Aida Ismailova, a doctoral student in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, was selected to be 2025 cohort scholar for the Towards 2044: Horowitz Early Career Scholars Program through the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). This program ran from June to December 2025 and was designed to support scholars from underrepresented backgrounds in developmental science. Graduate students in the program are mentored by more advanced scholars in the field, providing early career scholars with guidance and support in their pursuit of educational and professional goals.
The program began with an in-person kickoff meeting in Washington, DC in June 2025, where Aida met other scholars and mentors face-to-face. “This was a great opportunity to start building relationships, talk openly about our research and career goals, and begin developing our Professional Development Plans,” Aida said of her time at the event. The program provided funding for prospective professional development opportunities, which enabled Aida to purchase textbooks and to attend specific conferences to present research and network with other developmental scholars, this year.
After the kickoff, the early career scholars virtually met for monthly educational seminars that covered a wide range of topics, including grant writing, managing routines, community-engaged research partnerships, careers both within and beyond academia, and dissertation planning. “These sessions felt very practical and grounded in real experiences, and they also created space for questions, concerns, honest conversations about navigating academia,” Aida reflected.
In addition to the seminars, Aida had one-on-one meetings with her mentor, which she found especially helpful for talking through future plans and professional priorities. Aida concluded by saying, “Overall, this program helped me expand my professional network, meet new scholars and mentors across the country, and form new acquaintances that I hope to stay connected with moving forward. It was one of the highlights of my year, and I feel very grateful for such experiences and opportunities like this out there. I definitely recommend students to participate in the next round”. We applaud Aida on receiving this honor.
