Mellon Mays program funding extended
By: Matt Day, Managing Editor
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: News
Two years ago, Shana Redmond '02 received her PhD from Yale University. The accomplishment isn't rare - about 60 percent of Macalester graduates go on to pursue advanced degrees.
But Redmond, who is now a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Southern California, represents a triumph for what has become one of Macalester's most successful pieces of co-curricular programming.
Redmond was the first graduate of Macalester's iteration of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program to join the faculty of a college. The fellowship, a national effort to encourage students of color to enter academia, has sponsored a program at Macalester since 2000.
Last Friday, Macalester received a $373,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue participating in the program through the 2012-13 academic year. In the 11 years since Macalester began training fellows, almost two thirds of program alumni have gone on to pursue graduate degrees. Including Redmond, thirty-six percent have completed or are working toward doctoral degrees.
Jane Rhodes, professor of American studies and the program's administrator, says the success rate is one of the best among colleges participating in the program.
"I think [the foundation] is really happy with how we run the program," Rhodes said. "We have a higher percentage than almost any other school. It shows that we select students who are going to get the most out of the program."
Through mentorships, financial sponsorship and other resources, the MMUF program supports students as undergraduate and graduates in order to even the playing field in higher education. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2005 only 16.5 percent of full-time professors in the United States were people of color.
"Programs like Mellon do an enormous amount to level the playing field in academia," Rhodes said.
While Rhodes heads the administrative side of the program, history professor Peter Rachleff coordinates MMUF activities on a day-to-day basis.
But Redmond, who is now a tenure-track faculty member at the University of Southern California, represents a triumph for what has become one of Macalester's most successful pieces of co-curricular programming.
Redmond was the first graduate of Macalester's iteration of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program to join the faculty of a college. The fellowship, a national effort to encourage students of color to enter academia, has sponsored a program at Macalester since 2000.
Last Friday, Macalester received a $373,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to continue participating in the program through the 2012-13 academic year. In the 11 years since Macalester began training fellows, almost two thirds of program alumni have gone on to pursue graduate degrees. Including Redmond, thirty-six percent have completed or are working toward doctoral degrees.
Jane Rhodes, professor of American studies and the program's administrator, says the success rate is one of the best among colleges participating in the program.
"I think [the foundation] is really happy with how we run the program," Rhodes said. "We have a higher percentage than almost any other school. It shows that we select students who are going to get the most out of the program."
Through mentorships, financial sponsorship and other resources, the MMUF program supports students as undergraduate and graduates in order to even the playing field in higher education. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2005 only 16.5 percent of full-time professors in the United States were people of color.
"Programs like Mellon do an enormous amount to level the playing field in academia," Rhodes said.
While Rhodes heads the administrative side of the program, history professor Peter Rachleff coordinates MMUF activities on a day-to-day basis.
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