Director's MessageI am excited to share the fall edition of the Academic Community of Excellence newsletter. It reflects the Office of Intercultural Affairs’ commitment to fostering inclusive excellence in graduate and professional education. It also highlights ACE’s mission of preparing future scholars and practitioners to diversify academia and professional sectors.
This edition captures the scholarly achievements of Phaedra Johnson, a recent inductee into LMU’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. It showcases the conference activities of scholars Cameo Brown, Luis Lopez, and Luisa Valle. Finally, it highlights the collegiate and law school achievements of ACE alum Cleopatra Gray. Their accomplishments not only inspire students of the possibilities and pathways to obtaining an advanced degree, but also illuminate our institutional commitment to the values of graduate diversity and inclusion.
Steven Neal
Director, Academic Community of Excellence
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ACE Scholar Accepted Into Phi Beta Kappa ACE scholar Phaedra Johnson and eight other LMU students were invited to join LMU’s inaugural chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. PBK recognizes exceptional academic achievement in the arts and sciences and is the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society. Phaedra was excited to join a society that aligned with her pursuit of continuous learning and emphasized the betterment of self and the community.
She recalled that being an ACE scholar prepared her for PBK and medical school. Her academic performance, and having twice received ACE’s outstanding academic achievement award, helped distinguish her as a PBK hopeful. She stated that the nature of the ACE program helped to remind and “re-center” her around her goal.
Now a senior, Phaedra has a solidified plan for the future. After graduation, she will prepare her medical school applications, plan for interviews, volunteer at clinics and work to finance medical school. She is exploring medical programs at Cornell, USC, UC Irvine, and NYU.
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Scholar Selected to Attend HACU Conference as a Leader-in-Residence Luisa Valle was selected to attend the Hispanic Association of College and Universities (HACU) annual conference from Oct. 5-7, 2019, in Chicago, IL. The mission of the HACU conference is to champion equity and excellence for Hispanic students in higher education. Luisa was a beneficiary of HACU’s Leader-in-Residence program. She and other students from the U.S. and Puerto Rico received a scholarship to participate in the conference’s student track titled the ¡Adelante! Leadership Institute. The institute consisted of a career leadership and development networking symposium where students attended presentations, workshops, luncheons, a town hall meeting, and met with conference exhibitors and recruiters.
Now back at LMU, Luisa will participate in HACU-sponsored leadership development webinars and serve as a HACU resource to other students. She will lead an information session on HACU internships, scholarships, and other services and assist in increasing student engagement in HACU’s programs and advocacy efforts. Luisa plans to pursue an MBA or attend law school after she graduates from LMU.
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ACE Alum Begins Law School at Cardoza This fall, Cleopatra Gray began her studies at Cardoza School of Law in New York in preparation for her career as an entertainment lawyer. After being exposed to the legal field as an undergraduate, Cleopatra dedicated herself to pursuing prelaw opportunities on campus. Consequently, she founded LMU’s chapter of Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity in which she obtained recruitment, funding, and event planning experience. Also, she applied her skills to an internship at the Bob Woodruff Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting military veterans. Despite her busy schedule balancing academics, work, and extracurricular experiences, Cleopatra graduated from LMU in three years.
To better familiarize herself with the legal profession, after finishing LMU, she worked as a transactional legal assistant at Milbank LLP. Cleopatra cited how ACE not only prepared her for every aspect of the law school application process, but also enabled her to grow as a leader and perfect her time-management skills.
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ACE Scholars Present their Research at the Black Doctoral Network Conference For the third consecutive year, ACE scholars presented their research at the Black Doctoral Network Conference on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, in Newark, NJ. As its website states, “the Black Doctoral Network is a bridge leader, creating paths between scholars, disciplines, and academic universities all while it serves as an invaluable connection between higher education and the community at large.” Sophomores Cameo Brown and Luis Lopez participated in the undergraduate research poster competition.
Cameo’s research examined fear as a perpetual roadblock for gay liberation and the LGBTQ community. It looked at fear through the lens of molly houses and balls. Luis' research examined L.A. County voters’ assessment of the county's previous voting system as a means to offer insight into how the new vote center model could optimize the electoral experience and increase turnout. Cameo’s graduate school and career plans will include forensic psychology or criminal profiling. Luis will pursue a graduate degree in public policy or political management and subsequently, a career in politics, national security, or data analysis.
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