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About

Research and Outreach

The Mellon Public Humanities and Social Justice (MPHSJ) Scholars Program at Hunter College supports promising undergraduate students in pursing new and diverse avenues of inquiry and civic engagement.

ABOUT OUR PROGRAM

Students accepted into this selective program work closely with faculty advisors and mentors over the course of an academic year (late August through mid-May) to produce a capstone project that consists of two parts: an academic research dimension (a rigorous research paper on a topic of their invention) and a public outreach dimension (one that establishes a connection to an established cultural or civic organization or reaches out to the public in some significant way).

During the year, MPHSJ scholars also meet leading public humanities figures in the New York area who work outside of Hunter College. Since the program’s inception, these have included curators of major art, cultural and history museums, leaders of foundations, the president of the New York Public Library and others.

In addition, the program features events for faculty and the general public including lectures, roundtables and other forms of engagement.

Group photo of the MPHSJ scholars and team members at Roosevelt House.

ABOUT OUR STUDENTS

 

Isabellah Paul delivering a lecture at Roosevelt House.

Examples of MPHSJ student research projects include a study of the linguistic, cultural and political interaction between U.S. immigrants from indigenous communities in Central and South America and Spanish-speaking Latinx immigrant communities; the Egyptian surrealist art movement and its connections to Egyptian politics; the physical and emotional benefits of dance movement; music pedagogy for the visually impaired; and the relationship between 1980s theatre and AIDS policy. Other students have researched or are currently researching the impact of gentrification on New York City public housing residents, how calls for U.S. police reform can learn from the example of Northern Ireland in the 1990s; and prison working conditions as described by people who were previously incarcerated.

For the public outreach dimension, MPHSJ students have undertaken internships with museums, literary presses, unions, homeless shelters or advocacy organizations for those with disabilities. Some recent examples of other public facing projects include hosting film screenings, arranging jazz concert or dance performances, and lecture series. All students work with dedicated Media Fellows to document their outreach in media presentations (video, podcast, digital, website building, etc.).

In addition to working with faculty mentors, advisors and graduate students from the CUNY Graduate Center, MPHSJ scholars also have opportunities to present and share their research in small groups, at the program’s annual symposia, and outside conferences. Beginning in academic year 2023-24, MPHSJ scholars will receive $4,000 for the completion of their project over the course of the academic year.

See Student Projects

Newsletters

Each semester, the MPHSJ Program publishes a newsletter to update faculty, program alums, and the Hunter community on program activities and student accomplishments.

Read the Latest Newsletter
Past Newsletters

ABOUT APPLYING

The application season for the Mellon Public Humanities and Social Justice Scholars Program begins in the winter before the year of the fellowship, which commences in August. When applying to the program, students, who should be majoring or minoring in a humanities discipline, propose a research project and describe their initial ideas for public outreach. Once accepted, scholars work closely with their faculty mentor to refine the academic project and with a CUNY Graduate Fellow to fulfill their public outreach dimension.

Learn How to Apply