“Sometimes we get caught up with our individual issues being hyperraced people. When things happen on the news, for some folks it’s just the news. To have a space where you don’t have to feel guilty for taking the time to deal with these kind of traumas and talk to someone about balancing this continually hostile environment and still get your research done is what this Holmes program is going to be about,” said Carl Darnell, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “I think it’s going to be extremely helpful and productive for our students.”
As a doctoral student himself, Darnell didn’t work with any faculty. He wants to that to change for the Holmes scholars.
“Higher education and Ph.D. programs in general in the US don’t have very many hyperraced people in them. Even when you think about advanced degrees, hyperraced students are counseled or advised against it,” he explained. “It’s important bringing hyperraced students together to create a real community of scholarship.”
Darnell added the program is beyond the Office of DEI and should remain that way. With funding from the Office of the Dean and several faculty members involved in the planning and implementation, the Holmes Scholars Program is another way the School of Education will continue to relentlessly foster a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion for all.
