Marcus Smith and Mabrouka M'Barek Awarded Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
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Marcus Smith, an Afro-American Studies PhD Student, and Mabrouka M'Barek, a PhD student in Sociology, have been awarded the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship, a highly selective Fellowship.
The Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowships support graduate students in the humanities and social sciences who show promise of leading their fields in important new directions. The program seeks to expand the range of research methodologies, formats, and areas of inquiry traditionally considered suitable for the dissertation, with a particular focus on supporting scholars who can build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable academy.
Smith's research centers on the history and analysis of social movements and political organizations in the African Diaspora and the preservation, documentation, and interpretation of African-American communities, cultural landscapes, and historic sites. Specifically, Marcus is interested in the grassroots preservation efforts of Black individuals, groups, and communities, the social and political context in which this preservation occurs, and the associated individual and community narratives.
M'Barek's research interests focus on political economy, race, class, social theory. Her work has also included research on the non-partisan examination of monetary policies in support of post revolution transitions, as well as serving as a member of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia from 2011 to 2014.