Princeton University Launches New Program To Increase Diversity

PRINCETON, NJ - Princeton University has launched a pre-doctoral fellowship program, to fund students for a year before they enroll as full-time Ph.D. students, according to a press release. The university hopes more students from historically underrepresented groups apply to the fellowship, which is part of the university’s efforts to increase diversity on campus and in academia.

The pilot program began last year and is intended for those who would benefit from an additional year of training, before plunging into their respective Ph.D. programs. A small group of students will be sponsored by the engineering, natural sciences and humanities department.

“We sincerely hope this will be a game-changing opportunity for many students from historically underrepresented backgrounds and contribute in a substantive way to diversifying the academic pipeline,” said Renita Miller, associate dean of access, diversity and inclusion.

Applications to the 2021-22 academic year will open in the second week of September. Interested students can apply through the regular admissions process.

The pre-doctorate program is tailored to the needs of each student. It will include taking a few undergraduate and graduate classes, faculty mentorship, training in research methods and working in labs.

“The future of the field really does depend on training more faculty members from diverse backgrounds and on embracing a broader constituency of student,” said Michael Flower, the David Magie ’97 Class of 1897 Professor of Classics, and Dan-el Padilla Peralta, associate professor of classics.

“We recognize that the enterprise of diversifying Classics does not and cannot stop here. Our thinking about the aims of the fellowship has evolved in conjunction with conversations about how to promote a climate of meaningful inclusion and racial equity here at Princeton.”

Pria Jackson and Jael Hernández-Vásquez from last year’s pilot program, are now first-year Ph.D. students in the Department of Classics.

Hernández-Vásquez was a high school teacher for 10 years, before applying to the program. “The fact that the fellowship is fully funded is a huge relief. I can spend the year studying at Princeton without financial pressures,” he said.

The following departments will accept applications for the pre-doctoral fellowship program:

• Art and Archaeology
• Astrophysical Sciences
• Classics
• Chemical and Biological Engineering
• Computer Science
• Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Economics
• Electrical Engineering
• Geosciences
• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Operations Research and Financial Engineering
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Psychology
• Quantitative and Computational Biology
• Religion
• Sociology (The department will start accepting applications in fall 2021)
• Spanish and Portuguese