Panel and Reception Welcomes New Provost Diversity Fellows

On October 7, the Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement hosted a Provost Diversity Fellow Panel and Welcome Reception. The panelists, Diversity Fellows in their second, third, and fourth years, shared their experiences as underrepresented students at Columbia with first- and second-year fellows. The candid conversation included some of the fellows’ difficulties, including facing financial challenges, finding the right focus or approach for their research, and being one of the only underrepresented scholars in their departments. The panelists also advised the incoming fellows to make time to enjoy the city and resources that Columbia has to offer, including connecting with faculty for informal discussions or mentoring opportunities.

The panelists were Olufemi Olaleye (Department of Economics in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences), Oscar Jimenez-Solomon (School of Social Work), Kinnari Shah (Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences), and Arianna Varuolo-Clarke (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences).

The post-panel reception offered Provost Diversity Fellows and Bridge scholars the opportunity to network in person with faculty and their peers from across the University.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.