The Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowship—named to honor the memory of former POD President and early supporter of the POD Diversity Committee—aims to increase and support sustained participation of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the field of educational development.

Fellowship Description

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Professional and Organizational Development (POD) Network in Higher Education enthusiastically invites applications for the 2024 Donald H. Wulff Diversity Fellowships. These fellowships provide financial and mentoring support (see Fellowship Details below) designed to increase and support sustained participation of individuals from historically underrepresented groups in the field of educational development.

Underrepresented groups include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as racial and/or ethnic minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgendered individuals; and individuals with disabilities. These fellowships are also intended to support individuals working at institutions that are currently underrepresented in the POD network. These institutions include, but are not limited to: Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Native American Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions or Hispanic Area Colleges and Institutions, Minority-Serving Institutions (or those aspiring to become MSIs), and Community Colleges. The fellowship is named to honor the memory of the former POD President, Donald H. Wulff, who was an early supporter of the POD Diversity Committee. This initiative highlights the alignment of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s mission with POD’s strategic priorities.

We encourage applicants with all levels of experience in educational development to apply, from graduate students and other early career or pre-career applicants to senior educational developers. 

Past Wulff Fellows are encouraged to apply and serve as mentors to new awardees. Wulff Fellow Mentors will take the lead in facilitating community-building experiences for new fellows throughout the conference and going forward through the year.

The POD Network Conference is an opportunity for educators, administrators, consultants, and innovators to come together and participate in interactive sessions and networking events focused on current issues and trends in educational development, including programs focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Wulff Fellows will share their work or perspectives through a roundtable discussion and have the opportunity to connect with one another. Wulff Fellow Mentors will provide guidance and support to new Fellows.

Fellowship Details

The Fellowship provides: 

1. A one-year POD membership; 
2. Registration fee for the POD Conference; 
3. Financial support for travel costs to Chicago, IL;
4. Mentoring and other experiences before, during, and after the conference, designed to connect awardees with colleagues and support their participation in educational development

Fellows are expected to:

Criteria

A successful application should clearly articulate: 

1. Your identification as someone from a historically underrepresented group or someone serving at an institution that is currently underrepresented in POD membership. Please see the fellowship description above for more information; 
2. Your interest and/or experience in educational development; 
3. How you would benefit from attending the conference; 
4. A clear and explicit explanation of how sustained engagement with the DEI Committee and POD network aligns with your goals in the field of educational development (for example, if you are a grad student, how this opportunity will help you explore career and other professional interests; if you are more advanced in your career, how this opportunity will help you towards your professional goals).
5. The work, insights, perspectives, and/or experiences that you will contribute to the POD conference roundtable; or (for past Wulff Fellows applying as Wulff Fellow Mentors) the insights, perspectives, and/or experiences you will bring to your role mentoring new awardees through the conference and beyond.
6. A brief description of your travel needs, such as geographical travel distance, planned travel arrangements, hotel costs, etc., and how this travel fund would help you overcome financial barriers (including extraneous factors such as child care, elder care expenses, etc.) to attending the POD conference.

Application Timeline and Resources

• • Deadline for submission: no later than August 9, 2024 to be considered for this award. 
  • Application can be found here: Wulff Application Form. As a resource, see examples of successful applications here.
  • Successful applicants will be notified by e-mail in September.
  • Attend the POD Conference this year in November!

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to contact POD DEI Fellowship Coordinators Viyon Dansu, David Goldman, Abigail Jaimes-Gomez, and Mike Rozinski at  [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application!