As the academic year has come to a close, the Richards Center proudly congratulates our 2025-26 postdoctoral fellows as they begin exciting new chapters in their careers this fall! During their time at Penn State, they contributed significantly to the community through their research, collaboration, and mentorship.

Halee Robinson will join the University of Texas at San Antonio as Assistant Professor of History and Race, Ethnicity, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Reflecting on her experience during the fellowship, Robinson said:

“My time at Penn State has been intellectually rich and rewarding because of the Richards Center. During my postdoc, I have had opportunities to attend workshops and professional development sessions, engage with senior scholars, connect with other brilliant fellows, and workshop my book manuscript. The latter was particularly fruitful because I received such helpful feedback and guidance from affiliates of the Richards Center and outside scholars. Above all, my time at Penn State has allowed me to write and revise my manuscript, which has been invaluable before starting a tenure-track position in the fall. I have enjoyed every moment of my time at the Richards Center, and I am grateful for the time and space to develop my ideas in this supportive intellectual community.”

Joshua Strayhorn will begin his new role as Assistant Professor of African and African American Studies and History at the University of Minnesota. Strayhorn described the importance of the fellowship in supporting his growth as a scholar:

“My year at the Richards Center and at Penn State more broadly has been integral to my development as a scholar and has allowed me to make great progress in my research project. Without the time and research support offered by the Richards Center, I would not have been able to enter the first year of my tenure track position with as much momentum as I have now. I will always cherish the intellectual community that was formed here and the generous and generative ideas that developed in the workshop. Bouncing ideas off my colleagues pushed me to think about things in ways I never would have. I will be forever grateful for the time spent at the Richards Center.”

After two years as a postdoctoral fellow, Hannah Katherine Hicks will join the University of Miami as Assistant Professor of History. Hicks described her fellowship as transformative:

“I so enjoyed and appreciated my two years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Richards Center, which have been really life-changing! The Richards Center community of professors, postdocs, predocs, and graduate students are second-to-none in their support for one another’s work, their kindness, and their ability to offer incisive, helpful feedback. Having a manuscript workshop last year, benefiting from other opportunities to share my works-in-progress, and sage advice from Richards Center affiliated professors all helped me to revise my dissertation into a manuscript, find a tenure-track job, and finally move forward with publishing my book. Though I will miss being at the Richards Center, I am excited to be starting a new position at the University of Miami in August.”

We say thank you to and wish the best for Halee, Joshua, and Hannah! We look forward to following their continued success in the years ahead!