McGillicuddy Humanities Center welcomes Fall 2026 undergraduate fellows
In fall 2024, the Clement and Linda McGillicuddy Humanities Center (MHC) welcomes four new undergraduate humanities research fellows: Kathryn Busko, Sadie Higgins, Reese Pelletier and Edgelynn Venuti. This cohort joins current fellows Emma Beauregard, Madeline Myers and Wyatt Perron.
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.
Busko, (Bangor, ME), the Echoes of Maine Fellow, is an Ecology & Environmental Sciences and Journalism double major in the Honors College, whose project “Tracing the Threads of Fiber Arts and Sustainability” will take the form of a documentary exploring how people who work with fiber think about, describe, and enact environmental sustainability. Busko will be working with faculty mentor Bridie McGreavy, Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism.
Higgins, (Brunswick, ME), the David ’64, ’67G and Alison ’71 Wiggin Humanities Fellow, is an English major, whose project “Jo March Is Not A Lesbian: Identity and the Queer Experience in Little Women” explores how Little Women pushed the boundaries of identity and feminism in 1868 and continues to interest modern readers through research that culminates in a devised theater performance. Higgins will be working with faculty mentor Rosalie Purvis, Assistant Professor of Theatre and English.
Pelletier, (Pittston, ME), the Liam Riordan Humanities Fellow, is a Mathematics and Economics double major, whose proposal “The Maine Alien Registrations: Franco-Americans in Maine and the Human Dimensions of Statistical Analysis” will utilize newly transcribed data from the 1940 Maine Alien Registrations to explore patterns in Franco-American immigration, language use, and cultural expression. Pelletier will be working with faculty mentor Susan Pinette, Director of Franco-American Center and Professor of Modern Languages.
Venuti, (Robbinston, ME), the The Sandra Merrill Peters and John G. Peters Humanities Fellow, is an Ecology & Environmental Sciences major in the Honors College, whose project “Rooted in Regeneration: A Short Film Highlighting Sustainability Successes in the Passmaquoddy Tribe” will result in a short documentary style film that explores the current social and environmental dynamics of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point through interviews with community members. Venuti will be working with faculty mentor Sharon Klein, Associate Professor of Economics.
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 October 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.