CRL’s Cota Robles / Doris Duke (CRDD) program enhances support for historically underrepresented graduate students by fostering inclusive excellence in graduate mentoring, improving external funding and other support for graduate students, and creating a culturally sustaining environment where such students can thrive.

Program Leadership

Program Director, Lorato Anderson, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies

Program Description

CRL’s Cota Robles / Doris Duke (CRDD) program enhances support for historically underrepresented graduate students by fostering inclusive excellence in graduate mentoring, improving external funding and other support for graduate students, and creating a culturally sustaining environment where such students can thrive. In so doing, this program reduces barriers to retention of some of the most excellent graduate student scholars on our campus.

Our pilot program offers cohorted training and professional development programs, supporting individuals in grant writing, hosting several holistic skill development workshops and community building events each quarter, and working with all fellows individually to identify and refine their own goals through individual development plans (IDPs). In doing so, we are developing training pathways for diverse emerging leaders to creatively reimagine what scholarly excellence looks like within the university and beyond.

The program supported twenty two graduate students across three divisions: Physical and Biological Sciences, Engineering, and Social Sciences. The Graduate Division has signaled support for this expansion and CRL is supporting them in raising extramural funds to institutionalize and expand the program at UCSC to support all five divisions.