Wayne State University Announces HBCU Summer Research Program
Photo from Wayne State University Facebook Page
Wayne State University (WSU), a research institution in Detroit, Michigan, is taking the initiative to diversify its student population. To encourage more African American students to enroll in graduate school programs, WSU has established the HBCU Summer Research Program. The HBCU Summer Research Program will introduce North Carolina A&T University’s (NCAT) students to WSU’s doctoral programs.
“The program is designed to give these students an introduction to Wayne State and also to what it’s like to be a doctoral student,” said Shantelle Cavin, WSU’s Graduate School outreach specialist. “They will get a chance to get acclimated to all the university resources. This is the first year we’ve done this” (Today@Wayne).
The inaugural program will allow NCAT students to stay in WSU’s residence halls, speak with the school’s faculty, and take a campus tour. The program, which lasts two weeks, aims to get their first cohort to consider enrolling in their doctoral program after obtaining their bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Sierra Boyd, an English and African American Literature graduate student at NCAT, is excited to participate in the HBCU Summer Research Program (Today@Wayne).
“When I received the notification about this opportunity, I was excited because I’ve never seen anything like this before, reaching out to somebody like me and other HBCUs,” says Boyd. “I really liked the focus on that. I also thought it would be a good networking opportunity and a chance to see if I really wanted to take the leap to pursue a doctoral degree.”