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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
