[Orgvpdue] July_Aug_Sept 2025 DUE Spotlight

Tue Sep 30 13:10:30 PDT 2025

*Undergraduate Education Monthly Spotlights*
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The* DUE Monthly Spotlight Series* aims to highlight important advances
across the Division of Undergraduate Education. The goal is to ensure that
our fellow DUE members stay in the know as we collectively work toward
DUE’s strategic goals, including boosting graduation rates and reducing
equity gaps, among others.
$1.1 million grant extends UCR’s participation in Kessler Scholars
Collaborative

UC Riverside has received a *$1.1 million grant from the Judy and Fred
Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies *to continue its
participation in the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, a national initiative
supporting students who are the first in their families to attend college.

UCR joined the collaborative in 2022
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/news.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiMmJrOWxOWExaN0VmZE1OWDdmLVhreWJUZ3pZIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL25ld3MudWNyLmVkdVxcXC9hcnRpY2xlc1xcXC8yMDIyXFxcLzA0XFxcLzEzXFxcLzEtbWlsbGlvbi1hd2FyZC1zdXBwb3J0cy1maXJzdC1nZW5lcmF0aW9uLXN0dWRlbnRzXCIsXCJpZFwiOlwiNzE4OGM2ZWJkNzNkNGU2YTkyOTlkN2Q1NmNlYmI4ZWNcIixcInVybF9pZHNcIjpbXCJmMDZjNDA1OTI5NmE3ZDgxZTE1YzYwYmM4ODExYzdhNDBlZjVhNDUwXCJdLFwibXNnX3RzXCI6MTc1OTI2MTg5N30ifQ>
with
an initial $1 million grant from the Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg
Philanthropies. The Kessler Scholars Program provides comprehensive support
to first-generation, limited income students through wrap-around,
multi-tiered services that ensure their success from admissions through
graduation. The first cohort of 25 first-year students
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/news.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiU3BMNzU3d2l3TjY0WmNDM2xMOVM3Um1VWWxVIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL25ld3MudWNyLmVkdVxcXC9hcnRpY2xlc1xcXC8yMDIzXFxcLzA5XFxcLzA1XFxcL2hvdy0yNS1maXJzdC1nZW4tc3R1ZGVudHMtZ290LTQteWVhci1zY2hvbGFyc2hpcFwiLFwiaWRcIjpcIjcxODhjNmViZDczZDRlNmE5Mjk5ZDdkNTZjZWJiOGVjXCIsXCJ1cmxfaWRzXCI6W1wiYTgzNmU5YjIzNjc1ZjJmMjgwNmYzMDYyNTI0ZjEwOGZhMjE3ZmZlNlwiXSxcIm1zZ190c1wiOjE3NTkyNjE4OTd9In0>
began
in the program in fall 2023.

Read full story
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Kesler Scholars welcomes third cohort

Kessler Scholars welcomed* 20 students this fall*. With this new cohort,
they now have a *total of 66 *UCR Kessler Scholars.

*New Internship Program Manager in CUREL*

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Engaged Learning (CUREL) is
excited to introduce the newest member of our team, *Danielle White*, who
joins us as the Internship Program Manager.

Danielle comes to UCR with over 14 years of experience from California
State University, San Bernardino’s Office of Student Research. Her
extensive background in supporting student research, internships, and
experiential learning will be a tremendous asset to the Division of
Undergraduate Education (DUE). In her role, *she will be recruiting and
providing professional development support for students involved in CUREL’s
Capital Internship Programs (UCDC and UCCS) and other key internship
opportunities*.

Danielle is particularly passionate about helping first-generation students
and those who may not have previously considered these opportunities. "My
role is not only to make sure that students know about these internships,
but that they also feel prepared and supported to pursue them," she says.
Her experience and commitment will be invaluable as we continue to expand
and enhance the resources we provide to our students.

We encourage you to connect with Danielle and CUREL on ways to collaborate.
By working together, we can ensure our students have the support and
resources they need to take advantage of these transformative experiences.
Chancellor’s Research Fellowship Program Enters Its 14th Year!

The Chancellor’s Research Fellowship (CRF) welcomed a new cohort of
scholars this summer. *Thirteen juniors and seniors majoring in disciplines
ranging from Biochemistry to Psychology were selected to join this
prestigious program*. They are joined by three senior CRFs–Nicole D’Souza,
Janna Soliman, and Sreenidhi Surineni–who will serve as peer mentors and
leaders for the new cohort.

As part of their Summer Orientation, the CRFs along with CUREL Director,
Gladis Herrera-Berkowitz, participated in the *UCR Challenge Course.*
Through a series of team-building activities, the fellows had the
opportunity to connect and begin fostering a strong sense of community.
Following the course, they joined Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate
Education Dr. Louie F. Rodríguez for a lunch discussion. The day concluded
with a formal orientation session led by Gladis and the Senior CRFs,
setting the tone for a collaborative and impactful year ahead.

SoCalGas donates to HESA Scholarship Program

SoCalGas has generously *donated $1,000 to support this year’s HESA
scholarship program*. DUE and SoCalGas have had multiple connection points,
including one of our Tilga grant students, Thomas Howlett, who served as an
intern over the summer for SoCalGas. We are grateful for their support to
student success!

SoCalGas Public Affairs Manager meets HESA staff

*Art Marquez, Public Affairs Manager for SoCalGas*, visited campus in
August to meet with HESA staff and DUE leadership, and to watch the HESA
students participate in the high ropes course activity at the Student Rec
Center. The HESA students impressed us with their courage and teamwork on
the course!

Summer Plunge: UCR Students Embrace the D.C. Experience

While many students took a break during the summer, a select group of
Highlanders took the plunge into a prestigious internship in Washington,
D.C.

This past summer, eight students explored their career aspirations through
the UCDC internship program, gaining valuable experience with agencies such
as the Smithsonian, Advocates for Justice in Education (AJE), the Office of
Congressman Mark Takano (CA-39), and Gen-Z Emerging Technology Action
(ZETA).

The UCDC program continues to be a staple for experiential learning at UCR.
Students who have participated consistently report positive outcomes,
including significant gains in critical thinking, leadership,
professionalism, and collaboration.

This fall, we're building on that momentum! We're sending a record-breaking
cohort of 29 students to D.C. This significant increase highlights growing
student interest and the program’s undeniable impact.

We couldn't do this without the collective support of our colleagues across
the Division of Undergraduate Education. Please continue to share these
opportunities with students and help us amplify the benefits of the UCDC
program.

*PPAC 25-26 Ambassadors hold trainings*

Pre-Professional Advising (PPAC) Office held its *annual training for the
incoming 25-26 cohort of Pre-Health and Pre-Law Student Ambassadors*.
Training included planning, organizing and development. This year holds the
first cohort of pre-law ambassadors who will now be able to assist any
student interested in applying to law school. Pre-health ambassadors
participated in a *visit to Western University of Health Sciences *where
they got an insight on different careers within healthcare that they will
now be able to advise on to any interested student.
R’Course Coordinator Interviewed on KVCR 91.9

*Jennifer Kavetsky *was interviewed by Allison Wang as part of *Allison’s
Student Stories series on KVCR*. The radio feature also included interviews
with Rick Dulock, program coordinator for KVCR Radio; UCR professor Dr.
John Medearis; and several students whose own radio features were aired on
KVRC as part of Allison’s R’Course, *“Local Public Radio Storytelling with
91.9 KVCR News.” *Allison Wang designed and facilitated the course under
the supervision of her faculty mentor, Dr. John Medearis. Students in the
class learned how to coordinate and conduct an interview, edit interview
audio, and create a cohesive narrative storyline. 20+ student stories have
aired so far as part of the program on topics as diverse as minor league
baseball, UCR’s African Student Program, and women pursuing legal careers.

During the radio feature, Allison and her interview guests discussed the
importance of public radio, making knowledge accessible, and connecting
with the local community. Allison’s internship at KVCR, her radio feature,
and her R’Course are part of her larger Honors Capstone project available
through eScholarship
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Allison graduated in June with a BA in Political Science and is now
pursuing a master’s in Public Administration at USC

*DUE 2025 Resource Fair *

The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) *welcomed more than 300
students* during the 2025 DUE Resource Fair hosted at Pentland Hills Bear
Cave. Students were introduced to various programs within the Division,
including the Academic Resource Center, CUREL, R'Vision, Army ROTC,
University Honors, Excel+, Capital Internships, and Pre-Professional
Advising Center. Additionally, students heard from Vice Provost/Dean of
Undergraduate Education Louie F. Rodriguez and had the opportunity to take
photos with UCR's Norm!
*Copyright ©  2025 Division of Undergraduate Education, All rights
reserved.*

*Our mailing address is:*
Division of Undergraduate Education
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Riverside, CA 92521

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