Destin will help enrich the college experience for first-generation and lower-income students.Mesmin Destin, an associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy and in the Department of Psychology in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, was appointed the inaugural faculty director of student access and enrichment.
In his new role, Destin will leverage his experience as a scholar of inequality and student experiences to contribute to the ongoing work of Student Enrichment Services and First-Generation Lower-Income Initiatives, coordinate the programs, and help develop a vision for enhanced engagement with first-generation and lower-income students at Northwestern.
“As Northwestern’s student body diversifies across multiple dimensions, it is critical that the institution grows in ways that authentically embrace students’ backgrounds, perspectives and goals,” said Destin, a founding co-director of the SESP Leadership Institute, which builds on student strengths and identities to support their success and well-being. “I am eager to collaborate with the incredible staff and students who are dedicated to constantly improving our Northwestern community.”
Destin’s research examines how resources and opportunities can shape young people's identities, experiences, and educational paths. Long fascinated by the kinds of forces that can influence the lives and futures of young people, for better or for worse, his powerful experiments over the last 15 years have asked, “can environments and experiences change people’s lives by expanding their identities, rather than shrinking them?”