[Orgvpdue] February 2026 DUE Spotlight

Fri Feb 20 08:50:51 PST 2026

*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.
David and Cheryl Hadley support the Chancellor’s Research Fellows with a
pledge of $48,800

UCR Foundation Board Trustee *David Hadley ’71 and ’73*, and his wife *Cheryl
Hadley ’71, have pledged $48,800 over the next four years* to the
Chancellor’s Research Fellowship program. Their pledge will help to grow
the program by providing funding for two additional Chancellor’s Research
Fellows per year. After recently learning about the program, David and
Cheryl were inspired to provide their support so that more undergraduate
students could participate in research and creative activity, fostering
academic growth and career development to prepare them for future success.
Learn more about the Hadleys
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/insideucr.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiMXlWdk1YUkF1NklaR2t2T1dKbzNNeXhTNi0wIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2luc2lkZXVjci51Y3IuZWR1XFxcL3N0b3JpZXNcXFwvMjAyNVxcXC8xMVxcXC8yNFxcXC9hbHVtLWdpdmVzLWJhY2stZ2l2aW5nLXR1ZXNkYXlcIixcImlkXCI6XCJiY2M2ZDcwMzI1NGI0N2QwYjIxNDhiZWFkNTU3MDFhM1wiLFwidXJsX2lkc1wiOltcImFjNWFiZmMxNzg0MDlkZTc1OTJjOWViODNkNjE5MWRiMGYyMGYxNzRcIl0sXCJtc2dfdHNcIjoxNzcxNjAzMDgxfSJ9>
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*The Future is Accessible: Meet the A-Team*
Prepare to meet the division’s newest powerhouse: *The A-Team*. Comprised
of 12 elite, tech-savvy students, this squad is on a mission to ensure that
every student—regardless of ability—has a front-row seat to learning. Far
from your average student workers, the A-Team has undergone rigorous
training to master the art of digital accessibility and remediation.
Working hand-in-hand with our faculty, these specialists serve as dedicated
partners in course preparation, providing the expert support needed to
transform syllabi and lectures into inclusive digital experiences. Whether
it’s transforming complex PDFs into screen-reader-ready documents or
ensuring multimedia content is fully compliant, these digital pioneers are
working behind the scenes to bridge the gap between "available" and
"accessible." We aren't just updating files; we’re building a campus
culture where the digital classroom belongs to everyone.

*Let the A-Team do the heavy lifting.* Faculty members interested in a
digital accessibility audit or document remediation can simply submit a
request
<https://click.mailchimp.com/track/click/30010842/teaching.ucr.edu?p=eyJzIjoiNHJHZy00NGloN2RDSTU5OEZDZTNaakliQmNjIiwidiI6MiwicCI6IntcInVcIjozMDAxMDg0MixcInZcIjoyLFwidXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL3RlYWNoaW5nLnVjci5lZHVcXFwvYS10ZWFtXCIsXCJpZFwiOlwiYmNjNmQ3MDMyNTRiNDdkMGIyMTQ4YmVhZDU1NzAxYTNcIixcInVybF9pZHNcIjpbXCIzYzMxZWMzMGFlMmJhY2RlMTNiZTdhNzI0NGQzOTc1OTA2N2E4ODg4XCJdLFwibXNnX3RzXCI6MTc3MTYwMzA4MX0ifQ>.
Our student specialists will take it from there, ensuring your materials
are compliant and ready for all students.
Pre-Law Trip to University of San Diego with participation by alumni
attorneys

*22 pre-law students traveled to the University of San Diego Joan Kroc
School of Peace Studies and School of Law *during the weekend of January 30
& 31, 2026 to explore graduate (Master’s) and professional (Juris
Doctorate) programs specific to the area of law at the University of San
Diego. Pre-Law Advisor, LA Edwards and Director, Pre-Professional Advising
Center, Charlie Scruggs co-led the trip. CHASS Dean Daryle Williams also
attended.

On Friday, students visited the School of Peace Studies where they learned
about Master’s programs in Conflict Management & Resolution, Humanitarian
Action, Peace & Justice, and Social Innovation and Certificates in
Mediation & Conflict Resolution, Security Studies and Social
Entrepreneurship. In the evening, students had dinner in Old Town and were
joined by *UCR alumna and attorney Melanie Ramos Nix* along with *UCR
alumnus and USD’s Assistant Director of JD Admissions Leonard Peoples Jr*.

On Saturday, students spent the day at the School of Law learning about the
structure of the three-year Juris Doctorate Program as well as information
about admissions, financial and career opportunities. The day included
hearing from a panel of current law students, who were also UCR alumni.

Student participants hailed from the following majors: English,
economics/electrical engineering (double major), history, philosophy,
political science/Law & Society, public policy and sociology.

   - 50% of the participants had met with a PPAC advisor or attended a PPAC
   event/workshop prior to the trip
   - 95% of the student participants indicated this was their first visit
   to the University of San Diego campus
   - 100% of the student participants said future students would enjoy this
   trip

What students had to say about their experience. . .

*“The best part of the trip was being able to experience the school with my
peers and exchanging our thoughts on the school. I also really enjoyed
being able to meet with alumni, law students, and admissions staff during
the trip so I could get a feel of what the school is like. The best part of
the trip was being able to learn more about the Master’s and JD program. In
addition, I really enjoyed hearing from the student panels about their
journeys and experience applying and attending the school.”*

*“The University of San Diego Law school trip was an invaluable experience
for me. I feel much more prepared to navigate my law school application
journey in the coming years.”*

*“Thank you so much for giving us this experience and creating a warm and
comfortable space for the two days we were together. I am very
appreciative.”*

*“I am so grateful to the Pre-Professional Advising Center for this amazing
experience. Connecting with Pre-Law students, and UCR alumni was so
insightful! Thank you!”*

*This trip was made possible by the College of Humanities, Arts and Social
Sciences and the Division of Undergraduate Education.*
University Writing Program welcomes new associate professor
The University Writing Program is excited to announce that *Jeremy Kelley
will serve as a new associate professor of teaching*. Kelley earned his PhD
in Applied Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA) in 2013. He also holds an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of
Other Languages (TESOL) from California State University, Los Angeles, and
a BA in French and Francophone Studies from UCLA. *His academic work
focuses primarily on language and writing pedagogy*, with particular
attention paid to how discourse shapes learning in first-year writing
contexts and how higher education institutions can better support
vulnerable populations. Dr. Kelley joined the UCLA Writing Program in 2014,
where he taught first-year composition, multilingual composition
(entry-level to graduate levels), writing in the disciplines, language
pedagogy, teacher preparation, teacher mentoring, professional writing, and
graduate professional development. He was a founding faculty member for
UCLA’s Graduate Certificate in Writing Pedagogy, where he contributed
significantly to curricular development and approval before eventually
serving for over four years as the program’s Associate Director.
Celebration for Marshall Scholar on January 14

CUREL and Undergraduate Education proudly celebrated *Sreenidhi Surineni on
being named UCR’s first Marshall Scholar!* Created by the United Kingdom in
1953, the Marshall Scholarship selects students from the US to pursue
fully-funded postgraduate degrees at a UK university. Sreenidhi was one of
43 students from across the US selected for this year's award.

*The celebration took place on January 14 was filled with great food,
strong community, and heartfelt appreciation.* Special thanks to Chancellor
Hu for joining us and taking time to learn more about the “UCR Village”–the
network of dedicated mentors, advisors, and champions who work
collaboratively to advance exceptional student success.

ARC hosts Successful Student Week: Blaze your own path

The ARC's *Successful Student Week: Blaze your own path*, took place at the
end of January and they had 12 events/presentations scheduled over the span
of four days! *Over 200 students participated* in the events and got
information about resources on campus that encourages student engagement.
We want to thank the planning committee and everyone involved that made it
a successful week!
First Generation Student Conference: Trailblazing Together, January 30

In collaboration with Residential Education, the *First Gen Committee
hosted the First Generation Student Conference: Trailblazing Together*, on
January 30, 2026. A one-day experience with empowering workshops, first-gen
resources, community connection, giveaways and more.
UCR students learn about Knight-Hennessy Scholars

CUREL hosted *Christian Tanja, Senior Assistant Director of Admission at
the Knight-Hennessy Scholars, a highly selective multicultural and
multidisciplinary fellowship program at Stanford University*. This
fellowship offers three years of funding and leadership development for its
scholars across Stanford's seven graduate schools. Christian’s visit
demonstrates that Stanford has taken notice of the exceptional UCR alumni
who join Stanford each year. This was further validated* by the over 50
students that he met during his visit*. CUREL looks forward to connecting
Christian with the next UCR Knight-Hennessy Scholar!
University Honors offers new course for spring

University Honors is proud to offer a new course for Spring 2026: *HNPG
110: Preparing for an Advanced Degree & Career Readiness*. This 2-unit,
S/NC online course was developed in partnership with UCR’s Anthropology
Department and is funded by the UC-HSI Diversity Grant. *It supports the
five-year Doctoral Diversity Initiative led by Dr. Yolanda Moses and Dr.
Jessica Bradford, who will be teaching the course*. The initiative aims to
bridge the demographic gap between UCR’s diverse undergraduate population
and its less diverse graduate and faculty ranks. We plan to offer this
course every Spring under the grant, and hopefully thereafter.

The purpose of this course is to provide students—especially those who may
lack traditional support systems or resources—with the tools to investigate
graduate schools and career pathways that align with their values. Students
will build a professional toolkit, engage in meaningful conversations about
navigating structural barriers in academia and the workforce, and exit the
course with a completed portfolio and a roadmap for their future.

University Honors is happy to announce that the 20 available spots in this
course were filled within two days of registration! This rapid enrollment
demonstrates the high level of interest and the clear need for this type of
academic and professional development support among Honors students.
*Copyright ©  2026 Division of Undergraduate Education, All rights
reserved.*

*Our mailing address is:*
Division of Undergraduate Education
Student Services Building #2106
900 University Avenue
Riverside, CA 92521

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