Kimberly Griffin
IGERT trainee Kimberly Griffin is a doctoral candidate in Higher Education and Organizational change in the UCLA Department of Education. She will graduate in June 2008. Next year, she will begin her faculty career as an Assistant Professor at the Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Education Policy Studies. Kimberly has presented her research at numerous professional meetings and has authored or co-authored seven published articles and book chapters. Her participation in UCLA's Interdisciplinary Relationships Science Program has allowed Kimberly to pursue her interest in understanding the educational experiences of underrepresented communities. She aims to promote the recruitment, performance, and retention of minority students and faculty in higher education.
Kimberly's current research investigates mentoring relationships, particularly between faculty and students of color. While many studies have shown that students of color benefit greatly from forging relationships with professors and frequently reach out to Black faculty for support, there is little understanding of the faculty perspective on these interactions. Thus, her dissertation uses both quantitative survey methods and in-depth interviews to investigate the influence of student mentoring on the experiences of African American professors. These interactions have usually been framed as professionally costly to faculty. Contrary to this negative image, Kimberly found a more complex pattern. Black professors expressed significant commitment to working with students, particularly those from underserved backgrounds. Faculty did describe these interactions as personally and professionally costly in terms of time and energy. Yet, faculty also emphasized that mentoring students was rewarding. It allowed them to build connections on campus and to fulfill a personal desire to contribute to the diversity of future scholars entering academe. Professors who were able to involve students in their research or other work-related activities perceived their interaction as more reciprocal and reported experiencing more joy in their work and higher productivity than their peers.
Kimberly believes her research findings can help to facilitate the retention of Black faculty, encouraging them to participate in relationships with students that are both personally fulfilling and professionally beneficial.
Visit Kimberly's IRSP web page
