Arts and Humanities program selects seven fellows for its Class of 2024

The Division of Research at Texas A&M University announced its 2024 Arts and Humanities Fellows, honoring seven faculty members for their research and creative projects.

Fellows will receive a three-year grant totaling $15,000 under the Standard Fellowship or a two-year grant for $10,000 under the new Emerging Technologies Fellowship.

“Our Arts and Humanities Fellowships inspire our faculty to advance knowledge in the humanities and strive for excellence in the performing and fine arts,” said Dr. Jack G. Baldauf, vice president for research. “These disciplines are crucial for shaping our understanding of the world and preparing future leaders. We eagerly anticipate the scholarly and creative contributions these faculty members will make.”

Since 2015, the Arts and Humanities Fellows Program has supported 72 faculty projects. A new class of Arts and Humanities Fellows is chosen annually by a peer-review committee. Application is open to Texas A&M faculty who are eligible to serve as principal investigators and who engage in scholarship in the humanities or creative work in the arts. Selections are based on merit and originality, professional qualifications, clarity, benefit to the public and overall quality.  

“We are delighted with the high caliber of applications we received this year,” said Dr. Gerianne Alexander, associate vice president for research and director of the fellowship program. “The work produced by these new fellows will enhance our understanding of complex cultural, historical and social issues.”

The following faculty members were named to the fellowship program’s Class of 2024:

Standard Fellowships

• Dr. Curry Kennedy, assistant professor, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, will explore how the arts of language were seen as conduits of divine grace in early modern England, shaping students towards an ideal spiritual citizenship during the Reformation.
• Dr. Nancy Klein, associate professor, Department of Architecture, College of Architecture, will conduct a comprehensive study of the pre-classical architecture of the Athenian Acropolis, focusing on its development during the 6th and early 5th centuries B.C.
• Dr. Regina Mills, assistant professor, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, will explore how video games shape societal ideas of Latinxs by examining representation, narratives and experimentation in games, and by interviewing game developers and writers.
• Dr. Stephen Riegg, associate professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences, will investigate how Soviet Russia used various methods to control the Caucasus, comparing Russian practices to other empires and exploring the region’s role in 19^th century migration.
• Dr. Sally Robinson, professor, Department of English, College of Arts and Sciences, will examines how recent popular fiction by women reflects the impact of neoliberal and postfeminist ideas on motherhood, showing how these ideas create pressures and risks for women without resources.
• Krista Steinke, assistant professor, Department of Visualization, College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, will create a film trilogy exploring the connection between human experience and the natural world, emphasizing humanity’s dependance on the planet as well as its responsibility to nature.

Emerging Technologies Fellowship

• Dr. Leonardo Cardoso, associate professor, Department of Performance Studies, College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, will explore how sound and listening influence state action, developing a framework to understand governmental practices and principles beyond visual-centered approaches.

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