The Office of Multicultural Affairs hosts the 15th annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony on Friday, Oct. 12, starting at 4 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel. Campus community members are invited to attend the ceremony to honor the WellsLink Scholars from the previous year who have successfully transitioned through the WellsLink Leadership Program and into their second year at Syracuse University. WellsLink is a nationally recognized academic excellence and leadership program for first-year students of color at Syracuse University.
Shaun R. Harper
“The Transition Ceremony is always a joyous celebration of our WellsLink Scholars’ accomplishments, as well as an opportunity to reflect on the incredible network on campus supporting our students’ success,” says Huey Hsiao, associate director in the Office of Multicultural Affairs and leader of the WellsLink Leadership Program. “Our WellsLink Scholars leverage every opportunity through the WellsLink Leadership Program and go on to excel inside and outside the classroom throughout their time at Syracuse. It’s always an honor to celebrate their achievements each year.”
The ceremony will feature a keynote from Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D., with a book signing and reception to follow. Harper is a Provost Professor in the Rossier School of Education and the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. He also is the Clifford and Betty Allen Chair in Urban Leadership, founder and executive director of the USC Race and Equity Center, and immediate past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education.
A nationally recognized scholar and researcher, Harper’s research focuses primarily on race, gender and other dimensions of equity in an array of organizational contexts, including K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and corporate environments. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and other academic publications, and received more than $13 million in research grants. Johns Hopkins University Press is publishing his 13th book, “Race Matters in College.” His research has been cited in more than 8,000 published studies. The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education, and over 11,000 news outlets have quoted Harper and featured his research, and he has interviewed on CNN, ESPN, and NPR.
Harper has been recognized in Education Week as one of the 10 most influential professors in the field of education. He spent a decade on the University of Pennsylvania faculty, where he founded the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education.
For more information about the 15th annual WellsLink Transitions Ceremony, contact Hsiao at huhsiao@syr.edu.
The WellsLink Leadership Program Class of 2021
