Welcome to the 2015 Rackham Report
There are numerous opportunities to understand why your support of Rackham helps inspire, define and transform graduate education at the University of Michigan.
We are developing new mechanisms to support graduate students, and this effort is yielding significant results, that have garnered attention from alumni, students, faculty and other University colleagues. Our programs and services attract students into our building, providing connections and core skills that help students develop their fullest potential.
We support students across the entire University, offering funding for conference travel grants, interdisciplinary workshops, summer stipends and annual fellowships for doctoral and Master’s students that help students focus on enhancing their academic performance, finishing more rapidly and advancing their careers. We provide essential services and connections for graduate students to broaden their Michigan experience and maximize their professional skills.
Your contributions are critical to so much that we offer. You help make what we do possible.
Thank you for your continued support of the Rackham Graduate School.
Regards,
Dean Carol A. Fierke
2015 Honor Roll of Donors
We are grateful to everyone on the 2015 Honor Roll of Donors. Your dedicated giving to Rackham has taken us past the ⅔ point of our $30 million Victors for Michigan campaign goal!
Rackham Today
We are graduate education at the University of Michigan.
Our students pursue degrees across every school and college at U-M. They are every Ph.D. student and most non-professional Master’s students. The University of Michigan is a powerhouse in graduate education, ranking 2nd in research funding among public universities, with 82% of our Ph.D. students (2011-2015) publishing one or more papers before graduating. We stand among the top ranked for the number of underrepresented minority students in Ph.D. programs.
111
Doctoral Programs
100
Master's Programs
38
Certificate Programs
101
Programs in the top 10
5,179
Ph.D. Students
3,128
Master's Students
6,321
Students Received Rackham Funding
Percent of Students by Discipline
Rackham Ph.D. Students
98% Received Financial Aid
874 Dissertations Defended
Doctoral Completion Rates
-
Rackham74%
-
National Average54%
International Students
37% of Rackham students are international and represent over 100 countries.
Notable & Quotable
Our exceptional students and alumni make Rackham a world class institution.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Increasing the diversity of graduate students and providing an inclusive environment are key priorities at Rackham.
In 2015, we began a comprehensive community conversation regarding diversity, equity and inclusion which included an exploration of issues, challenges, and short and long term ideas for change.
Doctorates Awarded to Underrepresented Minorities
University of Michigan is a national leader in awarding doctorates for all underrepresented minority groups.
3rd
African American
3rd
Mixed Race
5th
Asian American
9th
Hispanic
9th
Native American
Underrepresented Minorities
19% of incoming domestic students were underrepresented minorities.
Programs and Services Supporting Diversity
Rackham develops programs and services that strive to make an impact on students and increase diversity in the academy.
Bouchet Honor Society
The Bouchet Society is a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service and advocacy for students who have been traditionally underrepresented in the academy.
Rackham Merit Fellowships
The Rackham Merit Fellowship (RMF) Program aims to reduce disparities in graduate education and promote the values of diversity and inclusion by admitting and funding students who represent a broad array of life experiences and perspectives, because this enhances the quality of the intellectual environment for all students.
Affinity Groups
We provide resources, programming, and funding to support Rackham students who identify with a variety of identities including graduate students with disabilities, Veterans, international students, LGBTQ, students of color, first generation graduate students, undocumented students, and students with children.
Faculty Allies for Diversity
Each department identifies a diversity leader among their faculty who collaborates with Rackham’s diversity initiatives on recruitment, admissions, climate, retention, and completion issues.
Bouchet has been a good experience because now I understand that its goals and purposes aren’t exclusive, but rather seek to represent diversity in a number of areas in our personal and professional lives. For me, this has been a very important network to build. It was like taking the core of who I am and putting it into something that’s already built for me.Brandon Pitts, Ph.D. Candidate, Industrial and Operations Engineering
Focus on Professional Development
While many graduate students will pursue academic careers after completing their degrees, more than half will go into a wide variety of other fields.
Rackham supports graduate students as they develop strategies, plans and networks to be successful in their professional development during their time at U-M and as they transition into their careers.
Career Exploration in 2015
40
Internships and Immersive Experiences
78
Alumni Engaged in Programs
1,286
Students Attended Rackham Events
45
Workshops
Initiatives Supporting Professional Development
A cornerstone of Rackham’s professional development area has been to establish ongoing initiatives that provide more depth and breadth for graduate students in three key areas: core skills, job search skills and career development.
What Now?
A two-day seminar for Ph.D. students in the early stages of candidacy to raise awareness of their strengths, skills and career possibilities and create new professional networks, forward motion, and agility in their professional development.
RELATE
A 10-week intensive communication training and community engagement program to improve the dialogue between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Ph.D. researchers to hone their communication skills with different public audiences.
Rackham has been really fabulous. Rackham is not only invested in engaging with grad students but they do it in really smart, easy ways that are useful to me. Things like the What Now? program and the professional development event where we took head shot photos and got graduate student business cards – this is what grad students need. I feel like Rackham is there working to serve us. They are listening.Bonnie Applebeet, Ph.D. Candidate, American Culture
Ph.D. Student Placement
Your Impact
Your support helped Rackham fund 2,215 conference travel grants, 159 summer stipends, and 597 research awards.
2,779
Gifts
1,135
Gifts Up To $50
81%
Gifts from Alumni
94
Planned Estate Gifts
We are grateful to everyone on the 2015 Honor Roll of Donors. Your dedicated giving to Rackham has taken us past the ⅔ point of our $30 million Victors for Michigan campaign goal!
Thank you for giving to Rackham
Grateful graduate students on support they receive from donors like you.
I wanted to thank you and let you know that there is no way I would have been able to further my education at U-M without the incredibly generous support of donors like yourself. It is awesome that I can concentrate on school and research and not worry about being able to keep up with bills/food/rent. Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity!Allie Sowa Ph.D. Student, Pharmacy
As I’m sure you remember, grad school can be a stressful time. With funding tight these days, every little bit helps. As a result of your generous contribution, I was able to receive a Pre-candidate Research Grant and attend a short-course at the NIH, which has greatly helped me in my work here. Thank you for your support!Bradley Klemm Ph.D. Student, Biological Chemistry
Your support has enabled many programs that have enriched my experiences as a graduate student. Rackham offers workshops on professional aspects of being a graduate student and future professor, covering topics like giving presentations, the process of writing a dissertation and condensing your topic into an elevator speech. These topics are not addressed in my graduate program and I feel they have helped to round out my training here.Edith Ostapik Ph.D. Student, Economics
Rackham Dean's Campaign Advisors 2015
Babette Benken
Margaret Boryczka
Caren Deming
Andrew G. De Rocco
Robert S. Grossman
Cheryl Hurley
Kevin Hurley
Kate Kush
Vivian Sangunett
Rackham Development and Alumni Relations Team
Jill McDonough
Anna Mann
Sheila Waterhouse
Melissa Arnett
Who was Horace H. Rackham?
An attorney with a Detroit practice, Horace Rackham was an early advisor to Henry Ford. In exchange for legal advice, Ford offered stock options to Horace, who invested in the new automobile venture. The investment made Horace a wealthy man. Upon his death in 1933, Horace’s widow Mary oversaw the fund that was established with proceeds from his estate. In 1935 Mary and the fund made a substantial gift to endow fellowships at the newly named Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies and pay for the construction of the building which is now a campus landmark. Neither Horace nor Mary had U-M degrees, but they were committed to advanced education and research. The $4 million gift from the Rackham fund in 1935 has a market value of $126 million today.
At Fall Welcome, students were introduced to Horace and made their mark as the newest members of the Rackham family. See photos of students declaring #IAmRackham.
