Mellon Public Humanities FellowshipsCall for Applications 2018-19

Due February 23, 2018

The Center for the Humanities invites applications for five Public Humanities Fellowships designed to provide advanced graduate students in the humanities with experience outside of academia. By placing fellows in partner organizations around Madison including museums, hospitals, non-profits, community centers, and emerging businesses, the program facilitates the reciprocal sharing of resources and expertise, and highlights the significance of the humanities both on and off campus. We aim not only to provide graduate students the opportunity to explore diverse career paths, but also to cultivate a practice of public humanities within their academic work.

The Mellon Public Humanities Fellowships are part of Engaging the Humanities, a multiyear project generously supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation that creates opportunities for UW-Madison graduate students and faculty to broaden the impact of their research through workshops, seminars, programs, and visiting scholars, in addition to the fellowships.

Overview

In 2018-19 the Center for the Humanities will award up to five public humanities fellowships to advanced graduate students at UW-Madison. Recipients of this fellowship will receive a $25,000 stipend and be paired with an organization in Madison for a nine-month (academic year) residency. These residencies will give fellows the opportunity to use their humanities experience and expertise to develop new programs, expand existing ones, and translate their academic skills into the public sphere. The fellowship period is Aug 20, 2018 to May 19, 2019 and fellows will be in residence at their assigned organization 20 hours a week (excluding academic breaks) during that period. Fellows will be responsible for paying in-state tuition; they will be eligible for healthcare benefits.

Available Positions

1. Chazen Museum2. Gathering Waters3. Maydm4. Wisconsin Book Festival5. Wisconsin Historical Society

This competition is open to UW-Madison PhD students in the humanities and related fields who have completed all coursework and are currently writing dissertations. We expect that applicants will bring to these positions a host of skills drawn from their scholarly training, including a strong research and writing background, creativity, and specific forms of field-based knowledge and expertise (in, for example, history, anthropology, art history, cultural studies, digital media, literature, languages, or film, among many others). Partner organizations will provide fellows the opportunity to undertake

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significant work on innovative programs and ensure that they receive appropriate mentoring. Applicants should apply for a position, rather than to the program as a whole.

Eligibility and Criteria

The Fellowship is open to advanced UW-Madison graduate students in the humanities and related fields (i.e., PhD candidates currently working on their dissertations). Applicants will be reviewed based on their academic accomplishments in the humanities; relevant training and experience; and the relation between the fellowship and their professional goals.

Position Descriptions

Chazen Museum of Art Fellow

Chazen Museum of Art

Organizational Description

The Chazen Museum of Art, on the UW-Madison campus, is home to the second-largest collection of art in Wisconsin: more than 20,000 works include paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints, photographs, and decorative arts. The permanent collection covers diverse historical periods, cultures, and geographic locations, from ancient Greece, Western Europe, and the Soviet Empire, to Moghul India, eighteenth-century Japan, and modern Africa.

The museum presents frequent temporary exhibitions that highlight the collection or are borrowed from other museums, broadening the offerings to visitors. These temporary exhibitions may be local, national, or international; contemporary or historical in scope.

As a state educational resource, the Chazen offers tours, talks by artists and scholars, other educational programs and outreach for schoolchildren, college students, and art lovers of all ages. Special events include exhibition receptions, Art•Spin community days, Sunday Afternoon Live at the Chazen (chamber concerts), and Sunday Cinematheque at the Chazen. Additionally, the Chazen Ambassadors host events such as ballroom dancing, Valentine’s Day tours, study nights, and yoga at the museum. These offerings are free and open to the public.

Chazen Museum of Art Mission Statement

We collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit works of art and present related educational programs in support of the teaching, research, and public service mission of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

We do this because the visual arts enrich individual human experience and because knowledge of art is essential to understanding diverse cultures, past and present.

Position Description2

The Chazen Museum of Art seeks a humanities graduate student who will work under the guidance of the Museum Director, and other senior staff members, to participate in planning related to the museum’s upcoming 50th year anniversary, which will occur in 2020. The anniversary celebration is still being planned but may include collaborative public programming, exhibitions, and special initiatives. This individual will have significant involvement in planning and implementing the upcoming initiatives.

Responsibilities may include:

Planning and coordinating special events or initiatives associated with the 50th anniversary celebration.

Assisting with the compilation of archival research related to the institution’s history. Reaching out to other campus groups to discuss collaborative programs or other opportunities. Participating in exhibition research and implementation. Working with the marketing section on creative promotion, marketing material, and social

media initiatives.

Qualifications

The Chazen Museum of Art encourages graduate students from all backgrounds to consider applying. A qualified individual might have all, or some, of the following qualities:

You are creative and have fresh ideas about public programming, engagement and placemaking.

You are an excellent communicator. You have project management skills and can balance creativity with structured planning. You may have a background, or interest in, art history, art, material culture, education, public

programming, or a similar field. You have experience, or an interest in, developing creative and inclusive programming. You have connections with campus or community groups.

Conservation Communications Fellow

Gathering Waters

Organization Description

Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts helps land trusts, landowners, and communities protect the places that make Wisconsin special. We promote private, voluntary conservation action and strengthen Wisconsin land trusts—citizen-run, grassroots organizations that permanently protect trails, scenic views, working lands, and wild places.

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In recent decades, the land trust movement has been quietly and quickly growing in the US. Land trusts play a key role in conserving land for enhanced ecological, economic, social, and cultural values. They partner with private land owners on voluntary land conservation agreements, and leverage government programs and partnerships to acquire parcels and easements, as well as carry out a range of stewardship activities. The land trust model of saving land by private action has become more prevalent only since the 1980s, so many people may not fully realize the scope of their work and how they contribute to conservation.

When Gathering Waters was established in 1994 there were 12 land trusts spread across the state, and a recognized need for a centralized service center to grow and nurture this young and eager conservation community. Today, after more than two decades of growth in the land trust movement, Gathering Waters works to build the capacity of nearly 50 land trust members through: training and other services that help increase the pace and permanence of land trusts’ work; and advocacy for public policies and programs that benefit and encourage private land conservation in Wisconsin.

Position Description

Land trusts have a vital role to play in protecting some of Wisconsin’s greatest assets, but face challenges (particularly in current political climate) in securing resources, support, and public programs/policies needed to do this work. The Fellow will play an important role in Gathering Waters’ efforts to demonstrate and communicate the relevance of land conservation and land trusts to the interests and needs of Wisconsin’s communities. This position will provide an exciting opportunity to shape the dialogue about land conservation in Wisconsin.

Responsibilities may include:

Researching and developing digital tools and print resources for demonstrating the impacts of land conservation.

Developing recommendations for land trusts on how they can increase the relevance of their work (e.g., linking with recreational, public health, and other priorities).

Compiling information about the greatest conservation needs at the state, regional, and local levels.

Qualifications

Passion for and experience with environmental conservation Effective communication via in-person, email, and telephone interactions Ability to work independently, identify resources, and work in collaboration with staff Research competence using both online and in-person sources Excellent organizational abilities and strong attention to detail Professional written and oral communication skills Ability to develop an effective work plan, organize details, set priorities, and meet deadlines Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite Ability to use ArcGIS desktop and online platforms, preferred

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STEM Education Research and Social Impact Fellow

Maydm

Organization Description

Maydm’s mission is to provide girls and students of color with access to the technical programming skills, soft skills, real world experiences, and mentoring support they need in order to become innovators and technology leaders. By unleashing their creative talent and energy, Maydm aims to help reduce the education and technology equity gaps that too many girls and children of color experience; and, in doing so, break the cycle of poverty by providing these children access to high-paying careers. Given the changing demographics of the United States, closing the equity gap is also crucial to meet the ever-increasing need for qualified employees in the tech sector. By helping to close that gap, Maydm also aims to be part of making Wisconsin a center for tech sector talent development.

Over the past 24 months, Maydm has worked with 500 students in Dane County. We have demographic information for 333 of those students; 58% of students were girls and 68% of them were students of color. For more information visit, www.maydm.org

Position Description

Maydm is seeking a fellow to undertake research on statewide STEM education, accessibility, and organizational impact. The fellow will work closely with the Executive Director and instructors to evaluate and improve program instruction and curriculum. We are dedicated to building a pluralistic faculty representative of the populations we serve. Maydm encourages graduate students from all backgrounds to consider applying, especially women, people of color, and those invested in addressing gender and racial inequalities.

Responsibilities may include:

Contributing to Madym’s communication strategy by researching and creating narratives for STEM education for youth of color

o Conducting research for a publication on STEM curriculum and Wisconsin DPI standards and accreditation

o Conducting research for the economic impact for training and education of youth of color in technology occupations

o Aligning research and education standards with Maydm curriculum and programs Supporting the Executive Director with program logistics, survey, evaluation, and assessment Creating inventory of Maydm programs and potential community and higher education

partners

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Researching grant opportunities Attending programs and provide on-site assistance

Skills and Competencies

Experience with program management and/or youth programming Proficiency in excel and Google suite Knowledge of research methods Photoshop skills, preferred Knowledge of statistics, preferred

Wisconsin Book Festival Fellow

Wisconsin Book FestivalOrganization Description

The Wisconsin Book Festival is Wisconsin's premier literary event. Each fall the festival draws a local and regional audience of 10,000 people for four days of author events, and the year-round series of events has drawn more than 20,000 people to an additional 100 events over the past four years. As the State Capitol and home to the University of Wisconsin, Madison boasts an engaged and active literary community who have shown a dedication to supporting great author programming. Madison Public Library is committed to ensuring that all Wisconsin Book Festival events are free and open to the public.

The Wisconsin Book Festival is presented by Madison Public Library, and funded by the Madison Public Library Foundation. The Festival is jointly managed by the library and Foundation with primary oversight by Director, Conor Moran.

Position Description

The Wisconsin Book Festival seeks a humanities graduate student who will work under the guidance of the Wisconsin Book Festival Director, and in collaboration with the Madison Public Library Foundation, Madison Public Library, and community partners involved in hosting and promoting the annual four-day Wisconsin Book Festival and related author events throughout the year.

This position will begin by preparing for and staffing the Wisconsin Book Festival on October 11-14, 2018. The Fellow will then create a plan for how to better promote the festival and festival standalone events in future years. The plan will include recommendations and tools for capturing attendee feedback, targeting niche marketing, increasing social media engagement, creating regional promotion strategies and budgets. The Fellow will also create a document detailing best practices for marketing, event management, and volunteer engagement surrounding the festival.

Responsibilities may include:

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Meeting with, and learning about, the many individuals and partner organizations connected to the Wisconsin Book Festival.

Assisting in planning and implementing festival events.

Working with the Madison Public Library Foundation on Festival support efforts, including grant research and donor outreach.

Working with the Madison Public Library marketing department to create sustainable practices for promoting the four-day celebration and standalone events.

Generating marketing timelines and contact lists for community partnerships.

Identifying ways to improve the Wisconsin Book Festival attendee experience.

Creating and implementing a post-festival survey and writing the post-festival report, including economic impact.

Researching regional organizations and events for possible partnerships based on related subject matter or interest.

Documenting processes to ensure long-term consistency, including promotional timelines, event logistics, and partnership interactions.

Qualifications

● Passion for working with people and connecting readers with high-quality author events.

● Interest in learning more about public libraries, donor relations, marketing, and event planning and management.

● Availability to work a large portion of the Wisconsin Book Festival, October 11-14, 2018.

● Understanding of web-based media, social media, and the potential for digital engagement.

● Experience or demonstrated ability to create plans and manage timelines.

● Commitment to principles of racial equity, inclusion, and social justice, and the ability to work with people of all cultures and backgrounds respectfully.

● Ability to travel to various destinations around the city for meetings or programs.

Educational Outreach Fellow

Wisconsin 101 and Wisconsin Historical Society

Organization Description

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The Wisconsin Historical Society, in collaboration with Wisconsin 101, a statewide, web-based, public history project based in the UW Department of History, offers a position for a Public Humanities Fellow in its Division of Educational Services. Founded in 1846, a year before Wisconsin was admitted to statehood, the WHS is the oldest publicly funded statewide historical association in the United States. By means of its many historical sites and museums, liaisons with local historical societies, outreach to educators and its renowned library holdings on North American history, the WHS is the leading custodian of state history and its foremost storyteller.

Position Description

The Educational Outreach Fellow will assist the WHS's Dept. of Educational Services in its programming activities and develop materials to be posted on the Wisconsin 101 web site for primary and secondary school teachers.

Responsibilities may include:

Promoting awareness of Wisconsin 101 among teachers by regularly communicating with educators through newsletters, social media, presentations, and other avenues

Gathering input from teachers on the ways that Wisconsin 101 can better serve their needs. Under the guidance of the WHS Director of Education, writing lesson plans and other materials

for teachers for posting on both partners’ web sites. Collaborating with both partners’ leadership on possible future directions for the project that

will make it more useful to teachers and students. For example, revising content on Wisconsin 101 and WHS Education Dept. web pages and enhancing linkages between the two.

Providing a liaison between the WHS staff and the editorial directors of Wisconsin 101 to advance their mutual interests.

Assist with National History Day Program as needed.

Qualifications

Effective face-to-face communication skills Working knowledge of Wordpress and Constant Contact or similar tools. Experience doing research using primary sources Willingness to learn curriculum development for various grade levels Experience with primary or secondary education

For questions, email to Aaron Fai, Public Humanities Program Manager, at fai@wisc.edu.

Please do not contact any of these organizations with questions about the positions.

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Public Humanities Fellowship ApplicationDue February 23, 2018

Save the following application form, along with any additional required documents, as one (1) PDF file. Name your file: PHF 1819 APP_[your last name]

1. Name:

2. Address:

3. Telephone Number:

4. Email Address:

5. Student ID number:

6. Department:

7. Field of Specialization:

8. Dates of Preliminary Examination(s) and admission to candidacy:

9. Title of Dissertation:

10. 100-word abstract of dissertation:

11. Faculty director of your dissertation:

12. Expected date of completion of PhD:

13. Briefly state your research interests:

14. Position to which you are applying:

15. Would you be interested in interviewing for a different fellowship position? If yes, please list up to two additional choices.

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16. List the names, titles, institution, and email addresses of two references who will submit letters on your behalf. Reference letters should address the student’s academic record and progress; qualifications for the position; past work; and potential contributions to and benefits from a Public Humanities Fellowship. Reference letters should be submitted electronically as a PDF document and sent directly by your recommenders to: applications@humanities.wisc.edu with “PH Fellowship_RefLetter_STUDENT NAME” in the subject. Deadline is February 23, 2018.

Additional Materials

1) COVER LETTER (required)

This should be written for the specific position you have selected. Please address your letter to the selected organization. You should explain why you are applying for this position and how your academic and extra-academic experience prepares you for it.

2) CV (required)

3) Statement (optional)

In 500 words (or less), please present any information that enhances and expands on but does not duplicate your cover letter.

Please submit all application materials electronically, in a single PDF document.

In the subject line, please put “PH Fellowship Application_ORG NAME_STUDENT NAME”

and send to applications@humanities.wisc.edu

Applications due: February 23, 2018

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