2023 Schedule

We hope that our graduate community leaves the symposium feeling not just a great sense of belonging in the Princeton community but also empowered, inspired, and celebrated!

Schedule of Events

8:00 am8:45 am
Registration and Breakfast Begin
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
9:00 am9:10 am
Opening Plenary and Welcome Remarks by Joseph Lewis
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts
Speakers
Joseph L. Lewis, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Access, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Symposium Leadership
Speaker
9:10 am10:00 am
Community Connections in Academia
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts

Often, we take for granted the importance of building connections and cultivating a sense of community in graduate school life. While a fruitful and vital endeavor, creating and sustaining a sense of connection and community can be challenging. In our hope to speak to these challenges, we will discuss strategies and practices we use to build a…

Speakers
Lorgia García Peña, Ph.D.
Mellon Professor and Chair of the Department in Studies of Race, Colonialism and Diaspora
Tufts University | Princeton University starting Fall 2023
Speaker
Theresa S. Thames, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Religious Life and of the Chapel
Princeton University
Speaker
Vanessa Gonzalez
Graduate Scholars Program (GSP) Fellow, 5th Year, Molecular Biology
Diversity Fellows 2023
Diversity Fellows 2024
Moderator
10:00 am10:15 am
BREAK
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
10:15 am11:15 am
“Getting Unstuck: Cultivating Your Writing Practice” Workshop
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts

Do you find yourself caught in unhelpful writing patterns but unable to stop them? Perhaps you long to recover your love for your work and cultivate a more joyful relationship with your writing. This workshop will explain why writing is so challenging, especially for junior scholars, and describe how connecting with others through…

Speakers
Michelle Boyd, Ph.D.
Scholar | Writer | Audio Producer | Founder of InkWell Academic Writing Retreats
InkWell Academic Writing Retreats
Speaker
Mélena Laudig
5th Year, Religion
Diversity Fellows 2023
Diversity Fellows 2024
Moderator
11:15 am11:30 am
BREAK
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
11:30 am12:30 pm
Crossing Cultures: Seeing and Being Yourself in the Academy Panel
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts

Feeling a sense of belonging in graduate school is essential. However, sometimes we think we must mask our identities to belong. To this, we explore the following question: how do you feel a sense of self and belonging while constantly proving to others that you belong? In our hope to answer this question, we will discuss experiences and…

Speakers
Jennifer M. Morton, '02, Ph.D.
Presidential Penn Compact Associate Professor of Philosophy
University of Pennsylvania
Speaker
Shamus Khan, Ph.D.
Willard Thorp Professor of Sociology and American Studies | Graduate Director
Princeton University
Speaker
Seraya Jones Nelson
3rd Year, Molecular Biology
Diversity Fellows 2023
Diversity Fellows 2024
Moderator
12:30 pm1:30 pm
LUNCH
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
1:30 pm2:30 pm
Excellence, Culture, and Connection: a Keynote Fireside Chat with Salamishah Tillet
Location
Wallace Theater, Lewis Center for the Arts

How do we chart unique courses through the academy that reaffirm our commitments to self and culture?  Salamishah Tillet will join us in a fireside chat to share her journey from Ivy League graduate student to professor and celebrated change agent in academia and beyond via her work with socially-conscious arts projects that create…

Speakers
Salamishah Tillet, Ph.D.
2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for Criticism | Henry Rutgers Professor of Creative Writing and Africana Studies | Executive Director of Express Newark
Rutgers University – Newark
Keynote
Nova Smith
Assistant Director of Diversity Initiatives
Symposium Leadership
Speaker
2:30 pm2:45 pm
BREAK
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
2:45 pm3:45 pm
Insights on the Academy: Cultivating the Career of your Choice Panel
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts

We often take for granted the importance of building connections and cultivating a sense of community when searching for the right career. However, much of the success in finding the right career involves navigating the hidden curriculum of the job market. In our discussion, we consider the importance of community as we unearth the hidden…

Speakers
Sonja A. Francis, Ph.D.
Director of General Chemistry Teaching Laboratories | Lecturer in Chemistry
Princeton University
Panelist
Alejandro Rodriguez, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering | Director of Program in Materials Science and Engineering
Princeton University
Panelist
Frederick F. Wherry *04, Ph.D.
Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion in the Office of the Dean of Faculty | Director of the Presidential Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program | Townsend Martin, Class of 1917 Professor of Sociology
Princeton University
Panelist
Angelika Joseph
4th Year, Architecture
Diversity Fellows 2023
Diversity Fellows 2024
Moderator
3:45 pm4:00 pm
IA Closing Remarks and Reflections
Location
Lee Performance Room, Lewis Center for the Arts

Creating an environment where everyone can thrive depends on building and maintaining the strength and resilience of every community. In our closing remarks and open forum discussion, we welcome attendees to share their thoughts on topics covered in the symposium. Our conversation relies on the premise that creating belonging and building a…

Speakers
Sarah Mullins
Assistant Director of Recruitment and Community Engagement
Symposium Leadership
Speaker
4:00 pm4:45 pm
IA Symposium Closing Reception
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
4:45 pm5:00 pm
BADI Awards Welcome Remarks, Dean Priestley
Location
Wallace Theater, Lewis Center for the Arts
Speakers
Rod Priestley, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School
Princeton University
Host
Speaker
5:00 pm6:00 pm
Keynote Fireside Chat: Cultivating Culture and Connection
A Conversation with Common
Location
Wallace Theater, Lewis Center for the Arts

Over the years, award-winning rapper, activist and actor, Common, has dedicated countless hours and been deeply engaged in social justice and advocacy work around mass incarceration, mental health and voting. After the success and impact of his Imagine Justice concert in 2017 and his Hope & Redemption Tour to eight different prisons, Common…

Speakers
Common
Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar-winning Artist | Author | Activist
Keynote
Joseph L. Lewis, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean for Access, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Symposium Leadership
Speaker
6:00 pm6:30 pm
BADI Awards Reception
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts
6:30 pm8:00 pm
BADI Awards Ceremony
Location
The Forum, Lewis Center for the Arts

The BADI awards will honor and celebrate faculty, staff, post-docs, and graduate students who have made significant impacts in the Princeton graduate student community around diversity and inclusion.  We are proud to shine a much-deserved light on the efforts of our exemplary graduate students as well as those dedicated to uplifting them.…