An opportunity for qualified students who have a sincere interest in pursuing graduate work for the express purpose of pursuing a career in academia.
Research. Engagement. Action. Community. Humanities.
In December 2019, UNC Pembroke received a three-year $950,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish R.E.A.C.H—a program designed to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in faculty positions in institutions of higher education across the United States. R.E.A.C.H. aims to create a groundswell of future scholars among American Indian, African-American, Hispanic-American and other underrepresented minorities interested in advanced study in the humanities--although any qualified student is eligible.
Each Mellon Fellow will be paired with an individual faculty mentor to develop a research project. Mentors will also help Mellon Fellows target research repositories and appropriate conferences within their respective disciplines. Funds will be provided for research, travel, graduate school entrance exams, and an application to a graduate degree program in the humanities. Room and board will also be provided for the Summer Research Exploration Program that will be held on campus.
2024 - 2025 REACH Cohort
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W. Jacob Fischak Talbert
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
I like to watch historical documentaries and essay videos
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
My Grandfather to get one more life lesson
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
I would have like to experience the city of Tenochtitlan
If you had one wish what would it be?
I wish I was fluent in all languages to connect with more people
What is your theme song?
Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer
Abelina Sosa Capote
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
I love to plant a garden.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
I would love to have dinner with my dad.
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
I would of liked to had experience when MLK was giving the speech "I have a dream"
If you had one wish what would it be?
If I had one wish, I would ask to be in the presence of the Lord.
What is your theme song?
One day at a time
Sheena Holbrook
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Cookie Butter on apple slices and Oreo ice cream bars!
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Eleanor Roosevelt
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
Early North America prior to colonization by Europe
If you had one wish what would it be?
To have more time to spend with my son.
What is your theme song?
Sheena Is A Punk Rocker by The Ramones
Jenna Humble
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
The smell of book pages.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Anthony Bourdain.
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The conversation(s) that lead to the establishment of the Paris catacombs.
If you had one wish what would it be?
To have a selective eidetic memory.
What is your theme song?
Who Are You, Really? by Mikky Ekko
Monica Shelton
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Supernatural (TV show)
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Shakespeare or Jane Austen
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The Charles Manson Murders/Cult
If you had one wish what would it be?
To know everything.
What is your theme song?
Goofy Goober Rock from Spongebob
Lisa Beth Campbell Crouch
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
I collect patches to sew on my backpack when I travel.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
My sister, who died unexpectedly in 2020.
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
Middle Ages, but only if I was a princess.
If you had one wish what would it be?
I wish for everyone to find joy in every day. It is there, you just have to notice it.
What is your theme song?
The Letter by The Box Tops
David Haltom
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Playing Pokémon games for sure!
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
I would love to see the ancient city of Tenochtitlan before the Spanish pillaged it.
If you had one wish what would it be?
To know everything.
What is your theme song?
Laplace’s Angel by Will Wood
Kai Anderson
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Studying social theory on my own time
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Marilyn Monroe
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The Roaring Twenties
If you had one wish what would it be?
That everyone had equal opportunity to financial stability
What is your theme song?
Everybody wants to rule the world by, Tears for Fears
Skyla Miller
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
The show how i met your mother
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Reece Witherspoon
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
When they were writing the constitution, i just wanna know what was going through their head and the reasoning behind a lot of stuff they wrote
If you had one wish what would it be?
BE RICH
What is your theme song?
i have no clue
Chloe Locklear
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Audio engineering
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Rick Rubin
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The Occupation of Alcatraz in the 60s and 70s
If you had one wish what would it be?
To restore indigenous foodways in my community
What is your theme song?
stay flo- by Solange
Mason Schwenneker
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Pokemon
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Ulysses S. Grant
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The American Civil War
If you had one wish what would it be?
That diseases would no longer exist
What is your theme song?
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Kristin Stowell
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
I love watching Bluey, my favorite character is Bingo
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Kevin McGarry from When Calls the Heart
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
I would have loved to experience 18th century Scotland.
If you had one wish what would it be?
My one wish would be to own two cows. I can't own just one or it would be lonely.
What is your theme song?
My theme song at the moment is "Listen to the Radio" by Molly Tuttle and Billy Strings
Ashlee Allen
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
Collecting CDs
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Donny Hathaway
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
The Stone Age
If you had one wish what would it be?
World peace
What is your theme song?
Never Too Late - Nat Turner Rebellion
Savanna Lowery
What is your nerdy guilty pleasure?
I love broadway musicals.
If you could have dinner with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?
Leonardo da Vinci
Which historical period/event would you have liked to experience?
Ancient Greece
If you had one wish what would it be?
If I had one wish it would to be a solid 6’4 so I could live out my D1 sports dreams.
What is your theme song?
Livin’ on a Prayer
2023 - 2024 REACH Cohort
2024 REACH Summer Exploration trip to Washington, DC |
2023-2024 R.E.A.C.H. Fellows
Research Changes Lives: How UNCP Provides a Pathway to Graduate School for Students from Underrepresented Minority Groups
- REACH Fellow Spotlight -
- 30 Brave Minutes Podcast episode featuring REACH Fellow Kaila Thompson -
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ELIGIBILITY
UNCP Students interested in becoming a R.E.A.C.H. Mellon Fellow must be either a rising junior or rising senior, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, but a full-time student with a major or minor in the humanities and agree to participate in a year-long series of events, including a four-week Summer Research Exploration Program.
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HOW TO APPLY (STUDENTS)
Interested students must apply by completing the application and submitting it and supporting materials by email to Dr. Michele Fazio, Program Director, at michele.fazio@uncp.edu
The 2023-2024 application window will close on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Student fellows and mentors will be paired and notified in time for participation in the Summer Research Exploration Program, which will take place daily June 5-29th (M-TH) both on campus and virtually.
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HOW TO APPLY (FACULTY)
Full-time faculty interested in serving as mentors must apply by completing a R.E.A.C.H. Mentor Application and submitting it with the required supporting materials by email to Dr. Michele Fazio, Program Director, michele.fazio@uncp.edu.
The 2023-2024 application window will close on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Student fellows and mentors will be paired and notified in time for participation in the Summer Research Exploration Program, which will take place daily June 5-29th (M-TH) both on campus and virtually.
Meet the New Director:
Michele Fazio
Director of REACH Mellon Program, Gender Studies Minor Co-coordinator, and Professor of English