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DeJanae Harges ’26 and a student who has chosen to remain anonymous attended the 36th annual conference, which drew approximately 5,500 participants.

In an outstanding achievement, Harges and her fellow DEIB intern were selected as 2024 Dick Hilbert Student Scholar Program recipients by NCORE from more than 130 applicants and 30 finalists. The Lake Forest duo was among the few undergraduate students chosen for this honor.

Opportunity to present research

At the conference, the two shared impactful presentations they researched and presented as part of the internship experience: “For Us, By Us: A Synergistic Framework for Developing and Implementing DEIB Initiatives” and “Exploring Authentic Visibility of Black Undergraduate Students.”

The DEIB Fellows Internship program, is a part of OIR’s broader belonging initiatives focused on financial and social empowerment for Black and Undocumented students, respectively. The complete list of OIR’s belonging initiatives is set to launch officially in Fall 2024. Developed in collaboration with the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center, this internship program offers students transformational opportunities to engage in research, develop, and implement best practices for DEIB on campus.

“Their findings will ultimately contribute to expanding educational access and success for traditionally underrepresented populations,” Heard said.

The annual NCORE conference is renowned as the leading national forum on race and ethnicity in higher education, offering a comprehensive platform for institutional change. The five-day event featured insightful sessions, networking opportunities, and community engagement, all aimed at improving racial and ethnic relations and promoting inclusion on campuses nationwide.

“We are proud of our DEIB Fellows and their contributions to this vital cause, and we look forward to the continued success of our DEIB Initiatives,” Villavicencio said.