Columbia University
The Department received a three-year (2022-2025) grant from A&S in 2021 with the goal of helping students, mainly from the region, prepare their applications for graduate school and develop their research skills.
HSI was aimed at mentoring students interested in PhD admission who are (i) the first in their family to attend college; (ii) have, either as a result of their socio-economic background, status as a member of an historically underrepresented group, or challenging life experiences, overcome substantial obstacles on their journey to college; (iii) have lived or worked in a diverse environment; and/or (iv) have, through the undergraduate education or work experience, demonstrated a commitment to serving historically underprivileged populations or demonstrated a commitment to the academic study of historically underrepresented populations.
The program was run in collaboration with GSAS’s Summer Research Program team and the Leadership Alliance. Prospective students applied for the Summer Research Program using the Leadership Alliance application. The application opened on November 1st and closed on February 1st.
The History Summer Institute (HSI) consisted of thematic history seminars to introduce students to the experience of rigorous graduate-level training. It also included a series of workshops focusing on pathways to Ph.D. applications in the Social Sciences, especially History, and covering application materials (writing sample, statement, etc.). Each of the student participants in the HSI were paired with faculty who provided mentorship on their research interests and pathways through the admission processes.
Between early June and early August, a group of students came to Columbia. They were hosted by GSAS which also organized other activities. The following is a general description of HSI’s experience:
1. Group sessions of one and a half hours in which faculty members met with the group every other week. These workshops were intended to expose students to rigorous graduate-level training on topics to be determined by faculty. A sample of themes used included the history of decolonization, US foreign policy, sports and race, the medieval world, histories of Africa and South Asia, and history in the public sphere. These varied according to the interests of instructors.
2. Individual meetings between History faculty and students. These meetings paired faculty and students according to their themes and interests and provided mentorship on their research interests and the graduate admissions process. Generally, there were two students per faculty mentor.
3. Presentations by invited speakers to discuss various research topics, including (Hidden) Archives, Admissions Process, Life as a PhD, Dissertation Writing, Careers beyond the Academy.
4. Advice and mentorship from one current history graduate student throughout the program. This student was in charge of the workshops described above, met with students to follow their progress, and coordinated the academic aspects of the program (schedules, classrooms, etc.).
HSI-CCNY 2024
Starting in Summer 2024, we partnered with CUNY’s City College New York (CCNY) to encourage student applications. We were extremely delighted with the support of Dean Andrew Rich, Dean Renata Miller, Prof Anne Kornhauser, and other colleagues across CCNY. The aim was to encourage CCNY students who are interested in, or planning to, apply for PhDs in History or allied fields. The HSI-CCNY effort was led by Prof. David K. Rosner.
