In Their Own Words: Mellon Scholar Research Experiences
Kathleen Clark '16
Kathleen Clark ’16, has been pursuing research on the history and memory of the breakup of ex-Yugoslavia in the 1990s. In particular, she has been studying questions of identity in Serbian and Bosnian communities. Professor William Bowman has served as her mentor for this work, which she began in the fall 2014 semester in his contemporary European history class. In the spring of 2015, Katie was in Serbia and Kosovo, where she was able to conduct a number of first-person interviews with people about their experiences and memories of war and conflict in the region. In the summer of 2015, she has continued this research with the help of a Mellon grant. Professor Bowman is the faculty mentor for the Mellon project, too, which has allowed Katie the opportunity to conduct interviews among the Bosnian community in Carlisle, PA and in Gettysburg. She has also become interested in the history of memorials in ex-Yugoslavia and how individuals from that region have negotiated the transition to the United States. In the academic year 2015-16, Katie will continue her study of Serbian and Bosnian identity and present her work at several professional venues." - Prof. Bill Bowman
Jerome Clarke '17
Jerome Clarke '17, is developing an analytical framework for considering the conjunction of activism and philosophy through the work of W.E.B. DuBois, Karl Marx, William James, Huey Newton, and Angela Davis. He is connecting pragmatic underpinnings of their intellectual production with contemporary black activism such as the Black Lives Matter movement.
John Denny '16
“This past summer John Denny ’16, received a Mellon fellowship to research the fate of Jews who were expelled from the Spanish kingdoms in 1492. In particular John focused on Jews who went to Italy, looking to see how cities such as Venice, Livorno, and Ancona tried to attract Jews for primarily financial reasons. John looked at the writings of Jews who had been expelled from Spain to see if by emphasizing their wealth and talents, they actually encouraged certain communities to want to recruit them. He also considered how common perceptions of Jews as moneylenders might have caused city authorities to invite them to settle. John is hoping to present his findings at a conference for undergraduate students. He will also continue to research related ideas during his senior seminar this semester with Professor Karim Samji.” - Prof. Magdalena Sanchez