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An invitation to conduct cancer research opened a new door for Bryan Gonzalez Delgadillo, a biology major at Dominican University.

A fellowship with Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University allowed Gonzalez Delgadillo to study inherited blood cancers and the genes that activate them. With a goal of attending graduate school, achieving a PhD, and making scientific research his career, the experience was vital in establishing the foundation he needed to go further.

Unfortunately, the position lasted for only a summer.

“The opportunity to work at a big institution and have access to such research facilities is something you don’t want to let go of that easily,” Gonzalez Delgadillo acknowledged.

But thanks to a fellowship offered by Dominican, he didn’t have to.

Gonzalez Delgadillo applied for, and received, a Non-Employment-Based Opportunity (NEBO) fellowship from �������, allowing him to resume his funded research for another two semesters.

“I was able to continue the work I started over the summer, continue the research and keep developing the project,” Gonzalez Delgadillo said. “Eventually— hopefully—after enough work, my findings will be in a publication. The NEBO provided me the ability to continue my research.”

Created in 2021 by Jaqueline Neri Arias, assistant vice president for Hispanic-Serving and Culturally Sustaining Initiatives and Maria Gutierrez, former associate director of career programs, the NEBO fellowship program provides students with financial awards supporting professional development that align with their academic interests and career goals. Fellowships last a semester but can be extended.

In addition to STEM-based research like Gonzalez Delgadillo’s, NEBOs may also include ministry and faith- based work, undergraduate teaching assistantships, peer tutoring, working with small businesses and more.

Each NEBO includes research, interpersonal skill building, presentations and mentorship from a faculty or staff member.

The university also works with local employers to identify additional opportunities for students. For example, The Brennan School of Business has partnered with the Berwyn Development Corporation, which connects Dominican with small businesses in need of interns. Additional on- and off-campus partners also make professional development possible.

“The NEBO program is a unique, experiential learning model that is designed with inclusion, access, and equity at the center, leading to a more just and humane college campus,” Neri Arias said.

The financial awards provided to the students are funded by donors in private and public sectors. A typical grant for career development is $2,000, said Tina Taylor-Ritzler, executive director of Career Programs and Employer Relations at Dominican.

“Funding these opportunities can make them accessible to students, creating opportunities that otherwise might not exist,” she said. “We are so very grateful to donors who have made the NEBO program possible.”

While there are financial rewards, NEBOs also exist to recognize student talents, Neri Arias noted.

This academic year, Dominican received recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which selected the NEBO program as one of 15 innovative practices in higher education from across the globe to be featured in a new report. NEBO fellowships are available to all students, but they can be especially beneficial to undocumented students who do not have work authorization and may be unable to benefit from traditional internships, NEBO leaders say.

In 2024, the NEBO model earned Dominican the SUCCESS award from three education and immigrant rights organizations.

“It’s a very significant program that has not only lifted Dominican’s name nationally as an innovative and culturally responsive institution, but it has also made �����о��� a more inclusive university,” Neri Arias said at the time.

Like professional development and skills-building, mentorship is an important component of a NEBO experience, leaders say.

“As a NEBO mentor, I have the privilege of following the lead of students as they take full ownership of their learning, shaping meaningful projects that align with their passions and career aspirations,” said Theresa “Nacho” Montiel-O’Donnell, a lecturer of graphic design at Dominican. Last year, Montiel-O’Donnell was a mentor to a student who, through a NEBO fellowship, honed her design skills producing a small publication called a “zine.”

Madison Fette ’21 was an early recipient of a NEBO fellowship when she joined Dominican’s Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) program as a chemistry tutor, working with seven to 15 students at a time. Today, Fette is enrolled in a chemistry PhD program at the University of Southern California.

“It taught me how to teach groups of people and how to coordinate with others on the back end,” she said of her NEBO fellowship. “My experience was pretty positive and it was really nice to have a job on campus.”

Students who participate in a NEBO can have more than one fellowship experience. This was true for Gonzalez Delgadillo, who received funding for a second research project involving organic chemistry. With his mentor, Dr. Brent Friesen, he presented research on creating chemical reactions using non-toxic materials during a conference of the American Chemical Society in Omaha, Nebraska.

“NEBOs provided the ability to jump into an experience and gain something from it,” Gonzalez Delgadillo said. “It’s been an opportunity for me to learn something new and gain skills that will be applicable to my career interests.”