About SPARK

The SPARK eZine was created to amplify the research, experiences, and voices of COSP Scholars. Stories in SPARK stimulate new ways of making academic scholarship relevant to our communities and beyond. Collectively, research stories published in SPARK illuminate the multifaceted ways COSP Scholars are transforming what scholarship looks like, how knowledge is produced, and for whom scholarship is directed.

Initiated by the COSP Writing Initiative in 2020 and led by the SPARK Editorial Board, SPARK is committed to developing graduate  writers through a collaborative approach to publishing research. SPARK editors are intent on not reproducing the systemic violence(s) often encountered by graduate writers and use a writing consultancy-based approach to working with contributors on their pieces. The SPARK Editorial Board holds a fierce respect for the writers’ intentions, and the integrity of ideas, experiences, and creative form each writer brings to the community.

Acknowledgements

SPARK is a labor of love by and for our community. It originates in the rich storytelling and research of our contributors who are willing to take risks and share their work with the Community of Scholars Program. SPARK would not be possible without the leadership and brilliance of our editorial board members who are each committed towards advancing the mission of SPARK by amplifying the voices, experiences and research of those in our community. A special thanks to Molly Schwartz, Communications Consultant in the Graduate School, who spends countless hours on the design and beautiful layout of SPARK; Dr. Cori Bazemore-James, Assistant Vice Provost of the Graduate School Diversity Office; the entire Graduate School Diversity Office Team; and the Graduate School.