Professors Endow Graduate Student Fellowship

Theda Perdue and Michael Green (left) have endowed a fellowship for American Indian studies.

Two scholars of Native American studies have taken dedication to graduate students to a whole new level.

History professor Theda Perdue and her husband, American studies professor Michael Green, both of whom are national experts within their fields, announced in December their decision to bequeath an endowment to The Graduate School.

The endowment will establish the Perdue-Green Dissertation Fellowship for American Indian Scholars and Scholarship.

“Directing dissertations to successful completion has brought enormous pleasure as well as intellectual satisfaction to both of us,” Perdue said, “so we decided that we would like to provide funding to support students
completing their dissertations.”

In addition, Perdue and Green have provided bequests for a lecture series on American Indians and support for an academic program in American Indian Studies.

“Universities have ignored Indian Studies for too long, and we do not have nearly enough American Indian graduate students preparing to become university professors,” Perdue added. “We hope this bequest will help address both needs on this campus.”

Perdue and Green said they provided the gift to honor the Indian people and the students with whom they've worked throughout their careers.

Mentoring Excellence Recognized

Carla White-Harris (above) and Joy Kasson (below) received Mentoring Awards from the Carolina Women's Leadership Council.

The University is showing its appreciation for the role of mentoring at Carolina with new awards this year recognizing excellence in this area.

The Carolina Women’s Leadership Council Mentoring Awards recognize outstanding faculty members who go the extra mile to guide, mentor and leadstudents and junior faculty.

The first recipients of the $5,000 awards, announced at the council meeting on March 2, are Joy Kasson, professor and chair of American studies, in the faculty-to-faculty category, and Carla White-Harris, clinical assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy, in the faculty-to-student category.

"Carolina students and faculty are deeply appreciative of the mentoring they receive from University faculty, and Professors Kasson and White-Harris exemplify faculty commitment to mentoring developing scholars,” said Carol Tresolini, Associate Provost for Academic Initiatives in the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost. “I commend and thank the Women’s Leadership Council for establishing and funding this important new award program that honors and celebrates our faculty.”

The Graduate School is also announcing a new award, the Faculty Award for Excellence in Doctoral Mentoring, to be presented at the Doctoral Hooding Ceremony on May 13. All graduating doctoral students are invited to nominate faculty for the award, which recognizes extraordinary performance and achievement in mentoring doctoral students.

“The role that Carolina’s faculty play as mentors to graduate students is central to our mission of educating world-class scholars,” said Linda Dykstra, Dean of the Graduate School. “We believe this award gives exceptional mentors the recognition they deserve for the role they play in this important process.”

Dykstra also recently received the Mentorship Award from the The College on Problems of Drug Dependency for encouraging students from underrepresented groups to pursue doctoral training, and for her 30 years as a leading researcher and mentor in the field.

Mentoring Program in Action

The Graduate School's new Ph.D. Completion Project, funded by Pfizer and The Ford Foundation, focuses on the factors that help doctoral student success, especially for underrepresented minorities and women in the sciences. The project examines the time it takes to complete a Ph.D., the factors that may assist in timely completion or that may impede progress, and helps graduate programs address these issues.

A critical element identified is the significant role that mentoring plays in faciliating student success. At a recent workshop, Laurie McNeil, chair of Physics, shared with students tips for working with a mentor. Her presentation produced a lively discussion.

To see the essay, go to www.gradschool.unc.edu/ mentoring.html.

© 2006, The Graduate School, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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