In July 2020, during the height of the COVID pandemic, ACLS launched a bold experiment. With support from the Henry Luce Foundation, it introduced the ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship Program, placing recent PhDs in yearlong posts with community-centered nonprofits to help document and interpret the damage of the pandemic.
At a time when early career PhDs faced the most difficult academic job market seen in a generation, the Leading Edge program challenged six bright minds to respond to the tired but long-held trope, “What can you do with a humanities PhD besides teach?”
In the five years since the program launched, the experiences of 144 Fellows have provided strong, inspiring responses to that question. These scholars represent effectiveness of humanistic training beyond the academy, particularly with initiatives dedicated to advancing justice and equity.
Now funded by the Mellon Foundation, the Leading Edge Fellowship has emerged as one of the most popular programs offered by ACLS, as well as a much sought after resource for nonprofit partners seeking to benefit from and build capacity through the scholarly training and skill sets the fellows bring.
Leading Edge Fellows not only lend the skills and expertise honed through their academic training, but are vital contributors in researching and writing reports, policy briefs, managing community projects, and more. At the same time, they are given a daily front row seat to the inner workings of the nonprofit sector, working closely and learning from experienced colleagues at their host organizations.
In celebrating the continued success of this singular program, ACLS asked past and current Leading Edge Fellows about the different paths, the lessons learned, and benefits gained through their fellowship experiences.
Three years ago, when I defended my dissertation…I wholeheartedly believed that the tenure-track was the only career path possible for me. The ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship has been one of the greatest gifts of my professional career. It has shown me that humanities PhDs can do many exciting things outside of the academy.
“Three years ago, [when] I defended my dissertation…I wholeheartedly believed that the tenure-track was the only career path possible for me,” noted 2024 Fellow Emily K. Sterk, who earned her PhD in Spanish at Pennsylvania State University. Through the program, she was appointed to a two-year term as Research and Advocacy Associate with the Milwaukee Turners, the city’s oldest civic organization. In her role, she supports the “Confronting Mass Incarceration” initiative, conducting research, critically assessing policy reform efforts, and contributing to projects challenging the systemic inequalities in Wisconsin’s carceral system.
“The ACLS Leading Edge Fellowship has been one of the greatest gifts of my professional career. [It] has shown me that humanities PhDs can do many exciting things outside of the academy.”
For 2021 Fellow Chris Hedlin, who earned her PhD in English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the fellowship provided an important professional development opportunity. “The experiences I gained in the ‘real world’ absolutely changed my relationship to my work for the better.”
Chris was appointed to a one-year post with PublicSource, which informs and inspires the Pittsburgh region through the power of deep, independent journalism. “I was struck most by the impact of my outstanding colleagues and supervisors in my fellowship experience…My learning was made possible by working alongside such great people.”
Today, Chris serves as Assistant Teaching Professor and the Director of Curriculum for the Sheedy Family Program in Economy, Enterprise, and Society at the University of Notre Dame. The Sheedy Program is a rigorous academic program that brings together undergraduate students with majors and minors in both business and the liberal arts.
“[Leading Edge] made me a stronger candidate for my role at Notre Dame. I was more fit to manage complex projects, collaborate with a team, and take on new challenges with confidence.”
Career navigation is most successful when supported by a community with common goals, willing to contribute their diverse experiences. Desiree Barron-CallaciACLS Lead Program Officer in US Programs
When he was awarded his Leading Edge Fellowship in 2023, Kevin Alejandrez, who earned his PhD in sociology with a focus on social and racial inequalities at the University of Kentucky, already had experience working with local nonprofits in outreach roles. His Leading Edge appointment as Learning and Impact Manager with The Center for Cultural Power gave him valuable experience as a researcher for a national arts organization.
“Being strategically integrated into a team…I was able to learn a lot about nonprofit work structures, funding structures, leadership development, research teams, and research project opportunities,” he explained.
Today, he serves as School Outreach and Engagement Advisor with the Oregon Health Authority. “One of the biggest lessons I have taken from my fellowship is being better at advocating for myself in the workplace. My fellowship advisor and work manager was really helpful in working through that with me. It has helped me to be honest about what drives me in life, and to be bold in pursuing my dreams.”
In addition to their work with participating nonprofits, Leading Edge Fellows also participate in professional development workshops. Each summer, ACLS convenes fellows after the first year of their engagement with host organizations to reflect on their experiences, share developing professional goals, and plan for their second year while building relationships with other fellows and a growing community of scholars working outside the academy.
“Career navigation is most successful when supported by a community with common goals, willing to contribute their diverse experiences,” said Desiree Barron-Callaci, ACLS Lead Program Officer in US Programs, who has led the program since its inception. “Leading Edge Fellows share a passion for mission-driven careers. These in-person meetings enable them to share their experiences and resources, and learn, support, and promote each other on their individual journeys.”
