What is the Preparing Future Faculty Program

On average, the Executive Director for Access and Educational Outreach hosts up to four Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) fellows each year. The PFF concept dates back to the respective conversations of the American Association of Colleges & Universities (AACU) and the American Council on Education (ACE) in the early 1990s about the need to provide teaching opportunities to doctoral candidates before the completion of the dissertation and also to create opportunities to attract more minority and first-generation candidates to the teaching profession. James Madison University (JMU) adopted the PFF concept and has recruited its dissertation year fellows since 2007. PFF fellows receive accommodation, monthly stipend, travel allowance (to academic conferences, to research achieves, and for visitation with dissertation committee members), and are provided teaching and professional mentorship at the host academic department. Fellows enjoy JMU library privileges and the research and writing workshops and spaces provided through the Center for Faculty Innovations. 

Program Objectives:

The PFF program is consistent with JMU’s institutional mission to provide outstanding education to all students. Doctoral candidates who are minority and/or first-generation are encouraged to illustrate how they can best contribute to the success of first-generation students at JMU. Application for consideration as a PFF fellow is open to all dissertation-year candidates from all public doctoral-granting institutions. Participating PFF fellows receive mentorship to prepare them for the practices of the academe. In return, PFF fellows enrich the learning environment of the participating academic units, bring new perspectives to students and establish connections between JMU and partner PFF schools.

Disclaimer:

While the program prepares future faculty, any fellow with future job interests at JMU will be required to engage in the competitive faculty application process.

How to host PFFs

Academic departments interested in hosting PFF fellows must consult with the Executive Director for Access and Educational Outreach at the Division of Enrollment Management.

It is best when such conversations take place a year ahead of when the PFF is anticipated to commence residency at JMU.

Benefits of the PFF Program

The PFF fellowship program benefits both the host department as much as it does to the candidates:

  1. Mentoring Expectations:
  • Faculty members in the area of specialization mentor PFF fellows.
  • Academic/Research mentors may act as external examiners of PFF fellows’ dissertations.
  • The academic department provides teaching mentorships.
  • JMU Libraries and Educational Technologies provide access to research support.
  • Center for Faculty Innovations (CFI) provides professional development opportunities.
  1. Benefits to JMU:
  • Since many academic departments at JMU are not doctoral granting programs, mentorship of PFF fellows enhances opportunities for our students and faculty to interact with dissertation year graduates from established PhD granting institutions.
  • PFF fellows expose our student to scholars who are trained at universities that have different historic visions.
  • The program provides an opportunity for faculty-to-faculty exchanges with partner PFF programs.
  • The partnerships provide network opportunities for JMU programs to increase the pool of excellent future faculty applicants during position searches.
  1. Benefits to PFF Fellows:
  • Fellows receive dissertation support
  • Fellow have the opportunity to focus on dissertation completion.
  • Fellows have access to JMU’s extensive library collection as well as interlibrary loans.
  • Fellows are mentored by departmental faculty and participate in department and division meetings along with full-time faculty—opportunities that most doctoral students do not receive at their primary academic departments.
  • Fellows participate in new faculty orientation and are exposed to faculty tenure and promotion guidelines and procedures.
  • Fellows are acclimatized to the university setting prior to entrance to the profession.
  • Fellows can collaborate with colleagues who have similar research interests.
  • Fellows have an opportunity to teach in their content areas.
  • Fellows can participate in professional development seminars offered through the Center for Faculty Innovation (CFI).
  • Fellows can engage in departmental, college, university, community, and global initiatives that are advanced at JMU.


JMU Academic Hosts

School for Media Arts and Design (SMAD)

School of Communication (SCOM)

Department of History

Social Work

Biology

Chemistry

Geology

Physics

Sociology

English

Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication (WRTC)

Undergraduate Psychology

Political Science

Sociology Anthropology

Philosophy and Religions

Mathematics & Statistics

Math Education

Education Leadership

School of Music


Our PFFs have come from:

George Mason University

Michigan State University

Louisiana State University

Howard University

Emory University

Morgan State University

Georgia State University

Ohio University

State of New York University (SUNY) at Binghamton

The Rochester School of Music


Past PFF Fellows:

2024-2025

Sarah Jenkins (Howard Univesity) PFF—English

Taj Rollins (Morgan State University) PFF—Psychology

William Johnson (Morgan State University) PFF—History

AJ Lemon (PFF affiliate, University of Southern Mississippi) PFF—Chemistry

2023-2024

Constance Pruitt (Howard University) PFF—Political Science

Kahlil Green (Morgan State University) PFF—Social Work

Tiajuana L. Tillman (Morgan State University) PFF—Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication

Ojo Afolabi (Morgan State University) PFF—History

AJ Lemon (PFF affiliate, Univeristy of Southern Mississippi) PFF—Chemistry


2022-2023

Richard Robinet (LSU) PFF—Geology & Environmental Sciences

Kahlil Green (Morgan State) PFF—College for Health & Behavioral Sciencees

Biruk Haregu (George Mason University) PFF—African, African American and Diaspora Studies Center

Constance Pruitt (Howard University) PFF—Political Science


2021-2022

Benita Dix (Morgan State) PFF—History

Miriam Kilimo (Emory) PFF—Anthropology

Richard Robinet (LSU) PFF—Geology & Environmental Sciences

Benjamin Guerrero (Morgan State) PFF—School of Music


2020-2021

Marcus Wolfe (Morgan State) PFF- Math Education (Middle & Secondary Education)

Benita Dix (Morgan State) PFF- History

Taylor Geyton (Morgan State) PFF- Social Work


2019-2020

Amy Lewis (Michigan State University) PFF-Music

Stephanie Bowles (Georgia State) PFF- Microbiology 

Benita Dix (Morgan State) PFF- History

Marcus Wolfe (Morgan State) PFF- Math

Giselle Hendy (Howard University) PFF- Education


2018-2019

Hatajai Lassiter (Howard University) PFF—Microbiology

Morgan Smalls (Howard University) PFF—School of Media Art and Design (SMAD)

Zaakira Sadrud-Din (Morgan State University) PFF—History

Otis Eldridge (Morgan State) PFF- Leadership 


2017-2018

Dr. Alice Thomas (Howard University) PFF/General Education Visiting Faculty--Sociology

Dr. Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) Postdoctoral Fellow—Math/Education

Zaakira Sadrud-Din (Morgan State University) PFF—History

Liseli Fitzpatrick (Ohio State University) PFF—Religion

Lynn Trice (Howard University) PFF—Political Science

Kenisha Ford (Howard University) PFF—Physics


2016-2017

Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) Postdoctoral Fellow—Math-Education

Bridgette Robinson (Morgan State University) PFF—History

Shaneda Destine (Howard University) PFF—Sociology

Lynn Tice (Howard University) PFF—Political Science


2015-2016

Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) Postdoctoral Fellow—Math-Education

Genesis Alberto (Howard University) PFF—Mathematics & Statistics

Shaunte Montgomery (Howard University) PFF—Writing and Rhetoric

Bridgette Robinson (Morgan State University) PFF—History

Maleka Brown (Howard University) PFF—Psychology


2014-2015

Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) Postdoctoral Fellow—Math Education

Saidat Ilo (Howard University) PFF—Political Science

Tareq Zidan (Howard University) PFF—Social Work (SOWK)

Dana Hammond (Morgan State) PFF—History

Maleka Brown (Howard University) PFF—Psychology


2013-2014

Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) PFF—Math Education

Uchenna Onuzulike (Howard University) PFF—School of Media, Arts and Design (SMAD)

Lynn Washington (Morgan Stare University) Postdoctoral—English

Candice Pitts (Howard University) PFF—English

Anta Sane (Howard University) PFF—Political Science


2012-2013

Andre Nicholson (Howard University) PFF—School of Media, Arts and Design (SMAD)

Tyechia Thompson (Howard University) PFF—English

Nicole Cathey (Howard University) PFF—Political Science

Jemimah Mwakisha (SUNY Binghamton) PFF—School of Media, Arts and Design (SMAD)

Barbara Franklin (Morgan State University) PFF—Math Education


2011-2012

Yvette White (Howard University) PFF—English

Marcus Allen (Morgan State University) PFF—History

Jemimah Mwakisha (SUNY Binghamton) PFF—Communication Studies (SCOM)


2010-2011

John Johnson (Howard University) PFF—Math and Statistics

Gwinyai Muzorewa (Morgan State University) PFF—History at JMU

Jayne Cabbage (Howard University) PFF—School of Media, Arts and Design (SMAD)


2009-2010

Godfrey Vincent (Morgan State University) PFF—History at JMU

Chevon Garrah (Howard University) PFF—School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD-Fall Semester

Adam Kline (Howard University) PFF—School of Media Arts and Design (SMAD-Spring Semester)

 

Additional Information:

For additional information, please contact Dr. David Owusu-Ansah,

Professor of History & Executive Director, Access and Educational Outreach, at owusuadx@jmu.edu

 

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