Future Faculty Career Exploration Program welcomes newest class of diverse scholars

The 21^st cohort of RIT’s Future Faculty Career Exploration Program was welcomed to campus Sept. 25-28 for the opportunity to experience what it would be like to be a faculty member at RIT.

The program invites exceptional underrepresented researchers and artists of all disciplines. Participants engage with administration, faculty, and staff across campus while enhancing interview skills, practicing job-talk presentations, and exploring research, teaching, and service expectations of RIT faculty members. The program is hosted by the Office of Faculty Diversity and Recruitment in the university’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion.

“This program provides a transformational experience,” said Torrence Sparkman, assistant provost and assistant vice president for faculty diversity and recruitment. “We select scholars with the highest level of achievement in research, art, skill, and expertise to discover RIT’s commitment to inclusive excellence and professional quality that sets us apart.”

The 2024 cohort consists of 11 scholars across six different colleges:

• Carlos Augusto Bautista Isaza, Ph.D. candidate, Virginia Tech (computer science and applications)
• Nikisha Alcindor, Ph.D. candidate, Graduate Center of the City of New York (business strategy)
• Estelle E. Archibold, postdoctoral scholar, The Pennsylvania State University (management)
• Kalan Horton, Ph.D. candidate, Florida State University (strategic management)
• Sayde King, Ph.D. candidate, University of South Florida (computer science and engineering)
• Elizabeth Ondula, Ph.D. candidate, University of Southern California (computer science)
• Hafiz Oyediran, Ph.D. candidate, University of Nebraska-Lincoln (construction engineering and management)
• Mayassa Hashaad, Ph.D. candidate, University of Arkansas (creative writing and literary translation)
• Mbaye Diouf, senior research associate, Brown University (optical physics)
• J. Carlos Martinez Mori, postdoctoral scholar, Georgia Institute of Technology (applied mathematics)
• Edwin Solares, lecturer, University of California, San Diego (computer science and biology)

The Future Faculty Career Exploration Program was one of the first faculty diversity and recruitment programs in the nation, and it helps RIT continue to be a leader in diversity and inclusion initiatives, ultimately strengthening the campus environment. Every year, a new group of up-and-coming academics grows their network and skills for future career opportunities. Since its inception, the program has invited hundreds of historically underrepresented scholars and artists to participate, many of whom now serve in faculty leadership roles in academia.

Learn more about the program and this year’s cohort in the 2024 program guide.