Students Celebrate EOF Month with Yale Conference

By Brett Pulliam
Executive Director for Educational Opportunity and Student Success Program

In November 2021, Governor Murphy signed legislation that designates April of each year as “Educational Opportunity Fund Month” in New Jersey. The Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) is a statewide access and opportunity program for residents of the state of New Jersey, who come from financially and academically challenged backgrounds.

Even through the challenges and complexities associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the EOF Program continued its commitment to ensuring EOF scholars are engaged in activities that will promote academic and professional opportunities.

One of those opportunities, the annual Edward A. Bouchet Conference, was established by the prestigious Yale University in Connecticut. Also known as the Yale Bouchet Conference, this event immerses doctoral and undergraduate students in the various fields of research. The conference also attracts students interested in administration and teaching.

The Yale Bouchet Conference introduces EOF students to the world of research, encouraging students to engage in undergraduate research while giving them an opportunity to talk with doctoral candidates who attend from Research I Institutions. This year’s conference featured a variety of concurrent sessions focused on transitioning career paths, chronic diseases, race relations and social movements. These topics proved relevant to our students as they navigated their undergraduate careers.

Ruth Ovil, a Stockton University EOF-Atlantic City sophomore, described her participation in the conference as positive.

“Participating in the Yale Bouchet Conference was a great experience as it opened up interesting and vital topics to participants and allowed me to learn more about conducting research for when I go to do so myself in the future," Ovil said.  

One of the main tenets of the Stockton’s EOF Program is to prepare scholars for post-graduate career and educational opportunities. Valerie Hayes, chief officer of Stockton’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, encouraged EOF scholars to consider research and teaching careers.

“There are so many role models in our faculty who are accessible and supportive of students,” Hayes said. “There are so many of our faculty engaged in undergraduate research, and opportunities abound for students to discover research through their academic studies here.”

One of those role models includes Michelle Nearon, senior associate dean at Yale University. Nearon oversees the Yale Bouchet Conference presentations and, according to Hayes, is another pillar of support for Stockton EOF students who are interested in the field of research.

“Dean Michelle Nearon, whose academic background is aerospace engineering, is very supportive of our students,” Hayes said. “She has not rejected a single research proposal submitted by our students for presentation at the conference, which is a testament to the education and support our students receive from our faculty every day.”

The EOF Program at Stockton University is a comprehensive academic support services program that provides students with much-needed resources, such as financial support, and uses a holistic approach to student needs through advising. Both aspects are integral components to student success in post-secondary education.