IAH Welcomes Fall 2009 Fellows

Seven faculty members from the College of Arts and Sciences will embark on their fellowship semester at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities in September. As the new Faculty Fellows begin their work, the deadline approaches to apply for IAH Faculty Fellowships, Chapman Family Faculty Fellowships and Academic Leadership Fellowships in the 2010-2011 academic year.

Faculty Fellowships

The Faculty Fellows Program, in its 49th semester, provides semester leaves on campus for faculty members to work on research for publication, exhibition, composition and performance or to develop new courses, programs and initiatives.

A key feature is the weekly meeting, or “conversation,” chaired by Associate Director Julia T. Wood, during which Fellows discuss their work and ideas and offer each other suggestions and criticism. IAH Fellowships are open to UNC faculty members from the humanities, fine arts and social sciences.

Chapman Family Faculty Fellowships recognize outstanding teaching by faculty who regularly teach undergraduates. Faculty from any unit of the university may apply. Chapman Fellows participate in the weekly Fellows seminars and receive a stipend to support their teaching, research and service activities.

The Faculty Fellows and their research topics for the fall 2009 semester are:

Sarah Dempsey, Pardue Fellow, assistant professor, communication studies, “Translating the Ideals of Community Engagement into Practice: A Study of Campus-Community Partnership Dilemmas”

Minrose Gwin, Burress Fellow, professor, English and comparative literature, “Mourning Medgar Evers: Revolution, Aesthetics and Collective Memory”

Dorothy Holland, Chapman Family Faculty Fellow, professor, anthropology, “Expanding Teaching through Engaged Scholarship”

Alan Shapiro, Hyde Arts Fellow, professor, English and comparative literature, “Night of the Republic”

Jay Smith, Bernstein Fellow, professor, history, “Monsters in Gévaudan:  A Tale of Horror from Age of Reason”

Jane Thrailkill, Taylor Fellow, associate professor, English and comparative literature, “Talking Back: American Literature and the Subversive Child”

Mayron Tsong, Schwab Fellow, assistant professor, music, “CD Recording of Haydn Sonatas”

The IAH Faculty Advisory Board selects new classes of Fellows in the fall each year. The deadline for the IAH Faculty Fellowships is September 23. Applications for the Chapman Family Faculty Fellowship are due October 21. Visit our Fellowships page for more information, including eligibility and application requirements.

Academic Leadership Program

The Institute for the Arts and Humanities helps prepare and support current and emerging academic leaders through our Academic Leadership Program (ALP). The ALP develops leadership skills and provides an arena for honest discussion and long-term networking.

Eight Fellows selected annually engage in a series of activities to help them develop leadership skills, clarify their career commitments, build a leadership network within the campus and extend their contacts to other leaders beyond the university.

IAH Associate Director Kim Strom-Gottfried and David Kiel, senior consultant for faculty leadership programs, direct the ALP. For a first-person look at participation in the ALP, read Michele Berger’s first-person account of her experiences in the fall 2009 IAH e-newsletter.

Nominations and applications for the Academic Leadership Program are due November 1.

The IAH, part of the College of Arts and Sciences, offers programs and activities that support UNC faculty at every stage of their careers. The IAH funds individual and collaborative research, showcases faculty work, develops faculty leaders and teachers and facilitates the formation of collaborative, interdisciplinary communities that promote intellectual exchange.