Purpose

The UTSA Mellon Undergraduate Humanities Pathways Program is expected to contribute to enhancing diversity in the humanities broadly defined by increasing the number of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in doctoral humanities study. The UTSA Mellon Pathways Program connects the study of humanities to the current conditions of Latinos in the United States and beyond. The program provides research experiences, an apprenticeship with a UTSA humanities faculty mentor, visits to Texas humanities Ph.D. programs, a three-week professionalization workshop, and assistance in applying to humanities graduate programs.

2022-2023 Cohort

We are now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 Cohort!

Impact

With the current emphasis on STEM fields, disciplines in the humanities are sorely neglected and lack programs that support students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in pursuing graduate studies. Increasing the diversity of humanities researchers focused on Latino issues specific to the region and nation is valuable for communities and families, as well as for economic development. The theme Latinos in a Changing World is also purposeful in that Latino culture and experience is the common thread that connects the interdisciplinary humanities research of faculty at UTSA who will mentor, instruct and support fellows throughout the Mellon Humanities Pathways Program. At a broader level, our theme is aligned with the changing demography of the United States and the increasing globalization of the world.

Students in a classroom

In the News

For nearly a year, the first cohort of 12 fellows in The University of Texas at San Antonio Mellon Humanities Pathways Program have been working on their research skills and preparing for future graduate studies in the humanities. The program, primarily housed in the UTSA Mexico Center and the College of Liberal and Fine Arts, provides apprenticeships for undergraduates to pursue research in literature, art, music, history, communications, anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and other humanities fields. Fellows worked closely with UTSA’s top-tier faculty mentors, who taught them about the research process. Students used the skills they learned during those apprenticeships, seminars and workshops to present their research at academic conferences in Texas and around the country.