From Access to Achievement: Engaging and Empowering Students on the Path to Research and Graduate School

Abstract

The Gopher Grad Initiative (GGI), created by CEHD’s TRIO McNair Scholars Program, is a coalition of professionals and University resources. GGI conducts workshops tailored to the needs of first-generation, Pell-eligible, and traditionally overlooked students, aiming to expose them to research engagement and graduate school opportunities. GGI transforms structures and systems to engage students in research and prepare them for graduate school. This initiative reimagines higher education partnerships to demystify the graduate school process, dismantle hidden curricula, and support students' post-baccalaureate pursuits. GGI is accessible to college students across the state participating in TRIO-like programs committed to maintaining an open pipeline to undergraduate research opportunities and graduate school. This poster will share the unique challenges and opportunities GGI has addressed over the past four years, along with a projected path for the future.