Press release

ACLS Announces 2022 Leading Edge Fellows

Early Career PhDs to Join Nonprofit Organizations to Advance Social Justice Initiatives
Published: June 14, 2022

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is pleased to name 18 new Leading Edge Fellows. This publicly engaged humanities initiative demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build capacity, and advance social justice and equity. The program is made possible by a grant from the Mellon Foundation.

The ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship Program supports outstanding early career PhDs in the humanities and interpretive social sciences as they work with social justice organizations in communities across the United States. This fourth cohort of fellows will take up two-year positions with a diverse range of organizations including Restore Justice, the Center for Court Innovation, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Atlanta. Drawing on skills honed in the course of earning their PhDs, including data collection, program evaluation, and communicating complex research in compelling and accessible ways, they will contribute to initiatives advancing community alternatives to policing, employee ownership and economic equality, and expanded access to fair wages, voting rights, and public education.

“The Leading Edge Fellowship Program demonstrates the crucial, practical role of humanistic scholars and knowledge in the world beyond the academy,” said ACLS President Joy Connolly. “With the generous support of the Mellon Foundation, we are proud to support this impressive group of humanists as they contribute their training and talents toward creating a more equitable and just future.”

Meet the new Leading Edge Fellows.

The 2022 fellows represent a wide array of humanistic disciplines and PhD granting institutions, including University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Chicago, the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, Howard University, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and Yale University.

Leading Edge Fellows receive a $62,500 stipend in the first year, $65,000 in the second, plus health insurance. The award also comes with an annual budget of up to $3,500 for professional development activities, as well as networking, mentorship, and career development resources provided by ACLS.

Learn More About Leading Edge Fellows