The Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society program was a three-year experimental effort from 2019 to 2021 to support doctoral faculty as they advance publicly engaged humanities research and promote change in doctoral education. Scholars and Society Fellows pursued research projects while in residence at US-based cultural, media, government, policy, or community organizations, creating mutually beneficial partnerships in which they collaborated, interacted, and learned about each other’s work, motivating questions, methods, and practices. The program was made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.
The program has supported 36 fellows as they pursue research projects at organizations including the American Bar Association, Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center, The Racial Imaginary Institute, Los Angeles Public Library, and Utah AIDS Foundation.
Preparing Publicly Engaged Scholars
Preparing Publicly Engaged Scholars: A Guide for Innovation in Doctoral Education is a guide that builds on the lessons of the Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellowship Program and provides examples and recommendations for supporting graduate students in conducting publicly-engaged research in the humanities and interpretive social sciences.
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Learn More About Mellon/ACLS Scholars & Society Fellows
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ACLS invited scholars from the program, all of whom serve as faculty at a variety of colleges and universities across the country, for a day of discussion and sharing on how community engaged research can intersect with academic careers.
News Article
November 21, 2022
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ACLS fellows and partners share their work creating spaces for Black communities and stories in partnership with the Leading Edge and Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellowship programs.
News Article
February 8, 2022
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For Treva Lindsey, Associate Professor of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Ohio State University, tackling inequalities facing Black women, girls, and femmes continues to be crucial particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
News Article
March 18, 2021
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Books by three ACLS fellows have been longlisted for the 2023 National Book Awards in Nonfiction and Poetry.
News Article
September 15, 2023
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Through Interrupting Privilege, an anti-racist workshop led by Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellow Ralina L. Joseph F’19, community members gather at the Northwest African American Museum (NAAM) for dialogue-based workshops on addressing and combatting racism.
News Article
December 9, 2020
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Through the Mellon/ACLS Scholars and Society Fellowship, Marissa López F’19 Connects Mexican History in Los Angeles to the Present Public.
News Article
October 27, 2020
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