By Diana Garcia
The Center for Research on Expanding Educational Opportunity (CREEO) at UC Berkeley is proud to welcome its second cohort of Visiting Scholars—four tenure-track faculty members from across the country who will spend this summer in residence advancing research, refining scholarly work, and building community.
Designed specifically for faculty at Research 2 (R2) and Research Colleges and Universities (RCUs), which are institutions that play a critical role in educating diverse student populations but often have fewer research resources. The program creates a unique opportunity for scholars to engage deeply in research at a Research 1 (R1) institution like UC Berkeley.
The CREEO Visiting Scholars Program offers a fully funded, one-month summer residency at UC Berkeley. Scholars work alongside Associate Professor Travis J. Bristol and the CREEO research team on collaborative projects while also receiving dedicated time to advance their own scholarship in preparation for tenure and promotion. To ensure full access and inclusion, the program provides a living allowance and covers travel and housing, removing financial and logistical barriers that often limit access to these opportunities.
“We’ve started to think about this work less as professional development and more as reparative infrastructure,” said Jacquelyn Ollison, Director of CREEO. “Not just offering opportunity, but actively removing barriers. That means financial support, housing and travel assistance, access to R1 spaces, and holistic supports that acknowledge the realities faculty are navigating, especially in the current climate.”
Building on a Growing Model
The Visiting Scholars Program builds on a successful inaugural cohort launched in summer 2024, which brought together scholars from institutions including Morehouse College, Talladega College, The City College of New York, and The University of the West Indies (learn more about Cohort 1 here). Insights from that first cohort informed the design of this year’s program, strengthening its emphasis on mentorship, protected writing time, and collaborative scholarship.
The program’s cohort-based model fosters a strong intellectual community, where scholars engage in weekly meetings, share feedback on research and writing, and build lasting professional networks that extend beyond the summer.
A National Community of Scholars
The selection committee, comprising Professors Dana Alexandra Miller-Cotto, Özge Hacıfazlıoğlu, and Eos Trinidad utilized a rigorous process to select the 2026 cohort. The members of the Visiting Scholars Cohort 2 are:
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Dr. Stephany Cuevas, Assistant Professor, Chapman University
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Dr. Shawn S. Savage, Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington
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Dr. Lizette Navarrete-Burks, Assistant Professor, University of Northern Colorado
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Dr. Richard Warren Jr., Professor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Each scholar was drawn to CREEO not only for the opportunity to advance their research, but for the community and support structure it provides.
“I was drawn to the CREEO Visiting Scholars Program because of its deep commitment to expanding educational opportunity in ways that closely align with my own research and values,” said Dr. Stephany Cuevas. “This opportunity gives me dedicated time and intellectual community to sharpen my work and think more expansively about how research can inform equity-driven change.”
For Dr. Lizette Navarrete-Burks, the program also affirms the value of diverse academic pathways.
“As a first-generation scholar in the United States, a former K–12 practitioner, and a faculty member at an R2 university, my journey to the tenure track has been shaped by experiences that are often undervalued in traditional academic spaces, but I view them as core strengths,” she shared. “This opportunity both affirms and reframes those experiences, and I’m excited to engage with a community that recognizes and actively supports the richness of diverse scholarly pathways.”
Bridging Research, Policy, and Practice
For scholars like Dr. Shawn S. Savage, the program represents a rare and meaningful investment in faculty at R2 and RCU institutions.
“This is a rare national initiative investing in tenure-track scholars at R2 and RCU institutions while advancing research on expanding educational opportunities,” Savage said. “I am most excited to join the 2026 cohort at the University of California, Berkeley, and to work with Travis J. Bristol and the CREEO team to deepen a line of inquiry that advances my research agenda and continues my commitment to bridging research, policy, and practice.”
Dr. Richard Warren Jr. emphasized the importance of growth, collaboration, and building alongside others committed to impact.
“CREEO came at the right time in my journey,” he said. “I’m ready to grow, refine my research, and expand my reach while building alongside other scholars. This opportunity is about becoming sharper, more impactful, and contributing to work that supports Black male educators. I’m excited to learn, collaborate, and add value to a community that’s doing meaningful work.”
“Opportunity is not equally distributed; as I transition to the next stage of my professional career, I want to continue to leverage my national platform and expertise to create opportunities and to advance the careers of junior scholars. The support from the Bezos Family Foundation actualizes this goal,” said CREEO faculty director, Travis J. Bristol.
Looking Ahead
As CREEO continues to grow the Visiting Scholars Program, each cohort builds on the last, strengthening a national network of scholars committed to expanding educational opportunity.
By investing in faculty at critical moments in their careers, particularly those serving at R2 and RCU institutions, the Visiting Scholars Program not only supports individual advancement but also contributes to a broader vision of strengthening higher education institutions, expanding research capacity, and creating more equitable pathways across higher education.