Some of the Best and Brightest: Future Faculty Career Exploration Program | October 2021

Even before the official start of this year’s Future Faculty Career Exploration Program (FFCEP), the new cohort was already busy collaborating.

During a two hour virtual “meet and greet” in early September, some of the best and brightest African American, Latina/o American and Native American (AALANA) scholars and innovators looked at ways their own research could compliment others. So there was some familiarity once the official 3 day virtual event got underway September 22^nd.

This cohort was selected from more than 100 applicants and represents universities like Howard, MIT University of California-Berkeley and Penn State. This is the 18^th year Rochester Institute of Technology’s Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment (OFDR) has served as host. It is an opportunity for RIT and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf to showcase what it is like to be a faculty member and help prepare these scholars and artists for the academic job market.

Through break- out sessions, they were able to interact with deans, faculty members and students, and present their research and art with their host colleges. Presentations ranged from “Paraffin and Beeswax for In-Space Hybrid Rocket Propulsion” and “There’s a Camera Everywhere: How Citizen Journalists, Cellphones and Technology Shape Coverage of Police Shootings” to “The Dark Database: Facial Recognition and its “Failure” to Enroll” and more. There were also professional development sessions on how to prepare for your first faculty position and the benefits of having a mentor.

Taking part this year:

• Dr. Deisy Cristina Carvalho Fernandes, Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellow, Brown University (Chemical Engineering)
• Houston Claure, Ph.D. Candidate, Cornell University (Mechanical Engineering/HCI/Robotics)
• Brendan David-John, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Florida (Computer Science)
• Dennis Delgado, M.F.A., Adjunct Professor,  (Sculpture/Photography)
• Dr. Cristina Espinosa-Diez, Postdoctoral Associate, University of Pittsburgh,  (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
• Christopher Lane, IRB Manager and Research Compliance Officer, Jackson State University (Public Health)
• Dr. Alexander Leder, California Alliance Post-Doctoral Researcher, University of California - Berkeley (Particle Physics)
• Maretta McDonald, Ph.D. Candidate, Louisiana State University (Sociology, Race and Ethnicity)
• Ana Mosquera, M.F.A., Multidisciplinary Artist and Creative Designer, Common Ground Management (Sculpture/Textile/Digital)
• Maximilian Ororbia, Ph.D. Candidate, Penn State University (Civil & Environmental Engineering)
• Joshua Peeples, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Florida (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
• Melanie Plasencia, Ph.D. Candidate, University of California – Berkeley; César Chávez Fellow, Dartmouth College (Ethnic Studies)
• Dr. DJ Polite, Visiting Assistant Professor in African American Studies, College of Charleston, (History)
• Dr. Mercy Shenge, Student Engagement Coordinator, American Planning Association; Historic District Commissioner, City of Rockville Maryland (Urban and Regional Planning)
• Dr. Javier Stober, Research Engineer, MIT,  (Aeronautics and Astronautics)
• Dr. Katlyn Turner, Research Scientist, MIT Media Lab (Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences)
• Denetra Walker, Ph.D. Candidate, University of South Carolina (Journalism and Mass Communications)
• Dr. Mesi Walton, Adjunct Lecturer, Howard University (African Studies)
• Kinde Wubneh, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Texas at Austin (Management)

Donathan Brown, assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment says since its inception, more than 350 scholars have taken part and 23 have accepted positions at RIT. “The continual success of our efforts to recruit the best minds in America, even amidst the grander backdrop of an ongoing pandemic, was on full display this year. One of greatest success stories is reconnecting with scholars and artists we have engaged on their respective campuses and at conferences, who were admitted into the program.” 

Over the years, RIT has offered positions to many in the program. For instance, Dr. Katrina Overby participated in the program in 2018 and spent the past two years as a Future Faculty Fellow. She was hired into a tenure-track role in the College of Liberal Arts this year and is now an assistant professor in the School of Communication. Dr. Nnaemeka Nnamani, an alum of the 2019 FFCEP cohort, was hired last year as a visiting assistant professor at NTID.  He served as a mentor to an NTID student researching the use of heavy ions in breast cancer therapy.

Lorraine Stinebiser, director of faculty diversity and recruitment says, “Through the program, participants not only learn about RIT’s academic community, but it also provides a chance for them to prepare for the academic job market and make connections that can support their research and professional growth.”

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