Hilal Yalcin has been selected to serve as a Graduate Fellow for the American Council of Education’s 2026 Elective Classification for Community Engagement Cycle. This program, supported by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is designed to assess information from applicant universities seeking Carnegie classification as community engaged institutions.

This Fellowship offers a unique professional development opportunity as Fellows will be engaged in the first step of the peer review process for this Carnegie Elective Classification and will work in teams of three to support peer reviewers as they evaluate 8-10 applications. Fellow responsibilities will include scheduling group review meetings, drafting meeting minutes, reviewing and editing feedback documentation, and contributing to discussions concerning the merits of applications.

This program is designed to enhance Fellows' networks and to build their capacity to serve as peer reviewers in future cycles. Additionally, Fellows will gain valuable exposure to community-engaged scholarship and teaching, equipping them with skills to support institutional and community collaborations effectively. The Fellowship will commence with training in February, and peer reviews will occur from May-August.

Hilal is very much looking forward to this opportunity:

“I'm honored to have been selected as one of the 25 Graduate Fellows for this Cohort,” Yalcin said. “I'm excited to connect with other graduate students and to learn more about proposal application processes and peer reviewing.”

IPG Associate Director of Research and Organizational Innovation Cecily Rodriguez believes this opportunity will help Hilal address her professional goals:

“I am thrilled to celebrate Hilal’s acceptance into the American Council of Education’s 2026 Elective Classification for Community Engagement Cycle! This program aligns with Hilal's desire to foster meaningful engagement and to explore creative ways to make a positive impact in the world. "

Institute Director Max Stephenson Jr. observed,

“This represents a terrific opportunity for Hilal to build her understanding of community engaged research and teaching, even as she is exposed to a wide array of such approaches and initiatives occurring across the country. I look forward to her sharing what she learns with all of us at the Institute since IPG is involved in a great deal of community based inquiry.”

Hilal is based in our Richmond office, where she supports sponsored programs, event coordination, procurement, communications and social media, and fiscal support. She is currently pursuing a master’s in public administration degree, which she expects to complete in Spring 2027.

Congratulations Hilal! 

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