Erin Cheslow and Jade Chanel Williams were named Leading Edge Fellows by the American Council of Learned Societies. The two graduate students were among 16 PhDs in the humanities and social sciences selected for the program.
The fellows are placed in a two-year position at a nonprofit organization committed to advancing justice and equity. According to the ACLS, the Mellon Foundation-supported program aims to demonstrate the value of earning a doctorate in the humanities outside of academia and empower fellows to create real-world impact.
Erin Cheslow, a doctoral candidate specializing in American Indian and Indigenous studies, will serve as the outreach effectiveness program manager at The Community, an organization that offers guidance and support during incarceration and uses public awareness campaigns to correct the narrative about people with criminal records.
Jade Chanel Williams, a doctoral candidate in literary studies, will serve as the strategic programs manager at the Petey Greene Program, which supports the academic and career goals of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people through tutoring and academic programs.
Editor's note: Learn more about the fellowship by visiting the ACLS Leading Edge Fellows Program website.