CSDE Winter 2025 Lecture

Irene Bloemraad (Univ. of British Columbia) & Jenny Van Hook (Penn State Univ.)

How do we nurture a creative, vibrant and skilled new generation of researchers? And how do we accomplish this while also plugging the “leaky” pipeline that sees a disproportionate number of women and people of color leave academia across the educational trajectory?[1] We draw on our time organizing and running the Summer Institute for Migration Research Methods (2018-2024) to share our experiences. We found that centering migration research as the core topic of the Institute avoided disciplinary and methodological silos. The Institute was deeply interdisciplinary and capacious in valuing a range of data and methods. Having migration research as the focus allowed participants to build real breadth in their knowledge, and also stretch their creativity and create a sense of community. Participants learned skills, they practiced research design, they engaged in frank conversations about navigating research careers, and they found social support for their work and struggles. An overview of the Summer Institute and lessons learned will be provided.