About the PFFOC Conference

February 23-24, 2024

Conference Coordinator

Janice D. Hamlet, Ph.D.
Associate Vice Provost, Faculty Mentoring and Diversity

Conference Advisory Committee

Northern Illinois University

• Shondra Clay, Ph.D., College of Health, and Human Sciences
• Simone Weffer, Ph.D., College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sundiata Djata, Ph.D., College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Laura Vazquez, Ph.D., College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Natalie Young, Ed.D., College of Education

Northwestern University

• Dawn Brown, PT, DPT, Ed.D., Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences

Harper College

• Tamara Johnson, Ph.D., Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

University of Illinois – Chicago

• Lunaire Ford, Ph.D., Assistant Dean of Diversity, Graduate College

Mission

The mission of the Preparing Future Faculty of Color Conference is to increase representation, equity, and inclusiveness of historically underrepresented groups in higher education by preparing graduate students of color in Illinois institutions for faculty careers.

“I think programs like this are necessary and it really ensures that graduate students of color understand the step-by-step process to joining the professoriate.”

- 2019 conference participant

History

The Preparing Future Faculty of Color Conference was created at Northern Illinois University in 2015 in response to the increasing attention focused on the lack of faculty diversity in our nation’s institutions of higher learning. The conference was also initially created to provide a way to inform recipients of the Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education in Illinois (DFI) Fellowship about the professoriate as a viable career path and to inspire them to pursue it. Beginning with DFI recipients, the conference is now open to any graduate students of color interested in pursuing or wanting to know about the professoriate as a gratifying career path.