Led by the College’s Beto & Awards Committee, the Beto Endowed Fellowship is dedicated to the professional development, mentorship of graduate students, outstanding doctoral research and education by a faculty member in the College of Criminal Justice. This two-year appointment gives Dr. Zhang the opportunity to teach and offer professional development opportunities to graduate students through workshops and various activities.
Dr. Zhang, a Professor in the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department, has been teaching and mentoring graduate students for many years prior to the nomination. As the inaugural Beto Fellow, Dr. Zhang plans on organizing a series of lectures and workshops by inviting scholars from across the country to campus to help develop student statistical and research methods skills – skills that are essential during their time in graduate school. Through these workshops and lectures, Dr. Zhang wants to develop a solid foundation for students conducting outstanding research impacting the criminal justice field.
Dr. Zhang was delighted to hear about being nominated for the fellowship, saying, “It is a big honor to be able to work with our graduate students and faculty members to contribute to the program. I am very humbled to be nominated as the first Beto Fellow.”
As the inaugural Beto Fellow, Zhang has the opportunity to impact the future of criminal justice research. Through her workshops and lecture series, she will improve the quality of research that our graduate students conduct during their time in the program. The College of Criminal Justice is excited to welcome Dr. Zhang as the Beto Fellow and looks forward to seeing her influence on the research practices of our students.
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