Public Fellowships
THI creates opportunities for Humanities students to contribute to research, programming, communications, and other activities at non-profit organizations, companies, and cultural institutions.
Through these fellowships, students foster meaningful relationships between the campus and the broader community, recognize the breadth of their expertise, and learn how the skills they have developed in their university programs can be employed in different positions. For students interested in exploring non-academic career paths, this kind of experience is essential. Fellows develop an understanding of how their knowledge might be deployed for historical work, curatorial projects, or policy-driven pursuits and develop experience that can lead to meaningful and long-lasting careers.
The students and the organizations they work with reflect the diversity of UCSC Humanities scholarship and the deep commitment of our students to connect their academic pursuits with the public. Past fellows have worked around the world, employing their skills and knowledge at organizations including The Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities in Oslo, Norway, the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center, the Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA) in San Jose, and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.
Current opportunities:
Graduate Public Fellowships Graduate Public Fellowships provide an opportunity for Humanities doctoral students to apply and expand their skills in a non-academic setting while engaged in graduate study. Some fellowships allow students to find their own partner organizations while others set students up to pursue opportunities with an established THI partner organization.
Learn more in the calls for applications:
Graduate Public Fellowships
Undergraduate Humanities EXCEL Fellowships
The Humanities Experiential Career Exploration and Learning (EXCEL) Program, housed under the umbrella of the Humanities Division’s Employing Humanities initiative, connects undergraduate Humanities majors and minors to organizations in the community for paid internships. In this cohort program, EXCEL Fellows gain practical experience and professional training while learning about positions outside of the university that build on their studies in the humanities. At the same time, community partner organizations benefit from students’ assistance and academic expertise. EXCEL fellowships demonstrate the value of a Humanities degree for a range of careers.
Learn more in the calls for applications:
Humanities EXCEL Fellowships
Check out currently open applications
Humanities EXCEL Showcase 2024-2025
Learn more about fellows’ experiences: Humanities EXCEL Program Digital Showcase 2024-2025
The Mellon Foundation, The Helen and Will Webster Foundation, The Humanities Institute, and the UCSC Humanities Division generously support the Humanities EXCEL Program. The annual fellowship with The American Prospect is possible thanks to the generosity of Michael Stern, TAP Board Member and UC Santa Cruz volunteer.
Questions? Please contact Saskia Nauenberg Dunkell, Research Programs and Communications Director, THI at saskia@ucsc.edu.
Summer 2025
- Daniel Arias (Literature) – Eastside Magazine
- Sam Kahn (Philosophy) – Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO)
- J. Ramos (Literature) – Pollen Initiative
- Linda Ulbrich (History) – City of Santa Cruz
Summer 2024
- Arielle Burgdorf (Literature) – The Center for the Art of Translation
- Breanna Byrd (Feminist Studies) – Warren County Environmental Action Team
- Matthew Kogan (Linguistics) – Indexical
- Brian Rivera Hernandez (Literature) – Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA)
- Maria Pachon (Literature) – Pollen Initiative
- Somreeta Paul (Philosophy) – PLATO (Philosophy Learning and Teaching Organization)
- Marina Segatti ( Feminist Studies) – Acervo Bajubá
Summer 2023
- Gabriel Evans Cayley (Feminist Studies) – Tamarack Free Library
- Rafael Franco-Flores (Literature) – Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society
- Rebecca Gross (Literature) – Lux Magazine
- Piper Milton (History) – Tumacácori National Historic Site
- Wesley Viebahn (Literature) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Yearlong 2022 – 2023
- Katie O’Hare (Literature) – Santa Cruz Shakespeare
- Nathan Osorio (Literature) – UC Press
- Radhika Prasad (Literature) – Center for the Art of Translation
Summer 2022
- Kendall Grady (Literature) – Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
- Theresa Hice-Fromille (Sociology) – Reality Labs
- Thais Miller (Literature) – Jewish Film Institute (JFI)
- Emily Padilla (Feminist Studies) – Transgender Law Center
- Emily Travis (Literature) – Prison Journalism Project (PJP)
- Jonathan van Harmelen (History) – Densho
Yearlong 2021-2022
- David Duncan (History) – Sausalito Marin City School District
- Morgan Gates (Literature) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
- Meleia Simon-Reynolds (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
Summer 2021
- Conner Basset (Literature) – Stone Soup Magazine
- Mia Tempesst Boykin (Literature) – TG/ENBY Project
- Jess Fournier (Feminist Studies) – Critical Resistance
- Kaiya Gordon (Feminist Studies) – Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society
- Anny Mogollón (Literature) – California Domestic Workers Coalition
Yearlong 2020-2021
- Daniel Butler (History of Consciousness) – UCSF Infant-Parent program
- Kelsey McFaul (Literature) – Center for the Art of Translation
- Kelsey Sasaki (Linguistics) – Senderos
Summer 2020
- Aaron Aruck (History) – Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (GLBT) Historical Society
- Alex Davis (Literature) – San Benito High School English Department
- Morgan Gates (Literature) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
- Matthew Simmons (Literature) – Catamaran Literary Reader
Yearlong 2019-2020
- Lani Hanna (Feminist Studies) – Freedom Archives
- Eric Sneathen (Literature) – GLBT Historical Society
- Jared Gampel (History of Consciousness) – KZSC/Digital NEST
Summer 2019
- Sienna Ballou (Literature) Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
- Shu Chang (History) – Boys and Girls Clubs of the Peninsula
- Morgan Gates (Literature) – Santa Cruz Shakespeare
- Joshua Jones (Literature) – Norwich Soup Movement
- Noya Kansky (Feminist Studies) – Heart Mountain Interpretive Center
- Gabriel Mindel (History of Consciousness) – Indexical
- Hafsa Mohammed (History of Consciousness) – AjA
Yearlong 2018-2019
- Trey Highton (Literature) – Save the Waves
- Melody Nixon (History of Consciousness) – Swell Creative Group and The Humanities Institute
- Gabriela Ramirez-Chavez (Literature) – UC Press
- Wyatt Young (History) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
Summer 2018
- Aaron Aruk (History), Badge List
- Ben Eischens (Linguistics), Pacific Collegiate School
- Kiran Garcha (History), Cal Humanities
- Lani Hanna (Feminist Studies), Freedom Archives
- Lisa Hofmann (Linguistics), Hand in Hand
- Erin Mariel McElroy (Feminist Studies), Frontul Comun pentru Dreptul la Locuire
- Maho Morimoto (Linguistics), Senderos
- Stephanie Luna Padilla (Literature), Border Angels
- Lisbet Gabriela Ramirez-Chavez (Literature), UC Press
- Eric Sneathen (Literature), GLBT Historical Society
Summer 2017
- Danielle Crawford (Literature Department), Planning and Conservation League (Sacramento)
- Andrew Hedding (Linguistics), Senderos
- Ryan King (Feminist Studies), Digital Nest
- Amani Liggett (Literature Department), Santa Cruz Shakespeare
- Priscilla Martinez (History), Tucson Chinese Cultural Center
- Jason Ostrove (Linguistics), Barra Heritage Centre (Scotland)
- Delio Vasquez (History of Consciousness), Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
- Kirstin Wagner (Literature), Catamaran Literary Reader
Summer 2016
- David Donley (Philosophy), Santa Cruz County Jail
- Kara Hisatake (Literature), Japanese American Museum of San Jose
- Sarah Papazoglakis (Literature), California Humanities
- Katie Trostel (Literature), The Center for the Study of the Holocaust and Religious Minorities in Oslo
- Vivian Underhill (Feminist Studies), Northern Alaska Environmental Center
- Claire Urbanski (Feminist Studies), Arizona State Museum
- Taylor Wondergem (Feminist Studies), Cabrillo College
2024-2025
- Kash Mejia (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), Black Surf Santa Cruz
- Lesly Nicasio (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major), Boys & Girls Club Santa Cruz County
- Fatima Sanchez (Linguistics Major) Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music
- Ava Macdonald (Literature Major), The Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County
- Mayah Moore (Psychology Major, Philosophy Minor), Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County
- Madeline Bautista Maurer (Literature and Environmental Studies Major), Foolscap Press
- Maury Burnett-Cavoto (Philosophy Major) KSQD Community Radio
- Haley Shuford (Literature Major)Leadership Santa Cruz
- Isabel Cordova (Literature and Psychology Major) Lookout Santa Cruz
- Chimera Mohammadi, (Literature Major) Lookout Santa Cruz
- Eetai Shwartz (History and Philosophy Major) Lookout Santa Cruz
- Leo Colletta (History Major) Museum of Art & History (MAH)
- Bronwyn Eyre (History and Spanish Studies Majors) Museum of Art & History (MAH)
- Morgan Woodley(History of Art & Visual Culture Major, History Minor) Museum of Art & History (MAH)
- Max Ari’i (Anthropology Major and Literature Minor) Museum of Natural History
- Liliana Barajas (Literature and Anthropology Major), Open Campus
- Jake Davison (History Major) San Lorenzo Valley Museum
- Eva Overton (History Major, Language Studies Minor) San Lorenzo Valley Museum
- Arabella Edler (History or Art & Visual Culture and Literature major) Santa Cruz Poetry Project
- Mars Nored(Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major, Black Studies Minor) Santa Cruz Poetry Project
- Isa Anderson (Literature and Education, Justice & Democracy Major) Santa Cruz Public Libraries
- Esmeralda Hurtado (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major) Santa Cruz Public Libraries
- Serena Ramirez (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Psychology Major, Politics Minor) Santa Cruz Works
- Mac Rogers (History of Art & Visual Culture Major, Literature Minor) Santa Cruz County Youth Poet Laureate Program
- Jadyn Polk (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies Major) Save Our Shores
- Riley Ramos (Literature and Psychology Major) Second Harvest Food Bank
- Heather Yee (Global & Community Health Major, History Minor) Seymour Marine Discovery Center
- Brock Hrehor (Philosophy Major) The American Prospect
- Paulina Garcia (Feminist Studies and Politics Major) The Hive Poetry Collective
- Gurleen Kaur (Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology Major) The Sikh Foundation
- Gabby Goss (Film & Digital Media Major, Spanish Studies Minor) United Way of Santa Cruz Count
- Janelle Harvey (Literature Major) United Way of Santa Cruz County
- Alanah Martinez (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Feminist Studies Major) United Way of Santa Cruz County
- Jamie Penilla (History Major) Women in Leadership for Diverse Representation (WILDR) Santa Cruz
- Kyle Johnson (Literature and Anthropology Major) Your Future Is Our Business
- Emily Moua (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Education, Democracy, and Justice Major) Your Future Is Our Business
2023-24
- Thomas Balmat (Anthropology and Literature) – The American Prospect
- Liliana Barajas (Literature and Anthropology) – Open Campus
- Ian Doyle (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Coury Jones (History) – Museum of Art & History
- Ruby Jung (Literature) – Lookout Santa Cruz
- Maia Mislang (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Janeth Pérez-Quirke (Literature and Education)– Watsonville is in the Heart
- Jacob Press (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Serena Ramirez (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies and Psychology; Politics Minor) – Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
- Sharan Sethi (Literature and History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Eetai Shwartz (History and Philosophy) – Lookout Santa Cruz
- Sebastian Zamora (History) – Museum of Art & History
2022-23
- Theresa Bostic (History and Sociology) – Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
- Ian Doyle (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Maddison Hwang (Latin American and Latino Studies, History of Consciousness) – Open Campus
- Elina Juvonen (History, Anthropology) – Okinawa Memories Initiative
- Lo Klauer (Feminist Studies) – Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
- Una Lynch (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Audy McAfee (Literature) – Prison Journalism Project
- Maia Mislang (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Harshita Neralla (History, Economics) – Prison Journalism Project
- Andrea Pastor (Philosophy, Politics) – The American Prospect
- Sara Sotelo (History, Education) – Museum of Art & History
- Rebecca Snyder (Literature) – Museum of Art & History
- Hana Yamamoto (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
2021-22
- Katrina Pagaduan (History) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Markus Portacio (History/Anthropology) – Watsonville is in the Heart
- Maxinne Virtue-Hill (Literature) – Prison Journalism Project
- Atlas Martinez (Literature) – Prison Journalism Project
- Ronald Gunna (Critical Race & Ethnic Studies/Feminist Studies) – The American Prospect
2020-2021
- Yatziri Arias Torres (Politics/Latin American and Latino Studies) – Senderos
- Mikayla Falk (Literature) – Senderos
2019-2020
- Mary “Miki” Arlen (Literature/Anthropology) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
- Diana Leon Garcia (History/History of Art and Visual Culture) – Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History