Letter from the Administrative Director

Dean Wilmetta Toliver-Diallo

As we close the curtain on our spring semester, our Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Washington University has much to celebrate. This year, Mellon returned to the in-person Regional Conference, our senior Fellows are being celebrated across the University for their contributions to campus and we selected Cohort 31!!! With our new cohort, we bring many new faculty into our Mellon family and we are excited to work with them. Cohort 30 had a very strong year as well—many participated in summer programs and others are planning to attend summer programs in 2023. It will be exciting to see how their projects morph and develop as they head into their thesis year.

I recently returned from the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Coordinator Conference. The conference was energizing and confirmed the power of MMUF in supporting undergraduate research and preparing students to impact the academy in tremendous ways. I am proud that Washington University has contributed to the Foundation's objectives; we are indeed a model program.

I have worked with Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program in an official capacity for four years and in those short four years, there have been positive changes in our program at Washington University and nationally. The pandemic shifted the way many scholars approached their research questions and methodology but this was for the better. In order for institutions to become more inclusive, we have to examine the way we understand knowledge and challenge the status quo. However, we must remain rigorous in research and analysis while balanced mentally and emotionally. As scholars, we are not siloed from global happenings and attacks on our identity or freedoms. All of this is reflected in our scholars’ work. We hope you enjoy this edition of our Mellon Magazine.