Duke’s Mellon-funded Humanities Unbounded initiative supports a pilot program to enable collaborations between Duke humanities doctoral students and instructors at Durham Tech Community College. The purpose of these collaborations is to develop innovations and enhancements for community college general transfer courses.
This program provides doctoral students with exposure to a highly diverse community college student body, including “high school students, international students [from approximately 90 countries], veterans, and adults looking to complete their high school educations.” (DT website). Past graduate fellows have benefitted from the mentorship of deeply experienced community college instructors. In return, graduate fellows can offer instructors fresh approaches, a wide range of skills, and knowledge of latest trends in relevant disciplines. There are also opportunities for some degree of team-teaching.
In 2020-2021, one PhD fellowship with be available ($6100 each over two semesters, plus fringe; or $6100 for one academic semester plus the amount of a TGS summer research fellowship: $5500, plus fringe). The selected fellow will work closely with a faculty member (approximately 10 hours per week) in Durham Tech’s Department of Creative and Liberal Arts to help revise public speaking courses around the theme of allyship, and to help students learn to speak on behalf of marginalized individuals and groups. The graduate fellow’s duties will include conducting interviews with community activists to learn how Durham Tech students can best support their efforts through speeches, and researching best practices on allyship.
Any Duke doctoral student in the humanities or humanistic social sciences may apply. In terms of desirable qualifications, the faculty member has expressed the following:
“The individual chosen for this project must share an openness for new ideas, be willing to challenge me and themselves, and have a passion for ideas, inclusion, and allyship. It is important that they are comfortable being uncomfortable, as we learn together how we and our students can be better allies. As a burgeoning scholar, it is important that they understand the rigor associated with conducting this research and dedicate substantial time and energy to it.”
To apply, please send the following (in a single PDF) to Maria LaMonaca Wisdom (maria.wisdom@duke.edu) by February 15: 1) A letter of interest; 2) Your CV; 3) Your Duke transcript; and 4) A letter of recommendation/support from your faculty advisor.
