UCLA's Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies is preparing students for the rigors of a graduate education through its eight-week Summer Humanities Institute.

Since 2001, the Bunche Center and the UCLA Graduate Division have brought together some of the best and brightest students from across the country to expose them to graduate studies. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation generously funds the program.

The free program is open to high-achieving students from historically black colleges and universities and other historically underrepresented and financially disadvantaged backgrounds. The program's goal is to prepare students with an economic or educational disadvantage to pursue a doctoral degree in the humanities or the humanistic social sciences.

After completing the program, many participants pursue a graduate school education. Past participants are studying at universities such as UCLA; the University of California, Berkeley; Columbia University; the University of Michigan; Temple University; and Georgetown University.

Kelvin White, an alumnus of Texas Southern University, said he had not considered going to graduate school until he participated in the first Summer Humanities Institute at UCLA. White said many of his professors at Texas Southern simply did not motivate him to go to graduate school.

"I wanted to get my bachelor's degree and just get done with it," White said.

Instead, he came to UCLA for eight weeks and took part in the institute. White took classes, was mentored by graduate students and professors, and conducted research in the university's expansive libraries. By the time the institute ended, he was certain graduate school was a path he wanted to follow.

"We were all amazed with the quality of research a university like UCLA has to offer," said White, who said that his undergraduate university had one library. UCLA has 10 libraries and other campus collections. "That exposure to research was what really motivated me to go to graduate school."

White has received a master's in Afro-American Studies from UCLA and is now earning a doctorate in information studies.

"One of the two key components of the institute is the series of seminars that the students take with four members of our faculty," said Richard Yarborough, the Bunche Center's interim director and a UCLA associate professor of English. "These classes expose them not just to the format of graduate-level seminars but also to the type and amount of reading they should expect at the next academic level.

"The second key component is each student's relationship with a faculty mentor who supervises his or her individual research project," Yarborough said. "At the end of the program, the students present their findings in a public forum that is modeled after the typical scholarly conference."

This year's Summer Humanities Institute students are:
. Regina Barnett, English major, Albany State University. Her faculty mentor is V. Berky Nelson, a lecturer with UCLA's Interdepartmental Program in Afro-American Studies. "Being a part of this program is a milestone in my life for two reasons: I am the first student from my alma mater to participate, and the experiences I am cultivating are helping me prepare for graduate school in August," Barnett said. "Working under Dr. Nelson has been the most memorable experience of my academic career. He has pushed, molded and challenged me to become a skilled historian. Dr. Nelson's willingness to share his knowledge is invaluable, and I am extremely privileged to have the opportunity to be his mentee."
. Carrie Coley, English arts, Hampton University. Her faculty mentor is Richard Yarborough, the Bunche Center's interim director and UCLA associate professor of English. "The Summer Humanities Institute has thoroughly prepared me for the rigors of graduate education while allowing me to work with amazing faculty and students," Coley said. "I plan to use this experience as a catalyst for my future graduate endeavors in literature."
. Michael Counter, English, Southern Arkansas University. His mentor is Yarborough. Counter plans to pursue a graduate degree in rhetoric and dance performance. "Rather than allowing the general public to view dance as simply fluid movement on stage with no plot or social relevance, I want to make accessible the conversations concerning black artistic performance and how this performance influences and reacts to black aesthetics after the Great Depression," Counter said.
. Avery L. Daniels, history, Southern Carolina State University. His faculty mentor is Mark Sawyer, UCLA associate professor of political science. "The institute gives me an opportunity to experience different cultures I wouldn't experience at home," Daniels said. "I plan to absorb as much information as I can so it will make the transition from an undergraduate education to a graduate education easier."


. Jumoke Sentwali Johnson, English, Morehouse College. His faculty mentor is Paul Von Blum, UCLA lecturer in Afro-American studies. "I am excited to be a part of a diverse community of young black minds uniting under the common principles of
scholarship, excellence and advancement," Johnson said. "I plan to use the skills I acquire through the Summer Humanities Institute to make a smooth transition from college to graduate school."
. Sara Joyner, business, Prairie View A&M University alumna. Her faculty mentor is Nelson. "I am elated to be a part of the Summer Humanities Institute because I am getting back in the groove of being a student," Joyner said. "I worked in corporate America a year after graduation, and I desperately yearned to continue my education. I must say I am mentally challenged and having a blast while learning."
. Cassandra Levy, English arts, Hampton University alumna. Her faculty mentor is Von Blum. "The faculty, seminar and fellow students have made this experience more than a grad school simulation," Levy said. "My analytical skills have increased, along with my awareness of what is expected of me in graduate school. This program has caused me to be more focused and more excited about graduate school."
. Raquel Mason, history, Jackson State University. Her mentor is Sawyer. "I am excited about being a part of the institute because of the exposure to a different academic environment through a variety of material and professors," Mason said. "I plan to get more research experience and further my own research with the aid of the institute's mentors, as well as with the access to UCLA's extensive library collection."
. Alexandrea Rich, English, Spelman College. Her faculty mentor is Von Blum. "I plan to earn a Ph.D. in English, and this program has helped me by exposing me to a higher level of communication with budding scholars and accomplished academicians," Rich said.
. Kia Miakka Wood, journalism, Howard University alumna. Her faculty mentor is Nelson. "The Summer Humanities Institute has provided me the unique opportunity to prepare myself for graduate school," Wood said. "The program has improved my critical thinking and writing skills, which I know will enhance my application for an advanced degree."

For many of this year's 10 students, this is the first time they have studied at a major research university and traveled to Los Angeles. The institute started June 25 and ends Aug. 19.

California's largest university, UCLA enrolls approximately 38,000 students per year and offers degrees from the College of Letters and Science and 11 professional schools in dozens of disciplines. UCLA consistently ranks among the top five universities nationwide in total research-and-development spending, receiving more than $820 million a year in competitively awarded federal and state grants and contracts. For every $1 state taxpayers invest in UCLA, the university generates almost $9 in economic activity, resulting in an annual $6 billion economic impact on the Greater Los Angeles region. The university's health care network treats 450,000 patients per year. UCLA employs more than 27,000 faculty and staff, has more than 350,000 living alumni, and has been home to five Nobel Prize recipients.

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