Bell Doctoral Fellows Program
The Center has established a doctoral fellows program for graduate students who are interested in the work of the Center and are interested in academic careers as assistant professors or postdoctoral researchers, after the completion of their doctorates. This program is for Ohio State doctoral students who show much promise of becoming productive researchers on topics related to African American males. More specifically, it will include ongoing professional development and mentorship to selected Bell Doctoral Fellows. These individuals will also be expected to contribute to current research initiatives and writing projects, as well as new ones. The program will be launched in Autumn 2009.
Rationale
According to national data, there is a critical shortage of African American professors in higher education. There is also a dearth of social scientists who focus their scholarly pursuits on African American males throughout the lifespan. Therefore, it is essential that the Center commits to mentoring the next generation of professors, scholars, and researchers who focus their professional efforts on African American males.
Goals
In essence, the Center plans to use this initiative to increase the pipeline of African American male scholars and the number of social scientists, in general, who focus their research on African American males throughout the lifespan.