Instructors, advisers, teaching assistants and other mentors play critical roles in identifying and recruiting students for many opportunities, especially nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships.

Nebraska faculty and staff are invited to attend a virtual professional development event from 3:30-5 p.m. Sept. 22 to discuss establishing strong recruitment pipelines for undersubscribed fellowship opportunities. Those interested can RSVP here.

Alumni award recipients and special guest speakers will discuss fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students, including the Goldwater Scholarship for Excellence in Research, the Churchill Scholarship for Cambridge University, Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study/Research grants, and the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. Those awards range in value from $7,500 to more than $100,000.

Participants will learn how to:

• Identify potential candidates early in their academic trajectories;
• Encourage first-generation and underrepresented students to build a competitive applicant profile by engaging in high-impact practices, such as research, experiential learning programs and inclusive learning communities;
• Make timely and effective referrals to fellowship advisers; and
• Articulate the value of the application process and the impact of the fellowship experience for students’ professional development.

The keynote speaker will be Michael Morse, executive director of the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States. Amy Goodburn, senior associate vice chancellor, dean of undergraduate education, and professor of English, will provide introductory remarks. Alumni Bailey Lathrop (Fulbright U.S. Student), Lauren Lesiak (Goldwater Scholar) and Mark Nail (Goldwater Scholar) will discuss their research and fellowship experiences and the role of faculty and staff mentoring in their early career development.

Questions can be directed to Courtney Santos, director of national and international fellowships, at courtney.santos@unl.edu.