Prof. Jacobson López & Lecturer Layla Khayr Join First-Ever STARS Cohort
Boston University School of Social Work (BUSSW) is proud to announce that Prof. Daniel Jacobson López and Lecturer Layla Khayr have been selected to join BU Diversity & Inclusion’s first-ever STARS cohort. STARS, or “Supporting Thriving, Achievement, Retention, & Success,” aims to promote professional development, mentoring, wellness, and community-building opportunities for new teachers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. Members were nominated by their School’s dean.
“I am looking forward to being among other scholars of color at BU in sharing our collective experiences as people of color in academia, and finding cultural and intellectual solidarity within the cohort,” says Jacobson López. “I am thrilled that BU has such programming to help scholars of color thrive within academia, given that academia has historically never been designed for us. I’d also like to give a huge thank you to Dean Delva for the nomination and support.”
“I look forward to building community with the other STARS fellows,” says Khayr. “I believe it will be a great opportunity to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, connection, and support.”
Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, the cohort will meet monthly to participate in professional development activities. The program also offers individualized support for cohort members, such as pairing them with senior faculty mentors, reserving time for community-building activities, reimbursement for wellness activities like yoga or mindfulness apps.