First Mellon Diversity Fellows arrive on campus

The first Mellon Diversity Fellows initiating a new pre- and postdoctoral fellowship program in the College of Arts and Sciences have arrived on campus. The program, established with $2 million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is designed to improve the career chances of humanities scholars from communities underrepresented in the academy or who face such challenges as economic hardship or being a first-generation college graduate. The two- to three-year fellowships are also open to non-minority candidates who work on topics related to underrepresented minorities. The program is part of the College of Arts and Sciences' strategy to encourage and attract a diverse faculty at Cornell. As with the college's undergraduate Mellon-Mays program, the four new Mellon Diversity Fellows will attend weekly multidisciplinary seminars. "Thanks to the weekly seminar, my department's immensely helpful and rigorous atmosphere, and the support of the other three fellows, I am confident that I have the intellectual environment, resources, and colleagues to accomplish what I need to this year," says fellow Murad Idris. Naminata Diabate, another fellow, concurs, noting, "The seminar allows me to be part of a sustained and vibrant intellectual community, thereby alleviating the sense of isolation that comes with relocation." In addition to the seminars, an annual conference will be held, providing a platform for fellows to work with senior scholars and present their work to a larger audience.