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Rackham Alumni Look Forward to the Future of Graduate Education
In early October, alumni, donors, and friends of the Rackham Graduate School gathered for this year’s graduate student panel discussion. Titled, “Graduate Research in the Third Century,” the panel included Ph.D. candidates and postdoctoral fellows from a variety of...
Community Engagement Scholarship and the Role of the Researcher
When I first sought out to apply to Ph.D. programs I was of the mindset, and still am, that I needed to work with communities. I was very critical of academics who only did work within the academy or “ivory tower” without any tangible ways of connecting it back to...
Advocacy in the Academy
This quote is one of my favorites because it paints a picture of legacy. We often misconstrue sentiments like this one by making them conditional. Success is a constantly advancing target, and so it can feel like we’re not yet successful, and thus don’t yet focus on...
Holding Myself Accountable: A Narrative on Growth
What does it mean to pave the way? To be the first in your family to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies and Psychology, and pursue a Ph.D. to study the strengths and vibrancy of the Black community. To be a young parent raising your Black daughter...
The Current State of Electric Vehicles
I’m very excited about the future of vehicle technologies; we are on the brink of fully electric-powered vehicles. We have had hybrid electric buses on campus for a few years, and all-electric vehicle technologies are constantly in the news. But, if you’re like me,...
Scrolling Through Time
While the U-M Library's collection of ancient papyri includes pieces renowned throughout the world, Rackham Associate Dean Arthur Verhoogt finds some of the more obscure items in its catalog to be just as intriguing: A soldier's letter home, a child's first writing...
An Update on Rackham’s Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Dear Rackham Community, As the university’s annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Summit comes to a close, I am pleased to share this update on Rackham’s DEI Strategic Plan and our collective work toward its implementation. We are now beginning year three of...
A Closer Look at Crime
It’s not hard to imagine why Christopher S. Palenik (Ph.D. '04) became fascinated with microscopes as a child. His father, Skip Palenik, is a renowned microscopy expert who maintained a full-fledged microscopy laboratory in the basement of the Palenik family home when...
Expanding Partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions
On September 25, Rackham Graduate School, the National Center for Institutional Diversity, the National Forum on Higher Education for the Public Good, and the Kellogg Foundation sponsored the U-M/Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Disciplinary Hub Planning Meeting,...
The Fourth Pillar of Graduate School
When entering my education and psychology Ph.D. program, I was told to prepare for the three pillars of graduate study: research, teaching, and classes. These three activities would constitute my job, and thus the majority of my time, for the next five years. Having...