McGillicuddy Humanities Center welcomes Fall 2025 undergraduate fellows
In fall 2025, the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center (MHC) welcomes four new undergraduate humanities research fellows: Haden Buzzell, Thomas Gao, Eddie Nachamie and Helen Walter. This cohort joins current fellows Chantelle Flores, Heath Kennedy, Jordan Ramos and Ellis Sinclair.
MHC undergraduate fellows receive an award of up to $8,000 over the course of two semesters to pursue an independent research or creative project in the humanities in collaboration with a faculty member.
Haden Buzzell (West Newfield, ME), the David ’64, ’67G and Alison ’71 Wiggin Humanities Fellow, is a Political Science major and an Honors student whose project “Not Quite White: Understanding the Racial Identity of Franco Americans in Maine during the 20th Century” seeks to determine how the racial labels imposed upon the Franco-American community that migrated from Quebec and Maritime Canada into Maine during the 19th and 20th centuries shaped their treatment as an ethnic group. Buzzell will be working with faculty mentor Mark Brewer, Professor and Department Chair of Political Science.
Thomas Gao (Chilmark, MA), a Psychology major whose project “ADHD and the Lived Experience: A Phenomenological Inquiry of Mental Disorders” explores Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) through the perspective of phenomenology to provide a new framework to understanding ADHD beyond its classification in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. He is the Sandra Merrill Peters and John G. Peters Humanities Fellow. Gao will be working with faculty mentor Susan Bredlau, Assistant Professor of Philosophy.
Eddie Nachamie (North Andover, MA), the Echoes of Maine Fellow, is an Ecology and Environmental Sciences major and an Honors student whose proposal “Climate Change Futures in McCarthy, Alaska and the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains” examines the unique socio-ecological context of McCarthy, Alaska and the surrounding Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Nachamie will be working with faculty mentor Don Beith, Associate Professor of Philosophy.
Helen Walter (Brunswick, ME), a Political Science and History double major, is the Liam Riordan Humanities Fellow. Her project “Sir Thomas More’s Utopia and the Question of Justice” probes Thomas More’s book Utopia and the works it draws on in order to understand More’s answer to the question: how does human desire relate to justice? Walter will be working with faculty mentor Robert Ballingall, Associate Professor of Political Science.
In addition to honing their research skills and building their academic networks, MHC fellows serve as humanities ambassadors to their peers, the campus and the broader community. For students interested in becoming a fellow, and faculty who might like to nominate one, the next deadline to apply is March 17. Research and creative work of all types across the humanities will be considered. This includes academic papers, art gallery shows, community workshops or films. Applicants do not need to be humanities majors or minors to be eligible. More information, including application instructions, proposal guidelines and a statement of purpose, is available on the MHC website.
The MHC supports excellent teaching, research and public engagement in the humanities to deepen understanding of the human condition. It elevates programs that foster intellectual curiosity, critical reflection and creative innovation. At the core of the center’s work is the belief that studying the humanities inspires compassion across differences, develops empathy, strengthens critical thinking skills and cultivates the emotional and intellectual agility needed to navigate an increasingly interconnected and complex global landscape.
Contact: Alex Young