Welcoming a New Postdoctoral Cohort to Campus
This month, five new postdoctoral scholars will arrive at Boston University, the first class in a new College of Arts & Sciences Society of Fellows program that gives early-career scholars with a commitment to interdisciplinary and inclusive scholarship an opportunity to advance their research and teaching.
The five selected Scholars—in Anthropology, Archaeology, Classical Studies, Religion, and History of Art and Architecture—were chosen from a pool of more than 650 applicants because of their their innovative interdisciplinary research and potential contributions to the future of their fields; excellence in teaching and scholarship; and commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the academy. They will each be paired with a faculty fellow in their field.
“These are the rising stars of their fields who bring diverse interdisciplinary perspectives, enthusiasm and a vibrancy to the work that they do,” said Stan Sclaroff, Dean of Arts & Sciences. “They’re here to launch their academic careers, but also to join a scholarly community of peers. They will enrich the life of our campus, enlivening our classrooms and bringing new ideas and energy into our community.”
Boston University Arts & Sciences launched the program last fall as part of its 2030 Strategic Plan, joining about two dozen other institutions around the country in creating a space for recent doctoral recipients to advance their research and teaching, while simultaneously building an interdisciplinary community of early-career scholars. Postdoctoral scholars typically work independently with faculty members.
“The Society of Fellows fills a unique gap in the landscape of CAS in that we have our great undergraduate programs and our wonderful graduate programs and our wonderful faculty, and now, for the first time, we’re working to build a community for post-graduate scholars, for faculty of the future,” said Malika Jeffries-EL, Associate Dean of the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. “What would an ideal community of scholars bring? It would be multifaceted. It would be diverse. We would have scholars with different interests whose research crosses departments in new and innovative ways, cultivating new talent, giving people who are underrepresented in the academy an opportunity to launch their careers, and helping them build connection and synergy.”
The College has been working closely with BU Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs, on coordinating the program, developing resources for the postdocs, and creating opportunities for them to connect with other postdoctoral students on campus.
“I am particularly proud of the way this program emphasizes a core part of our university-wide definition of postdoctoral training — that it should be a mentored experience — through the intentional and deliberate way CAS has built the program’s training structure and selected the scholarly community that will support this new cohort,” said Sarah Hokanson, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Provost for Research Development and PhD & Postdoctoral Affairs.
At BU, the Postdoctoral Scholars will work on research projects and publications that diversify existing scholarship in their respective disciplines. For example, in her current project, Dr. Tori Lee (Classical Studies) “applies a lens of critical classical reception to the investigation of sexual and intimate partner violence in ancient literature.”
Postdoctoral Scholars will also conduct research that bridges disciplines. Dr. Najwa Mayer‘s (Religion) work exemplifies this criterion. Her current book manuscript examines “mass globalization of and contentions within ‘Muslim American’ popular cultures through the interrelations between racial, sexual, and secular politics, genres, and markets.”
For other Scholars, interdisciplinarity means bridging methodologies. Applying a broad range of methods in archaeological science and digital archaeology, Dr. Jacob Bongers (Archaeology), will continue to explore “how Indigenous communities in highland and coastal Peru mitigate climatic hazards and conflict in everyday life.”
The breadth and interdisciplinarity of Postdoctoral Scholars’ research will not only help diversify their fields but will also help diversify course offerings for BU undergraduates. Each Scholar will teach at least one course per academic year, with classes taught by the inaugural cohort slated for the spring 23 semester.
In addition to excellence in research, as applicants, Postdoctoral Scholars demonstrated a record of excellence in teaching. Dr. Alisa Prince (History of Art & Architecture), who studies “visual arts and artifacts of the Black diaspora” brings to BU her experiences teaching classes on topics that span Black identity, feminism, photography, and cultural capital.
Applicants were also asked to demonstrate their commitment to diversity and inclusion through service work within or beyond institutions of higher education. For Dr. Alize Arıcan (Anthropology), service and research often intersect. In her fieldwork in the Tarlabaşı neighborhood, which is home to many West African migrants, she regularly collaborates with community organizations led by Tarlabaşı residents.
The postdoctoral scholars will arrive on campus in late-August. They have two-year terms, with a possible one-year extension. Applications for Fall 2023 fellowships are due October 17.
“I am excited to welcome the inaugural Society of Fellows cohort into our vibrant postdoctoral community,” Hokanson said. “They will undoubtedly contribute exceptional research and scholarship within their disciplines as they launch themselves toward their next career step.”