Institute for Recruitment of Teachers

IRT Welcomes New Cohort

We are excited to announce that the 2023 IRT Cohort has been finalized and programming has begun! Working with a new group of scholars is always exciting and this year is no exception. We welcome those scholars who are new to IRT in 2023 and welcome back our seasoned scholars who are working with IRT again to further advance their academic opportunities.

I am writing to express my gratitude and excitement for being selected to participate in the 2023 IRT Cohort. I am honored to have been given this opportunity to receive support and guidance as I pursue advanced study and work towards addressing social justice issues in education and beyond.
Akweley Mazarae Lartey, IRT ’23

Everything Happens in Time

Ogechi Irondi, IRT ’20

In my culture names have meanings that oftentimes become what you strive to do within your life or, in some cases, who you become. My name, Ogechi, means “in God’s timing”. Outside of religion and spiritual belief, my name reflects what we all know: we cannot control when or how things happen in our lives. I have been intentional in living up to my name by letting go, leaning into uncertainty, and taking things day-by-day. My PhD journey is one that very much follows this idea. I first applied to doctoral programs in 2015 when I was a 5^th grade teacher. At that time, I did not know why I wanted to pursue a doctorate only that I should. I was running from a challenging work environment into what I thought was the obvious next step after reviewing a master’s degree. Thankfully, I was unanimously rejected from every school I applied to. Though I was heartbroken, I was given time to figure out what I wanted, what I was passionate about, why I cared, and what I wanted to do when I left the classroom. It was in those years that I truly developed and understood my “why”. Then, in 2020, during a global pandemic, I applied again. This time, I was accepted into two universities: one that I wanted and the one that I needed.

Ogechi Irondi, IRT ’20

NCORE New Orleans May 30 – June 3

35th Annual National Conference on Race & Ethnicity (NCORE) on Higher Education

IRT Associate Director and Manager of Programs Catherine Wong, IRT Arts and Sciences Specialist Brittany Zorn, IRT ’13, and IRT Education Specialist Leislie Godo-Solo, IRT ’91 presented at NCORE in New Orleans earlier this month.

What is NCORE?
According to it’s website – “the conference series constitutes the leading and most comprehensive national forum on issues of race and ethnicity in higher education. The conference focuses on the complex task of creating and sustaining comprehensive institutional change. This change work is designed to improve racial and ethnic relations and their intersections with other issues and groups on campus. The conference speakers and sessions offer strategies for expanding educational access and success for diverse, traditionally underrepresented populations.”

IRT Virtual Summer Workshop 2023

The IRT Summer Workshop in July focuses on advancing scholars preparedness for graduate school and a career thereafter through an equity-centered curriculum. The IRT has planned a series of virtual events with the consortium, alumni, and summer faculty and has adapted the curriculum for online engagement.

Alongside professional and academic skill development, alumni panels, and advising webinars, scholars also will have first-hand access to IRT Consortium graduate school deans, staff, and faculty via the virtual IRT Recruiter’s Fair held during the middle of the month.

Make Your Impact at the IRT!

Since 1990, over 400 alumni have secured doctoral degrees, and over 1,000 have earned Master’s degrees, through the IRT. The program is able to advance this critical work and guide its talented scholars thanks to donor support—contributions from its alumni, partners, and friends. Please consider making a gift to the IRT this fiscal year, ending June 30, and impact the next generation of diverse educators. Your gift—of any size—truly makes a difference. To make a donation, please use the QR code below or visit this link. Thank you!