Home Faculty and Staff Faculty and Program Funding PACE Fellowship for Graduate Student-Faculty Mentor Pairs PACE Fellowship for Graduate Student-Faculty Mentor Pairs The PACE Fellowship recognizes accomplished doctoral students and faculty mentors who have demonstrated commitment to program climate and student success. Students and faculty are nominated together by their department representatives. Graduate students are selected based on their scholarly accomplishments and efforts to increase student climate, success, and community building within their field. Faculty mentors are selected based on their efforts to increase student success and climate within their department. The first PACE Fellowships were awarded in summer 2024 to 20 graduate student and faculty mentor pairs. The inaugural cohort can be found on our recipients page. Application Eligibility Frequently Asked Questions Recipients Application The 2025–2026 application will open on March 17, 2025 Applications are due by April 21, 2025 Eligibility Back to Top Graduate Students Graduate student nominees must be enrolled in a Rackham doctoral program on the Ann Arbor campus and must have advanced to candidacy by the start of the Fall 2025 term to be eligible. In addition, as this fellowship is under the umbrella of the Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF) program, the PACE Fellowship eligibility and the evaluative criteria are closely linked to that of the RMF. Thus, graduate student nominees must have been eligible and awardable for an RMF at the time of admission or have received an RMF at the time of admission. Additional information for determining eligibility can be found on the RMF web page. Faculty Mentors Eligible faculty nominees will be the primary or key mentor of the student nominee, be a faculty member in good standing, and have contributed in an ongoing way to mentoring practices, student success, and program and/or departmental climate. Typically, the faculty mentor will be the dissertation chair of the graduate student. In cases where the student has a faculty mentoring team, one of those mentors should serve as the lead nominee, although all members of the mentoring team can contribute to the nomination of the graduate student. Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top Nominations Who can submit a nomination for a faculty mentor-student pairing for this fellowship? Nominations for the PACE Fellowship should be submitted by a department chair, program coordinator, or staff member of the faculty member and student’s department. The nominator must be able to both speak to the qualifications of the faculty and student as well as any good-standing status. Eligibility Are international students eligible for this fellowship? No, international students are not eligible for the PACE Fellowship. Students must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or DACA recipient at the time of admission. I’m a graduate student who is earning their candidacy mid-way through fall 2025 term. Am I still eligible? No, you must reach full candidacy by the start of fall 2025 term to be eligible for this fellowship. Is a faculty mentor eligible to receive an award more than once? Yes, if a faculty mentor is listed on multiple applications, they are eligible to receive an award for each student pairing. Funding What does the term of funding include for the graduate student? The student will receive one full term of funding: stipend, tuition and benefits, plus an additional $2,500. When does the student need to use the funding? The term of funding must be used within one calendar year (for this application cycle: fall 2025, winter 2026, or spring/summer 2026). How does the faculty mentor receive their funds? The faculty mentor will receive their $2,500 award via a disbursement to their discretionary funds. Recipients Back to Top 2024 Catalina Anampa Castro and Alexandra Killewald Catalina Anampa Castro, Doctoral student, Joint Program in Public Policy & Sociology Alexandra Killewald, Director, Stone Center for Inequality Dynamics, Robert F. Schoeni Research Professor, ISR, Professor, Department of Sociology Deaweh Benson and Vonnie McLoyd Deaweh Benson, Doctoral student, Psychology Vonnie McLoyd, Ewart A. C. Thomas Professor of Psychology Janae Best and Kristi Gamarel Janae Best, Doctoral student, Health Behavior & Health Education Kristi Gamarel, Associate Professor, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education Jae Bucknor and Chase Weidmann Jae Bucknor, Doctoral student, Cellular & Molecular Biology Chase Weidmann, Assistant Professor of Biological Chemistry Damon Carucci and Kentaro Toyam Damon Carucci, Doctoral student, School of Information Kentaro Toyama, K. Kellogg Professor of Community Information Carmen Castillo and Markos Koutmos Carmen Castillo, Doctoral student, Biological Chemistry Markos Koutmos, Assistant Professor of Chemistry & Biophysics Ila Castro De la Torre and Melanie Sanford Ila Castro De la Torre, Doctoral student, Chemistry Melanie Sanford, Moses Gomberg Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry, Arthur Thurnau Professor of Chemistry Jose Carlos Diaz and Jovan Kamcev Jose Carlos Diaz, Doctoral student, Chemical Engineering Jovan Kamcev, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering Gheremy Edwards and David Wooten Gheremy Edwards, Doctoral student, Marketing David Wooten, Alfred L. Edwards Collegiate Professor and University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor Princess Felix and Shelly Flagel Princess Felix, Doctoral student, Neuroscience Shelly Flagel, Professor in Psychiatry Zariq George and Dawn Tilbury Zariq George, Doctoral student, Robotics Dawn Tilbury, Herrick Professor of Engineering, Ronald D. and Regina C. McNeil Department Chair, Robotics Hannah Hajdik and Joaquim Martins Hannah Hajdik, Doctoral student, Aerospace Engineering Joaquim Martins, Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering Caleb Jeanniton and Leia Stirling Caleb Jeanniton, Doctoral student, Industrial & Operations Engineering Leia Stirling, Associate Professor, Robotics Department Nolgie Oquendo-Colon and Cindy Finelli Nolgie Oquendo-Colon, Doctoral student, Engineering Education Research Cindy Finelli, Associate Professor, Electral Engineering & Computer Science Laura Penabad Pena and Robert Kennedy Laura Penabad Pena, Doctoral student, Chemistry Robert Kennedy, Distinguished University Professor, Professor of Pharmacology Brittany Puller and Christi Merrill Brittany Puller, Doctoral student, Asian Languages & Culture Christi Merrill, Professor of South Asian Literature and Postcolonial Theory Desmond Shangase and Christine Aidala Desmond Shangase, Doctoral student, Chemistry Christine Aidala, Professor of Physics, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Cecilia Solis-Barroso and Teresa Satterfield Cecilia Solis-Barroso, Doctoral student, Linguistics Teresa Satterfield, Professor, Department of Romance Languages & Literatures Denny Starks and Oliver Haimson Denny Starks, Doctoral student, Information Oliver Haimson, Assistant Professor, Information Katherine Wright and Rachel Best Katherine Wright, Doctoral student, Sociology Rachel Best, Associate Professor of Sociology Our Team LaTisha Ballard Academic Program Specialist for Doctoral Internships [email protected] 734.936.0360 Cherie Dotson Director of Access and Partnerships [email protected] 734.764.4985 Anna Mapp Associate Dean [email protected] 734.764.8221 Richard Nunn Academic Program Officer for Outreach [email protected] 734.647.6122 Chloe Secor Academic Program Specialist [email protected] 734.647.7019 Ida Faye Webster Director of Program Review and Director of RMF Evaluation & Administration [email protected] 734.615.5670
Ida Faye Webster Director of Program Review and Director of RMF Evaluation & Administration [email protected] 734.615.5670
