Meliora Scholars
The Humanities Center and the School of Arts and Sciences invite applications from current first-year students to the Meliora Scholars program. The selective program offers:
- Funds for students to conduct independent research in the Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences (History and Anthropology). Educational experiences relevant to humanistic inquiry, such as language acquisition, internships, or Study Abroad programs, may also qualify for funding.
- Individual and small-group mentoring by faculty members
- Activities that explore the nature and rewards of humanistic research, such as discussions, field trips, and special opportunities to connect with both UR faculty and visiting scholars
- A humanities-based peer group
Admission and Mentorship
- The Meliora Scholars Program is open to upcoming second-year students in any major who are interested in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
- 10 students will be admitted to the program each year.
- Students will be closely mentored by members of the executive committee who serve on the Meliora Scholars subcommittee in three-year increments.
- Students will also be connected by their mentor with advisors outside of the executive committee, specifically those with expertise in their individual areas of interest.
Engagement Expectations
- Scholars will be expected to attend 1-2 Humanities Center and/or Meliora Scholars events per semester.
- A culminating project or presentation will be required from all scholars in their senior year.
Research Funding
Students who demonstrate sustained engagement in their sophomore and junior years will be awarded $1,000 to support their humanities-related research project in their senior year.
Research Projects
Meliora Scholars are empowered to pursue research that connects the classroom to the world around them. With the support of program funding, students have:
- Investigated the ethics and cultural significance of human remains in museums and sacred spaces.
- Studied the intersection of art and economic crisis in postwar Europe.
- Explored food justice as a tool of liberation and resistance in Black communities across the U.S.
- Conducted oral histories and archival research on gender and incarceration in upstate New York.
- Examined Leonard Bernstein’s legacy in transforming the boundaries between classical and popular music.
- Considered how 19th-century literature, whether romantic or realistic in style, conveys a shared skepticism toward modernity and social reform, revealing how resistance to absolute positions can itself become a stance open to critique.
How to Apply
Applications are due by October 24.