July 8, 2024 | By Nick Pfost
The Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) is thrilled to welcome Imani Barnes and Jacob Foster. They join the faculty this fall as lecturers to teach core IGR courses. Following a competitive search, both Barnes and Foster return to the University of Michigan, where they received their graduate degrees.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Imani and Jacob to IGR,” said co-directors Donna Rich Kapolowitz and Monita Thompson. “They both bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the classroom and our team.”
Imani Barnes holds a master’s degree in higher education from the University of Michigan, and comes to us most recently as the student experience coordinator at the LSA Opportunity Hub, where she works with over 20 campus partners.
Barnes has extensive teaching experience. She has previously served as a lecturer in LSA, a GSI in a variety of U-M departments, and a teaching assistant at the University of Florida Gainesville. Barnes also participated in Intergroup Dialogue Basics—a popular, interactive seminar introducing U-M professionals to Intergroup Dialogue pedagogy—becoming a member of IGR’s Community of Scholars cohort.
Barnes’ commitment to DEI has led her to roles at U-M where she has made valuable contributions to the university's shared vision of inclusivity through targeted research, facilitation, and impactful programming, echoing her commitment to amplifying marginalized voices.
Jacob Foster’s experience and dedication to social and environmental justice drive their commitment to making a meaningful impact within the academic community, where they hope to inspire and support students and colleagues through their passion and expertise.
A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Social Work, Foster also brings years of experience with IGR and at U-M. In IGR, as an undergraduate, he was an expert facilitator. As a graduate student, he served as a GSI for three semesters in ALA 321 (Practicum) and ALA 429 (Capstone). He has also served as a meta-facilitator for IGR’s Summer Youth Dialogue program with Detroit area youth.
At U-M, Foster has worked as mentor for the Transfer Bridges program, helped establish connections to community colleges as a student recruitment intern, helped build out the Mellon Foundation grant to support the community college connection, and managed a million dollar NIH grant in psychology establishing research protocol allowing for project sustainability and set up a guide for future research coordinators.
This fall, Barnes will teach three sections of “Foundations of Intergroup Relations” (ALA 220). Foster will also teach a section of the foundations course, along two sections of “Training in Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation” (ALA 320).
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