UTSA Mellon Humanities Pathways Program Fellowship

The Mexico Center at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the Mellon Humanities Pathways Fellowship Program will fund 13 undergraduate students to support research training that promotes diversity and prepares students from underrepresented backgrounds for doctoral study in the humanities, broadly defined. In addition to research, the program promotes networking and professional development and provides scholarly mentorship.

The theme, Latinos in a Changing World, foregrounds scholarship and creative works focused on local and transnational Latinx experiences. Program staff and outside consultants are subject matter experts in Latinx studies and will direct student research in the following areas: literature, art and art history, music, history, communications, philosophy, classics, ethnic studies, gender studies, Afro-Latino identities, anthropology, sociology, geography, languages, media, and other humanities fields. This fellowship program cannot fund students in political science, education, business, economics, or sciences and engineering. Prior knowledge of Latinx studies is not required of prospective applicants.

In the fall semester, fellows participate in professionalization workshops and interdisciplinary research seminars to prepare them for a scholarly career. Program consultants work with the fellows to help them identify appropriate graduate programs, prepare the necessary application materials, and to design their own research projects. In the spring semester, fellows participate in research apprenticeships with UTSA faculty mentors (7-10 hours per week), attend a series of lectures and seminars with visiting scholars, travel to universities across Texas that offer doctoral degrees in humanities disciplines. Additionally, fellows attend an intensive Spring Break workshop that yields drafts of the statement of purpose and curriculum vitae. The highlight of the spring semester for fellows is the UTSA Mellon Humanities Pathways Program Research Poster Symposium where each student presents their work. In early summer, fellows participate in a continuation of the workshop model that focuses on concluding individual research, publication, humanities academic/research careers, academic skills and methodology used in humanities programs, research design, and requirements for Ph.D. programs. In the fall of the fellows’ senior year, staff and mentors will assist fellows in applying to graduate humanities programs.

Fellows who are selected for the program receive a total stipend of $4,000 and a small research fund which will be disbursed as they participate in and complete the project activities. Mellon Humanities Pathways Fellows must complete all program activities and apply for graduate programs to receive the stipend. The next cohort of 12 fellows will be notified of their selection by May 1, 2020.

Applicants Must:
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Be enrolled part-time or full-time in a UTSA bachelor’s program
o Have completed between 60 and 90 credit hours
o Be registered at UTSA or transferring from one of the Alamo Colleges
• Demonstrate potential and expressed interest in pursuing a graduate program to conduct humanities research
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)

Other Requirements:
• The fellow must identify with one or more traditionally underrepresented backgrounds (i.e., Latina/o, African American, Native American, first in the family to attend college, low income, veteran, etc.)
• The fellow’s research focus must be relevant to a humanities field and the theme Latinos in a Changing World
• The fellow must respond to Mellon Foundation requests for information
• The fellow must comply with Mellon Foundation guidelines for acknowledgement of funding
• The fellow agrees to participate in all Mellon Humanities Pathways Fellowship Program components as described in the Terms of Participation form (i.e. seminar activities, apprenticeship, summer workshop, presentations of research, visits to humanities graduate programs, application to graduate programs).

*Required Application Materials:"
1. Completed Application Form
2. Academic Résumé
3. Official Transcripts
4. Two letters of recommendation from faculty or persons familiar with applicant’s academic work and/or potential for success in graduate school:
4a. A faculty member who can assess applicant’s potential for research, or
4b. A faculty member who can assess applicant’s work ethic
5. A narrative no more than 2 pages long (12 point, Times New Roman, 1 inch margins, double spaced) covering all of the following topics:
5a. Background and life experiences
5b. Your interest in the Mellon Humanities Pathways Program
5c. Areas of humanities research in which you are interested (related to “Latinos in a Changing World”)
5d. Motivation to attend graduate school
5e. Personal career goals