September 15, 2022
2022 Copeland Fellows announced
The College of Business has found its next cohort of the Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellows.
The 2022 Copeland Fellows include:
- Kadyn Pleasants, management
- Lauren Humann, entrepreneurship, EC Scholar
- Andrea Knight, management, Honors College
- Rodney Bonilla Gonzalez, marketing and supply chain management
- Caitlin Kysar, hospitality management
- Neeraj Mehra, entrepreneurship, Honors College
- Tiphany Watson, marketing
- Logan Mitscherlich, finance
For the fellowship, the eight new fellows will participate in a comprehensive program that celebrates and encourages a culture of diversity and inclusion. They will immerse themselves in an extensive range of programming that includes multicultural experiences outside the classrooms and a celebration of the diverse experiences found in the COB body of students.
The Copeland Fellows will be required to participate in diversity and inclusion-related events for four semesters. They will each close out the experience by working on a project to demonstrate what they have learned while participating in the program.
10-15 hours will be required for each semester.
Words of Advice
Evelyn Gonzalez is an inaugural Copeland Fellow who just entered her second year of the fellowship. Since August last year, she has made the most of the opportunity.
“It was an honor to represent the university and promote awareness of diversity, inclusion and equity,” said Gonzalez. “It was exciting because I was part of the first cohort, which allowed us to set the pathways for the Copeland Fellows. One of the things that I enjoyed during my first year was attending many events within and outside the university. We were able to meet with many peers and connect with them. One of my favorite events was a conference I went to in Washington, DC. I could connect with other Hispanic students and talk about the challenges we face in our country. We talked about what it meant to be Hispanic and how we are the future of this country. They allowed us to share our voices and help promote change within our community.”
For the second Copeland Fellows cohort, Gonzalez has words of wisdom that could prove valuable.
“Learning about diversity, inclusion, and equity is challenging and a sensitive subject to many,” says Gonzalez. “Being a minority, my peers talked about the struggles my community and I face. It was hard talking about these things because these are personal struggles. However, you must learn to listen and have an open heart to make a change. I am thankful that this program has allowed me to attend events that teach me about making an inclusive environment.”
In Feb. 2020, the College of Business announced the new Copeland Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship program. The program is possible thanks to a generous commitment from COB alumni Mark & Tracy Copeland.
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