UW-Madison's Pre-college Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence announced Jacqueline A. DeWalt as its new director Friday.
The PEOPLE program aims to increase the enrollment and graduation of ethnic-minority and low-income students by signing younger students on to an academically rigorous program and increasing their eligibility for full-tuition scholarships.
DeWalt was selected from a national pool to replace Walter Lane, assistant dean in the School of Education.
DeWalt, a Milwaukee native, is no stranger to community diversity development. She has been a local foster mother, youth services coordinator for Madison and is an alumna of one of the first programs for low-income and minority students established by UW-Madison to enhance diversity.
""My vision is for PEOPLE students to graduate globally competitive in the STEM fields [science, technology, engineering and math], entrepreneurship and international relations,"" she said in a statement. She called for expanded access to funding, internships and support systems to make such opportunities possible.
