ACLS Names 24 Mellon-ACLS Public Fellows in 2018

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to announce the eighth annual cohort of Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows. This year’s 24 fellows will take up two-year, full-time positions with top nonprofit organizations and government agencies working in the fields of policy, civil rights, arts and culture, and the media. The Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program is made possible by a grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

“ACLS launched the Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows program in 2010 to highlight the dynamic potential of doctoral education in the humanities,” said John Paul Christy, director of public programs at ACLS. “The demanding portfolios our fellows take on—in fields as diverse as climate policy, cultural preservation, and media literacy—are a testament to the value of the analytical and expressive capacities humanities PhDs develop in the course of earning their degrees.”
The 2018 Public Fellows, who represent 16 fields of study in the humanities and humanistic social sciences, were selected from a record number of applications on the basis of their academic and non-academic accomplishments, as well as their demonstrated commitment to their chosen career fields. All applications are read by peer reviewers whose expertise covers a range of humanistic disciplines as well as a broad spectrum of career experience beyond the professoriate. Finalists selected through this process are then interviewed by senior staff at the program’s partnering host organizations.

The fellowship provides PhDs in the humanities or humanistic social sciences with career-building experience and offers an annual stipend of $67,500, health insurance, and additional funding for professional development. Fellows receive professional mentoring from their host organizations as well as peer mentoring through the Public Fellows alumni council.

The 2018 Mellon/ACLS Public Fellows are:

Elizabeth Sarah Berkowitz
PhD in Art History, City University of New York, Graduate Center
Outreach Program Manager, Rockefeller Archive Center

Ashley E. Bowen
PhD in American Studies, Brown University
Digital Engagement Manager, Science History Institute

Bathsheba F. Bryant-Tarpeh 
PhD in African Studies, Howard University
Global Science Officer, Smithsonian Institution Office of International Relations

Huibin A. Chew
PhD in American Studies and Ethnicity, University of Southern California
Associate, Equitable Economy Research, PolicyLink

Elizabeth Della Zazzera
PhD in History, University of Pennsylvania
Digital Producer, Lapham’s Quarterly

Indra Ekmanis
PhD in International Studies, University of Washington
Associate Editor, Global Nation, Public Radio International

Maria Faini
PhD in Ethnic Studies, University of California, Berkeley
Narrative Impact Analyst, Race Forward

Robin M. Garcia
PhD in Cultural Studies, Claremont Graduate University
Cross Sector Analyst, Los Angeles County Arts Commission

Antonnet Johnson
PhD in Rhetoric and Composition, University of Arizona
Participation Design Strategist, Participatory Budgeting Project

Katelyn Christine Jones 
PhD in Political Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Research Associate, Global Food & Agriculture, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Nana Kaneko  
PhD in Ethnomusicology, University of California, Riverside
Program Manager, Cultural Disaster Analysis, Smithsonian Cultural Rescue Initiative

Samuel Kling 
PhD in History, Northwestern University
Research Associate, Global Cities, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Jessica Koski
PhD in Sociology, Northwestern University
Climate Policy Associate, Stockholm Environment Institute (US Center)

Stephanie A. Malak
PhD in Hispanic Literature, University of Texas, Austin
Associate Executive Editor and Assistant Director, LARB Books, Los Angeles Review of Books

Michael L. Miller
PhD in Political Science, City University of New York, Graduate Center
Program Officer, Media and Democracy Project, Social Science Research Council

Tamar Susan Rabinowitz
PhD in History, George Washington University
Manager of Curatorial Innovation, National Trust for Historic Preservation

Jason R. Rozumalski
PhD in History, University of California, Berkeley
Global Programs Manager, Consortium of Humanities Centers and Institutes

Samantha Sabalis
PhD in English, Fordham University
Development Officer, Council of Independent Colleges 

Jasmine Salters
PhD in Communication, University of Pennsylvania
Content Strategist, Innocence Project

Caroline Lee Schwenz
PhD in English, Emory University
Audience Development and Engagement Manager, MinnPost

Lucas Stephens
PhD in Art and Archaeology of the Mediterranean World, University of Pennsylvania
Senior Research Analyst, Transportation Innovation, Environmental Law & Policy Center

Holly Straut-Eppsteiner
PhD in Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Research Program Manager, National Immigration Law Center

Mohammad Usman
PhD in Land Economy, University of Cambridge, UK
Policy Analyst, United Neighborhood Houses

Elias Walker Vitulli
PhD in American Studies, University of Minnesota
Strategic Research Associate, Center for Popular Democracy

Additional information about the Public Fellows program and the fellows’ positions is available on ACLS's website.