Discover Rackham
Football to an Advanced Degree
“I couldn’t have written the script for the path I travelled.” For Rackham alum George Hoey, grad school wasn’t in the original plan. Then again, neither was playing in the NFL. If you ask him, he’ll tell you the plan didn’t really...
Three from U-M Receive Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Fellowships
The International Institute at the University of Michigan has announced that three doctoral candidates received U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowships for the 2018-19 academic year. The highly competitive...
The Art of World-Making: What #WeArePublicScholars Means for Graduate Education
We are alive in amazing times. Times in which the lives we live are demanding more from our academic training. Where the intense political upheaval and social strife of our daily lives invite us to critically apply our knowledge and skills beyond elite institutions....
Learning About “Life in Israel” from Thai Migrant Farmworkers
Cheewit nay Israel (“Life in Israel” in Thai) is a web series produced by Israeli workers’ rights organization Kav La’oved, Louiz Green of GLV Productions, and myself, for the benefit of farmworkers from Thailand who are working in Israel. These workers—who number...
A Message from Dean Mike Solomon About Issues Surrounding Letters of Recommendation
Dear Rackham students, Recent events on campus have raised important questions for our community about the role of personal and political beliefs in decisions by instructors on whether to offer recommendation letters for students. I am writing to acknowledge the...
Open Mike: Elect to Make Your Voice Heard
At Rackham, the freedom to voice your opinion and engage in intellectual exchange is the cornerstone of our academic mission. In the United States, the right to make your voice heard by voting is just as fundamental to our democratic society. That’s why I am urging...
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...