More News

UNCP awarded $950,000 Mellon Foundation grant to support undergraduate research

By Staff Report, posted 1 year ago
Photo by UNCP

Impactful research through REACH will continue at UNCP thanks to a $950,000 grant awarded by the Mellon Foundation, which has funded the program since 2019.

REACH­­­ stands for Research Engagement Action Community Humanities. Funding supports research site visits across the United States, offsets the cost of applying to graduate school, and sends fellows to conferences to present their research.

“UNCP is honored to receive a generous grant once again from the Mellon Foundation, enabling us to continue our REACH program,” said Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings in a press release. “With our student body, UNCP is uniquely positioned to engage underrepresented groups in meaningful research, inspiring them to pursue graduate and doctoral programs. The ability to participate in undergraduate research because of this funding provides an invaluable opportunity for personal and academic growth, and each year, I’m eager to see the impressive work our students produce.”

Of the 34 REACH graduates, 70% have secured spots in graduate programs studying disciplines such as history, ethnomusicology, sociology and media arts production at UNCP, UNC Greensboro, East Carolina University, Duke, the Institute of World Politics, the University of Arizona, the University of Buffalo and law schools at the University of Virginia and Michigan State University. 

This fall, the fifth cohort of 15 REACH Fellows will participate in an experiential, community-based research project documenting the life histories of the Lumbee Tribe, examining the significance of place and cultural identity as represented in the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP) and photography issued by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) from 1936 to 1940.

REACH Fellows will contribute to three public humanities projects:

  • a community-driven archive that will be shared by the Lumbee Tribe and UNCP
  • a digital story map outlining pertinent information about tribal history as it intersects with the FWP and
  • an interactive FSA photograph community exhibit illustrating race and ethnicity in North Carolina.

Dr. Michele Fazio, a professor of English and director of REACH, said the research highlights bridging academic skills with community engagement.

“As the nation’s largest supporter of the humanities, the Mellon Foundation aims to support student research and engagement. Their investment in our students eliminates the financial burden that often accompanies research,” Fazio said in a press release. “The REACH program connects local and regional history with national archives and enables our students to consider how the documentation of lived experience in the past continues to shape the present.”

 

Ico insights

INSIGHTS

SPONSORS' CONTENT

In The Current Issue

A salute to service: LTG Braga relinquishes USASOC command

U.S. Army Special Operations Command Acting Commanding General, Brig. Gen. Kirk Brinker, gives a speech as USASOC bids farewell to Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga after serving four years as its commanding general outside the USASOC Headquarters at Fort Brag


Fall for Dogwood: The Fayetteville Dogwood Fall Festival returns in 2025

Graphic provided by Fayetteville Dogwood FestivalGood music, food and fall themed fun for all ages will swirl into Festival Park with the falling leaves this season. On Oct. 18 and 19, The Dogwood Festival will be returning for the fall. This free fe


Lending perspectives: Local banks respond to recent federal rate cuts

 Chair Powell answers reporters' questions at the FOMC press conference on Sept. 17, 2025. Photo provided by the Federal Reserve.On Wednesday, Sept. 17, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) announced that it had decided to lower the target r