Program Serving Arts and Humanities Undergraduates Wins Award for Diversity

At the annual Arts and Humanities Fall Faculty Recognition Reception held on October 28, The Program for Arts and Humanities Development (PHD) was honored with an award for Diversity Enhancement.

The PHD is designed to provide research, professional development, and intellectual growth to arts and humanities students from historically underrepresented groups who have indicated a desire to pursue graduate study in an arts or humanities discipline. In line with this goal, each summer the PHD brings approximately 15 students to the OSU campus for a nine-week curriculum and one-on-one research with a faculty mentor in their respective field. Participants receive room and board and a $3000 stipend; have access to up to $500 to reimburse summer research expenses and additional funds to attend a conference with their faculty mentor during the academic year.

Dr. Maurice Stevens, Associate Professor in the Department of Comparative Studies and Coordinator of the PHD, believes that the value of the program moves beyond research and invites program participants to consider their passion as an academic pursuit. "While the research experience students gain and the research projects they develop are important," says Stevens, "we are even more interested in their getting a sense of the life of the mind and of the passions that bring one to and ultimately sustain one in our profession."

The Program for Arts and Humanities Development fills an important void in programming developed to address the lack of diversity in the professoriate. According to Dr. Valerie Lee, Professor of English and Chair of the PHD Steering Committee, increasing diversity among the professoriate of American Colleges and Universities has long been an objective deemed important enough to warrant considerable fiscal and labor investment. Lee has participated as a faculty mentor in programs similar to the PHD but says that "the focus of these programs has been the successful matriculation of students in STEM-based disciplines while arts and humanities students from underrepresented groups often remain academically and professionally un-nurtured. Arts and Humanities is to be commended for taking a pro-active stance to address this imbalance." The Arts and Humanities Diversity Enhancement Award is given to honor those individuals or groups who have demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity at Ohio State and comes with a check for $500 to advance the mission of the program.

For more information about the Program for Arts and Humanities Development, please visit their Web site.