American Fellowship & Grant Recipients

2011–12 Summary
Dissertation Fellowships: 58
Postdoctoral Fellowships: 11
Publication Grants: 14
Total Fellowships: 83
Women of Color: 17%
Eligible Applicants: 900
Total Awards: $1,549,000

American Fellowships support women scholars completing doctoral dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research, or finishing research for publication. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Search for Recipients »

Search for Sponsors »

The oldest and largest of AAUW’s fellowship and grant programs, the American Fellowships program began in 1888, a time when women were discouraged from pursuing an education. Now one of the largest sources of funding for graduate education for women, AAUW has provided more than $83 million to more than 11,000 fellows and grantees since awarding its first fellowship to Vassar graduate Ida Street, a pioneer in the field of early American Indian history.

American Fellows have continued to make important contributions to scholarship and society:

• Melissa Harris-Lacewell (2001) is an associate professor at Princeton University, a columnist for The Nation magazine, and a regular contributor on MSNBC.
• Late critical essayist, short-story writer, and novelist Susan Sontag (1957) wrote about modern culture.
• Late Challenger astronaut Judith Resnick (1975) received a fellowship to complete her dissertation on chemical engineering.
• Several American Fellows served as college or university presidents, including Rhoda M. Dorsey (1953) at Goucher College, Hanna Holborn Gray (1954) at the University of Chicago, Mary Maples Dunn (1957) at Smith College, and Nannerl O. Keohane (1966) at Duke University.

The 2011-2012 American Fellows continue this legacy. To contribute to their fields and society, the diversity of their study includes the development and function of early financial markets; gene regulation in embryonic stem cells; global ecosystem processes; transportation engineering; and the resurgence of early modern theatre practices intervention with contemporary audiences and expectations.

AAUW thanks the following 2011 American Fellowships appointed and guest panelists: Jessy Alexander (IL), Panel Chair, biological sciences; Isolde Anderson (MI),communications; Safoi Babana-Hampton (MI), language/literature; Candace Lea Bailey (NC), music; Dina Bangdel (VA), visual/performance art; Llana Barber (MA) history; Karen Bell (MD) history; Sarah Berger (NY) psychology; Emily Blank (DC), economics; Lisa Campbell (NC) geography/environmental policy; Marilyn Casto (VA) architecture; Joan Chiao (IL) social psychology; Karen Coschigano (OH) molecular biology; Diane Dean (IL) educational administration; Misun Dokko (PA) English literature; Pamela Eddy (VA) higher education; Emily Erikson (CT) sociology; Katherine Harris (CA) English/comparative literature; LaMonda Horton-Stallings (IN) literature; Dana Hunt (NC) marine biology; Kathleen Ingersoll (MD) anthropology; Elizabeth Jurisich (SC) mathematics/physics; Jessica Kastler (MS), marine biology; Mary Lorena Kenny (CT) anthropology; C. Lindsey King (TN) anthropology; Lisa Levenstein (NC) political science; Karen Markin (RI), communications and journalism; Shelly Matthews (SC), religion; Aurora Morcillo (FL), women’s studies; Amy Mullin (MD), physical sciences; Mindy Nancarrow (AL) art history; Tariqah Nuriddin (DC), sociology; Solimar Otero (LA) English/African & African American studies; Lisa Park (MN) sociology; Darleen Pryds (CA), history; Casandra Rauser (CA) biological sciences; Ruth Richardson (NY) civil & environmental engineering; Rebecca Rozelle-Stone (ND) philosophy/religious studies; David Simmons (SC) anthropology; Philip Tacka (PA) music/musicology; Karin Tollefson-Hall (VA) art history/art education; Sherri Wallace (KY) political science; Jennifer Wallach (TX) history; Helene Weldt-Basson (MI) Latin American literature; Jaye Cee Whitehead (OR) sociology.