The McKnight Fellowship Program is a state-wide program administered through the Florida Education Fund (FEF). The program is designed to address the under-representation of African American and Hispanic faculty at colleges and universities in the state of Florida by increasing the pool of citizens qualified with Ph.D. degrees to teach at the college and university level. As a by-product, it is expected that employment opportunities in industry will also be expanded. The McKnight Doctoral Fellowship provides up to five years of funding support for newly enrolled African American and Hispanic graduate students who intend to seek a Ph.D. degree. The McKnight Dissertation Fellowship provides up to one year of stipend support to graduate students working to complete dissertations.
This page contains a list of past Fellows. Current fellows can be found here. *McKnight Dissertation Fellows.
2023-2024 Doctoral Fellows
Counseling Psychology and School Psychology
"Representation matters. Knowledge creates understanding"
Ecology and Evolution
"To improve myself professionally and personally"
Applied and Computational Mathematics
"Create change and expand in knowledge"
Counseling Psychology and School Psychology
"Our future needs research-based solutions"
Higher Education
"Education is the bridge to opportunity"
Business
"Research, intellectual challenge, and lifelong learning"
Developmental Psychology
"A graduate degree is essential for the advancement of knowledge"
Creative Writing
"Passion, service, mountain, life, love, peace, achievement"
Biomedical Sciences
"Breaking barriers, shaping new horizons ahead"
Mathematics Education
"Expand your mind and professional reach"
Dissertation Fellows
Communication Sciences and Disorders
"Graduate degrees give voices to underrepresented populations"
2022-2023
Biomedical Sciences
"Representation and access to healthcare matter"
Higher Education
"Builds bridges to help others cross"
Higher Education
"Become the representation in Higher Education!"
Computational Science
"Acquiring knowledge comes in many forms"
Communication Science & Disorders
"Your insight can help improve outcomes"
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
"Increase Minority Representation in STEM Careers"
Curriculum and Instruction
"Knowledge. Impact. Service. Experience. Advocacy. Access"
Dissertation Fellows
Criminology
"Educates the minds of future scholars"
2021-2022
Education Policy and Evaluation
"Black woman representation in academia matters"
Finance
"Education positively impacts future generations"
Ecology and Evolution
"Continual education growth and societal advancement"
Communication Science & Disorders
"We need more diversity in academia"
Sport Psychology
"Opportunities for expert development and credibility"
Biomedical Sciences
"A path to improving our world."
Dissertation Fellows
- Victor Kasper, Curriculum and Instruction (Education)
- Chélynn Randolph, Marriage and Family Therapy (Arts & Sciences)
- Brittany Brewster, Higher Education (Education)
- Jeremy George, Music Education (Music)
2020-2021
Biomedical Science
"Bringing the world to new heights."
English - Creative Writing
"Learning is more exciting than settling."
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
"Knowledge, Credibility, Desire, Change Agent, Impact"
English - Creative Writing
"What is true persists and prevails."
2019-2020
Developmental Psychology
Developing research to change children's lives."
Marriage & Family Therapy
"I am worth it. Endless possibilities."
Educational Psychology & Learning Systems
"Freedom to boundlessly serve students."
Higher Education
"Higher education can change the world."
2019-2020 Dissertation Fellows
- Jesse Ford, Higher Education (Education)
- Ryan Aguirre, Music Education (Music)
- Shanice Jones, Social Science & Public Policy (Urban & Regional Planning)
2018-2019
Curriculum & Instruction
"This is a pivotal stepping stone."
Developmental Psychology
"Committed to enhancing my scholarly abilities."
Higher Education
"Answer to my immigrant family’s prayers."
2017-2018
Neuroscience
"Knowledge revolutionizes my world and other's."
Accounting
"Be passionately curious about your environment."
Dissertation Fellows
- Genevieve Bell, Neuroscience (Arts and Sciences)
- Pablo Correa , School of Communication (Communication and Information)
- Reginald Harris, Management (Business)
- Joel Mendez, Urban and Regional Planning (Social Sciences and Public Policy)
- Lakeisha Norton, School of Teacher Education (Education)
- Cocoa Williams, English (Arts and Sciences)
2016-2017
Psychology
"Empowering self. Inspiring Hope. Awakening dreams."
Family and Child Sciences
"You must inspire before you expire."
Malcolm McCray
Chemistry
"I just want to learn more."
Science Education
"Supporting others supports us in turn."
Dissertation Fellows
- Ashley Carter, Nutrition & Food Science (Human Sciences)
- Yolanda Franklin, English (Arts & Sciences)
- Jordyn Rosario, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Jenay Sermon, Higher Education (Education)
- Caroline Bailey, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Danisha Baker*, Statistics (Arts & Sciences)
- Kaleena Burkes*, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Pierce Dignam, Sociology (Social Sciences & Public Policy)
- Kevin Elliot*, Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Vladimir Geneus*, Statistics (Arts & Sciences)
- Diane Lawong, Business Administration (Business)
- Clausell Mathis, School of Teacher Education (Education)
- Dunwoody Mirvil, Music (Music)
- Inger Daniels, Finance (Business)
- Kidane Dashew, Neuroscience (Arts & Sciences)
- Joshua Degraff, Industrial Engineering (Engineering)
- Gary Gramajo, Statistics (Arts & Sciences)
- Felicia Griffin, Statistics (Arts & Sciences)
- Sherelle Harmon, Clinical Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Amber Kinsey*, Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences (Human Sciences)
- Sherrina Lofton, Sport Management (Education)
- Heather Maranges, Social Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Jessica Martinez*, Biological Sciences (Arts & Sciences)
- Alyssa Rose, Chemistry (Arts & Sciences)
- Caroline Silva*, Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Connie Tenorio, Biomedical Sciences (College of Medicine)
- Lenzi Williams*, Chemistry (Arts & Sciences)
- Lyonna Alcantara, Neuroscience (Arts & Sciences)
- Jeffrey Anderson, Marketing (Business)
- Miltonette Craig, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Eve Humphrey, Biology (Arts & Sciences)
- Rasheda Haughbrook, Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Joaquin Vaca, Mechanical Engineering (Engineering)
- Sidney Anderson, Marketing (Business)
- Yonatan Binyam, Religion (Arts & Sciences)
- Nefertiti Gaudig-Puplampu, Educational Psychology and Learning Systems (Education)
- Esther Spencer, English (Arts & Sciences)
- Tamara Stephens, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Nathalia Borden, Political Science (Social Sciences & Public Policy)
- Jesus Chavarria, Psychology (Arts & Sciences)
- Marcus Elam, Nutrition & Food Science (Human Sciences)
- Janelle Jennings-Alexander, English (Arts & Sciences)
- Timothy Jones, Finance (Business)
- Ashley Sanders, Mathematics (Arts & Sciences)
- Sharde Smith, Family & Child Sciences (Human Sciences)
- Maydalis Torres, Mathematics (Arts & Sciences)
- Ira Wheaton, Industrial Engineering (Engineering)
- David Grasso, Askew School of Public Administration (Social Sciences & Public Policy)
- Cresean Hughes, Criminology (Criminology and Criminal Justice)
- Brandon Reese, Mechanical Engineering (Engineering)