering, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. In order for me to effectively contribute to the world, I needed to learn more...

Student Spotlight: Aeriel Murphy

Aeriel Murphy was the kid doing science fair projects even when there wasn’t a science fair. Moving to a very rural Alabama community when she started high school, she could easily have gotten lost. Her family, most of whom are educators, had raised her to recognize...