Program Overview

Introduction to the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship

The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is the centerpiece of the Higher Learning program at The Mellon Foundation, an organization that supports communities, colleges, and universities through grantmaking and partnership in the arts and humanities.

Objectives of the MMUF

The fundamental objectives of MMUF are to reduce, over time, the serious underrepresentation on faculties of individuals from minority groups, as well as to address the consequences of these racial disparities for the educational system itself and for the larger society that it serves. These goals can be achieved both by increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue PhDs and by supporting the pursuit of PhDs by students who may not come from underrepresented minority groups but have demonstrated a commitment to the goals of MMUF.

Program Design and Goals

The MMUF program is designed to encourage fellows to enter PhD programs that prepare students for professorial careers; it is not intended to support students who intend to go to medical school, law school, or other professional schools.

History and Administration

Established by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 1988, the program funds MMUF programs at member institutions and consortia. The program's name honors Dr. Benjamin Mays, who was dean of the Howard University School of Religion, president of Morehouse College, and president of the Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education. The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship program reflects Dr. Mays' values in its commitment to fostering the academic aspirations of members of traditionally under-represented groups and/or those with interests in studies aimed at eliminating racial and ethnic inequalities. The MMUF program at UC Riverside is administered by the Center for Ideas and Society, the humanities research center for the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Program Details

• The MMUF program celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2019.
• UCR became a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Member Institution in 2014.
• Each year, only five undergraduates are invited to become Mellon Mays fellows.

Eligibility and Selection

The program is designed for students who demonstrate a commitment to the goals of MMUF, including increasing the number of students from underrepresented minority groups who pursue PhDs and supporting the pursuit of PhDs by students who may not come from underrepresented minority groups but have demonstrated a commitment to the goals of MMUF.

Program Structure

The MMUF program provides support and resources for fellows to pursue their academic goals, including encouragement to enter PhD programs that prepare students for professorial careers.