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Connecticut College receives $500k grant to establish a Mellon-Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program

November 06, 2008

NEW LONDON, Conn. - With a $500,000 grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Connecticut College becomes the newest institution selected to participate in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program (MMUF), a program dedicated to increasing the number of minority students and others with a demonstrated commitment to eradicating racial disparities who will pursue a Ph.D. in core fields in the arts and sciences.

"MMUF is perhaps the nation´s most prestigious ´pipeline´ program aimed at diversifying the nation´s professoriate," Dean of the College Community Armando Bengochea said. "Connecticut College joins a very select group of colleges participating in this program, and our selection reinforces the college´s commitment to diversity and academic excellence."

Each year, beginning this spring, the college will select up to five rising juniors who wish to pursue a Ph.D. in one of the traditional humanities or a limited number of other fields. These fellows will be provided with a stipend, summer research support, funding for research-related travel and the opportunity to attend regional and national conferences with MMUF fellows from other institutions.

The program also provides for campus mentoring and year-long programming designed by a faculty coordinator.

"This program promises to heighten campus discourse about the pressing national goal of diversifying college faculties and permits the college to make concrete contributions to this national goal on an annual basis," Bengochea said.

Following graduation, Mellon Fellows who enroll in Ph.D. programs in the designated fields are eligible for repayment of their undergraduate loans up to a maximum of $10,000.

Since the programs inception in 1988 approximately 2,900 undergraduate students have been selected as Mellon Fellows. More than 250 have earned Ph.D.s and are now teaching at institutions around the country and another 535 are currently enrolled in graduate study programs.

Situated on the coast of southern New England, Connecticut College is a highly selective private liberal arts college with 1900 students from all across the country and throughout the world. On the college´s 750-acre arboretum campus overlooking Long Island Sound, students and faculty create a vibrant social, cultural and intellectual community enriched by diverse perspectives. The college, founded in 1911, is known for its unique combination of interdisciplinary studies, international programs, funded internships, student-faculty research and service learning. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.

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For more information contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu