The Catto-LeCount Emerging Scholars Fellowship introduces undergraduate juniors, seniors, and recent graduates from underrepresented backgrounds to doctoral study in history. In a three-day residential program, fellows learn about the graduate admissions process, the academic profession, and the Penn State Department of History’s fields of Asian, African, African American, Latino/a, and Native American studies.
During this three-day program, Liberal Arts faculty and staff demystify the graduate school admissions process and educate participants about the academic profession. All expenses including travel, housing, meals, and course materials are provided by the university. Students also will receive a $250 stipend upon completion of the program.
This program is specifically crafted for students who are interested in pursuing their Ph.D. in History, so we encourage all students from juniors onwards to apply. Penn State’s Richards Center, the Department of History, the Latina/o Studies program, and the Department of African American Studies sponsor the program in a collaborative effort to equip students from underrepresented populations to successfully apply to graduate programs in History.
Our objective is for students to leave the fellowship feeling confident about their decision to apply to doctorate programs, equipped to develop strong applications, with clarity about the strengths of Penn State’s History doctorate program options.
Workshop Sessions Include:
- What is this Ph.D. Thing All About?
- Constructing Your Statement of Purpose
- How to Read for Graduate School
- How to Choose the Best Program for You
- What is the History?
- Profession/What Do Historians Do?
- Penn State’s Dual Degrees in History and African American Studies or Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Eligibility
You should apply if:
- You are a U.S. citizen and 18 years old or older
- You have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher
- Are a third-year undergraduate, a student, or recently graduated
- Are interested in applying for a Ph.D. in history
- Are part of a group historically underrepresented in the discipline of history
Octavius V. Catto (1839–1871) and Caroline LeCount (1846–1923) were scholars, educators, and civil rights leaders in Civil War era in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Following the war, Catto and LeCount led a campaign of civil disobedience and legislative lobbying to win passage of a state law outlawing segregation on public transportation in Pennsylvania. They were engaged to be married when Catto was murdered by a white supremacist on Election Day in 1871. More than 5,000 mourners attended his funeral, honoring his and LeCount’s commitment to liberty and equal rights for all.
