Center News

Jessica McCane smiling at the camera with a backdrop of ivy.
April 22, 2025

Get to Know Kearns Center Academic Coach Jessica McCane

If you come into the David T. Kearns Center on any given day, you will likely find the door to Jessica McCane’s office open with a sign that reads “everyone is welcome here.” If you take a step into her office, you’ll find a space filled with color and art, and bright lamp light—making her office a warm and inviting place to visit.

Picture of Ben Godfrey standing outside on the University of Rochester campus
December 29, 2023

Welcoming New Kearns Center Pre-College Team Member, Ben Godfrey

The David T. Kearns Center is pleased to welcome a new member to the pre-college programs team. Ben Godfrey started at the end of November as an academic advisor and is working primarily with high school students at East High School in the Rochester City School District (RCSD). Director of the Kearns Center Dr. Miguel Baique is excited to welcome Godfrey to the team. “Ben brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in youth and community outreach and engagement programs and services that will benefit the pre-college division in the Kearns Center. Having only been in the role for a short period of time, I already see how he is acclimating to the team, his post at East High School, and his work with the TRIO Educational Talent Search (ETS) program.”

An exterior view of the Wilson Commons building with some students walking by.
November 8, 2023

Celebrating First-Generation Student Success at the University of Rochester

Doing anything for the first time can be scary, but it can be especially anxiety producing when you are the first in your family to do it. For all first-year college students, the college experience is a new one, but for first-generation college students, the college experience can hold a lot more weight. “To me, being first-gen means having to support myself and jumping through hoops others don’t have to,” says University of Rochester (UR) junior and McNair Scholar Dariel Guerra.

A stack of promotional t-shirts sitting on a table.
October 31, 2023

University of Rochester Celebrates First-Generation College Students During ‘First-Gen Week’

This November, colleges and universities across the country, including the University of Rochester (UR), will recognize First-Generation College Celebration (FGCC) day. Launched in 2017 by the Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) and the Center for First-Generation Student Success, FGCC day is an opportunity to share and celebrate first-gen experiences and achievements nationally. The day is intentionally celebrated on November 8, to commemorate the passage of the Higher Education Act signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965. COE and the Center for First Generation Student Success hope institutions and organizations use the date to highlight and recognize first-gen students, while also encouraging communities to gain a better understanding of the systemic barriers plaguing higher education, according to their websites. UR will not only celebrate students on November 8 but will host a series of events for First-Gen Week: November 6-10.

A group of University of Rochester students at a poster session.
September 27, 2023

Partnerships, New and Old, Fostered Through Summer Programs at The University of Rochester

Opportunities for research at the University of Rochester (UR) continue to get ‘Ever Better’ – that was particularly true this past summer when a new partnership between the University, North Carolina A&T State University (NCA&T) and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, brought four students to campus to engage in summer research. Those four students joined dozens of other students on campus doing research in different summer programs, including the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) programs and the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program.

Headshot of Miguel Baique.
March 13, 2023

Please welcome our new director Miguel Baique!

Miguel Baique '21W (EdD) has been named the director of the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity effective March 13. He will manage the day-to-day operations of the center, supervise all staff, and focus on strengthening the center’s support of first-generation, low-income, and underrepresented students. Beth Olivares continues in her role as executive and founding director of the center; together Miguel and Beth will develop a strategic vision for the center’s next decades.