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The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is a prestigious program designed to support undergraduate students who aspire to gain admission to doctoral programs. This fellowship offers not only substantial financial assistance but also essential academic guidance and the chance to engage with a dynamic, interdisciplinary community of exceptional students.
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The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, affiliated with the Honors Academy, prepares students for graduate study at distinguished colleges and universities. Named after Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the noted African American educator, statesman, minister, and former president of Morehouse College, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is committed to supporting demographic transformation in higher education and to promoting the value of multivocality in the humanities and related disciplines.
Founded at Brooklyn College in 1989, the program is supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation with the goal of guiding students of great promise to become research scholars. The Mellon Foundation seeks to transform selected humanities and social sciences fields by supporting young scholars whose perspectives will greatly enrich the experiences of their students and colleagues.
The application includes a one- to two-page essay expressing your background and research interests for graduate study and two letters of recommendation from faculty members who can speak to your academic abilities. You will be interviewed and your application will be reviewed by the program director.
The fellowship is open to high-achieving students who are considering pursuing graduate study in humanities and social science fields (visit Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program for a complete list of eligible majors).
If you are a second semester sophomore or a junior with no fewer than 45 credits to graduation, a GPA of 3.50 or higher, and have a passion for eradicating racial disparities in higher education, you should consider applying to this program.
Get to know a few former Mellon Mays Fellows.
Acclaimed classicist Patrice Rankine ’92 focuses his research on bringing Black classicism, its history, and its relevance to the next generation of aspiring scholars. Read our interview with Patrice Rankine.
Suffering from fashion-industry burnout, Sherri V. Cummings ’15 found her passion in Africana studies. Read more about her route to success at Brooklyn College and beyond.
A noted author and scholar with a passion for the humanities, King spearheads programming that contributes to the intellectual life of the campus. Read more about Rosamond King.
Ruben Pérez Lama credits his successes to building and tapping into the care and support of community networks. Read more about Ruben Pérez Lama.
Physics professor Sophia Suarez’s work focuses on characterizing the ion and molecular dynamics in various types of materials, especially those with application in electrochemical devices such as non-lithium ion-based batteries. Read more about Sophia Suarez.
Director: Lynda Day 2231 Boylan Hall E: lday@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.5597
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