Reflections of a Visiting Research Scholar

By: Delia E. Racines, Ph.D.

As a Visiting Research Scholar this Fall semester of 2014, I have been immersed in a number of research projects that have given me a deeper understanding and connection with the three core facets of the Pillsbury Institute: education, experience, and engagement. While conducting research on the intersection of English learners and the respective implications for university-level instruction of entrepreneurship with Assistant Academic Director, Mona Anita Olsen, Ph.D., the Pillsbury Institute has given me a new lens to understand the international student experience in various entrepreneurship courses. I enjoyed the process of preparing to engage in entrepreneurship conversations with Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity at their Speaker Series Dinner, The Coleman Faculty Fellows at their monthly meeting, and a special session geared for students entitled Immigration to Ph.D. – A Conversation with Dr. Delia E. Racines with the Office of Engagement and Inclusion Life Series coordinated by Vernetta Kinchen. The members of Alpha Delta Phi have reached out upon reflection from our shared time together stating that they each took away something to further think about in relationship to their future careers as well as numerous now known opportunities with the Pillsbury Institute that they did not have previous awareness of. The Coleman Faculty Fellows each had various experience working with English Learners and engaged in a conversation with research from the top three countries represented at Cornell and the resources available with the Knight Institute were shared to support English Learners. Lastly, speaking with Vernetta Kinchen has opened up opportunities for the spring semester to engage in conversations with students to encourage students to follow their passions. In sharing my focus on English Learners, I supported the inaugural entrepreneurship concentration framework at the SHA to encourage more international collaboration at SHA in an effort to push entrepreneurship education forward at Cornell. Overall, this opportunity allowed and encouraged a dual discipline approach to continue to improve entrepreneurship education for English Learners and further expand a more global Cornell network. I am grateful for the education, experience, and engagement that has been provided to me as a Visiting Research Scholar at The Pillsbury Institute and for the strong student-centered approach that is so extremely supportive to current and future English Learners.