BSC professor wins prestigious Woodrow Wilson fellowship supporting innovative teaching

For Immediate Release
Apr. 29, 2020

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Birmingham-Southern College Assistant Professor of Political Science Desireé Melonas has been named a 2020 Career Enhancement Fellow by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.

The Career Enhancement Fellowship, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, seeks to increase the presence of underrepresented junior and other faculty members in the arts and humanities by creating career development opportunities for selected Fellows with promising research projects. The program provides Fellows with a six-month or one-year sabbatical stipend (up to $30,000); a research, travel, or publication stipend (up to $1,500); mentoring; and participation in a professional development retreat.

Melonas is one of ten junior faculty members from across the country to receive a 12-month fellowship.

“I plan to use this fellowship to help prepare my book manuscript, A Political Theory of Place, for publication,” Melonas said. “What's most exciting about this year is that, while I'll miss my students and teaching a great deal, this fellowship provides the time and intellectual space to get really intimate with my work. I think it's an intimacy with and excitement for our scholarship that enables us to be better, more inspired teachers; we bring that energy – that enthusiasm for discovery and learning – with us and inject it into the classroom.”

Melonas, who joined the BSC faculty in 2017, earned her bachelor’s in history from Saint Vincent College and her Ph.D. in political science from Temple University. Melonas came to BSC from Swarthmore College, where she was a visiting assistant professor.

In 2018, Melonas received the Bob Whetstone Faculty Development Award, given annually to a non-tenured faculty member to recognize their excellence in teaching.

“The fellowship is an excellent opportunity for Desireé and we’re proud of her achievement,” said Dr. Brad Caskey, BSC provost. “Prestigious awards such as this provide our faculty the chance to spend time on scholarly work and that ultimately benefits our students in the classroom.”

Since arriving at BSC, Melonas has established a black studies distinction and the addition of a political theory focus in the political science department. Melonas is involved with the Black Women’s Union, the Mortar Board, Students Demand Action, and the Diversity Committee.

The 2020 Career Enhancement Fellows represent top institutions from across the country. Fellows work in such disciplines as African American and diaspora studies, English, LGBTQ studies, political science, sociology, and musicology.

“The Foundation is delighted and privileged to be able to recognize Dr. Melonas and your institution with this award,” said Frances Micklow Hannan, the Foundation’s director of multimedia projects.

Administered at the Woodrow Wilson Foundation since 2001, the Career Enhancement Fellowship has supported more than 400 junior faculty members, creating a robust network of scholars committed to eradicating racial disparities in core fields in the arts and humanities.

Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Kevin Drace, who joined the BSC faculty in the fall of 2016 on tenure track, was one of eight recipients of the 2019 Course Hero-Woodrow Wilson Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching.

More information about the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation can be found at woodrow.org.

About Birmingham-Southern College:

Birmingham-Southern College is a four-year, private liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Ala., founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It enrolls about 1,300 students from more than 30 states and 8 foreign countries. Learn more online at www.bsc.edu.