2016 Scholars

Introducing the inaugural cohort of Mellon Public Scholars! The ten members of the 2015-16 Mellon Public Scholars cohort represent eight departments and programs, and their interests address issues and problems in history, education, incarceration, gentrification, and citizenship. They will be refining their projects and forging relationships with community organizations during the spring Public Scholars Seminar. Check in at our blog to see how these projects take shape.

Below is a list of our scholars and their associated faculty mentors:

simonabramowitsch  

Simon Abramowitsch (English), Multi-Ethnic Publishing in the San Francisco Bay Area: A Community History

d_martin  

Desiree Martin (English), Translation and archival methods in Chicanx and border cultural texts: the novel, graphic novel, photography, music, and social media.

cinthyaammerman  

Cinthya Ammerman (Native American Studies), Social Media Strategy for a Q’eqchi Community Association

l_grandia  

Liza Grandia (Native American Studies), MOSAICS: Conservation Beyond Protected Areas in the Maya Lowlands

trishabarua  

Trisha Barua (Cultural Studies), Building Demand for Contemporary and Experimental Performance among People of Color in East Oakland

s_min  

Susette Min (Asian American Studies), Comparative historical analysis of museums and art spaces that engage in a form of nation-building

bclarke  

Bridget Clark (Sociology), Report to California Energy Commission: What Don’t We Know About the Role of Human Behavior in Energy Conservation?

t_beamish  

Thomas Beamish (Sociology), Collective rationalities of community movements and climate change response

chelseaescalante  

Chelsea Escalante (Spanish and Portuguese), Exploring the Long-term Effects of International Volunteerism

r_bayley  

Robert Bayley (Linguistics), Collaboration with UC Davis School of Ed. teaching mathematical concepts to English language learners

jonathanfavero  

Jonathan Favero (Music), Positive Youth Justice Initiative: A Report to the Sierra Health Foundation on Barriers to Reform in the CA Juvenile Corrections System

m_chavez-garcia  

Miroslava Chavez-Garcia (Chicana and Chicano Studies (UCSB)), A family history told through over 200 personal letters across the U.S.-Mexico border

lilyhodges  

Lily Hodges (History), Education Behind Bars

k_olmsted  

Kathy Olmsted (History), 20th- and 21st-C United States, conspiracy theories, intelligence history, and modern conservatism

stephaniemaroney  

Stephanie Maroney (Cultural Studies), The Promise of CRISPR to Scientists and Publics: Critically Engaging Communication about the Social Impacts of Gene Modification Technologies

l_ikemoto  

Lisa Ikemoto (Law), The Embryo Economy: Constructions of race, gender, class, sexual orientation, and biomedical technology

mlmortimer  

Loren Michael Mortimer (History), “You Are on Indian Land:” Visualizing Indigenous Spaces on the US-Canada Border

e_r_middleton  

Elisabeth Rose Middleton (Native American Studies), Indian land rights and hydroelectric development; CA Senate Bill 18 (the “traditional tribal places law”)

jennifersendell  

Jennifer Sedell (Geography), Race, Citizenship, and Agrarian Histories: Situating Immigrant Contributions to Sustainable Agriculture in California

j_sze  

Julie Sze (American Studies), Environmental justice, race and space, garbage, transportation and energy

We are also proud to be joined by eight UC Public Scholars, selected by their own campus humanities centers/institutes. Their participation is made possible through a grant from the UC Humanities Research Institute.

maggiebell  

Margaret Bell (UC-Santa Barbara – Art History), Collaborative Lesson Planning and Mural Painting in an Isla Vista Fifth-grade Art Classroom

r_rios  

Rebeca Mireles-Rios (Graduate School of Education), Inequalities in educational outcomes; means to raise Latina/o college enrollment and retention

michelebrewster  

Michele Brewster (UC-Irvine – History), “Mexico/L.A.: History into Art, 1820-1930″: an Exhibition at Laguna Art Museum

l_mitchell  

Laura Mitchell (History), Art and meaning of the natural world in 18th and 19th C. Africa

kendradority  

Kendra Dority (UC-Santa Cruz – Literature), Educators’ Workshop: Creative and Empowering Pedagogies for Teaching Shakespeare

s_keilen  

Sean Keilen (Literature), Early British literature; imitation; the division of the arts and sciences; creative criticism

yessicagarcia  

Yessica Garcia (UC-San Diego – Cultural Studies), Mexican Regional Music and the Experience of Latino Immigrants in the United States

j_hernendez  

Jillian Hernandez (Ethnic Studies),Racialization, sexualities, girlhood, politics of cultural production from hip hop to visual art

audreyharris  

Audrey Harris (UC-Los Angeles – Spanish & Portuguese), Stories from a Mexican Women’s Prison

h_calderon  

Hector Calderón (Spanish & Portuguese), North American Mexican cultural diaspora through Mexican literature, film, and rock

jaredkatz  

Jared Katz (UC-Riverside – Anthropology), Printing Ancient Music: 3D Replicas of Ancient Maya Instruments for Public Engagement

t_stanton  

Travis Stanton (Anthropogy), Collaboration with indigenous Maya potters to understand ancient Maya pottery technology

shainamolano  

Shaina Molano (UC-Merced – World Cultures), Access to and the Control of Water in the Pre-Columbian Central Andes

c_torres-rouff  

Christina Torres-Rouff (Anthropology), Mortuary archeology, cultural modifications of the body, mobility, trauma

emmasilverman  

Emma Silverman (UC-Berkeley – Art History), Preserving Pond Farm: the Legacy of a Ceramics School in Guerneville CA

 

j_sorkin  

Jenni Sorkin (History of Art and Architecture), Gender and artistic labor; alternative spaces; art school pedagogies; global exhibition practice