The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is the centerpiece of the Andrew Mellon Foundation’s initiatives to increase the presence of traditionally underrepresented groups and perspectives in institutions of higher learning in the U.S.by promoting the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines. Its name honors Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the noted African American educator, statesman, minister, and former president of Morehouse College.
The MMUF program emphasizes mentorship, research support, information sharing, and cohort building. During their last two years of undergraduate study, Fellows at Wesleyan take part in a weekly seminar devoted to developing their skills as scholars and preparing for the transition to graduate school. They also participate in MMUF conferences and other academic meetings in their fields of study. During summers, Fellows take part in activities that enrich and serve their academic work (e.g., scholarly institutes, language programs) or engage in independent research activities that will contribute to their senior thesis or other scholarly projects.
As undergraduates, Fellows receive a monthly stipend to offset the need to take on campus employment, and they also receive annual conference travel and research funds, as well as additional summer research funding as part of the fellowship. Upon successful completion of graduate study, Fellows also receive up to $10,000 to assist in repayment of student loans.
Support for Fellows continues throughout graduate school and beyond through workshops, conferences, grants, and other resources meant to guide and uplift Fellows as they make their way along their paths toward a career in academia.