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 | Cal State L.A. Receives "American"identities are formed Los Angeles, CA -- The Rockefeller Foundation has approved a $325,000 grant to California State University, Los Angeles to support a humanities fellowship program, ÂBecoming and Belonging: The Alchemy of Identity in the Multiethnic Metropolis. This is the largest private grant ever received by the UniversityÂs College of Arts and Letters. Cal State L.A. is one of only eight institutions in North and South America selected as a Rockefeller residency site among 45 applicants. In recent years, the recipients have included Columbia University, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley. The project, co-directed by Richard T. Rodriguez (Chicano Studies) and Alejandra Marchevsky (Liberal Studies), will begin in fall 2003 and continue for three years. Through the grant and matching funds from the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Natural and Social Sciences, two internal and two external fellowships will be supported. ÂThis major grant affirms the vitality of the UniversityÂs humanities programs and the excellence of our faculty, noted Carl Selkin, dean of Cal State L.A.Âs College of Arts and Letters. ÂIn particular, it reflects the importance of the humanities in fostering a better understanding of and among Southern California communities. The grantÂestablishing Cal State L.A. as a Rockefeller residency siteÂwill enable researchers to study the concept of Âbelonging in American society, especially in the diaspora of greater Los Angeles and the Pacific southwest. Although such topics are often thought of as exclusively the domain of the social sciences, Selkin said, ÂHere, faculty members in humanities disciplines such as literary and communication studies, art and music history, and philosophy, will partner with colleagues in the social sciences. ÂThe College of Natural and Social Sciences at Cal State L.A. is a full partner in this project, said Desdemona Cardoza, dean of the College. ÂIn fact, our Natural and Social Sciences faculty in Chicano studies, Latin American studies, Pan-African studies, psychology, sociology and political science have long been engaged in innovative, interdisciplinary research. We are honored that the Rockefeller grant validates and brings further prominence to their work. Over the course of three years, selected scholars from the University and the global academic community will address three themesÂfundamentalism(s) in a multicultural society, gendered labor in the global marketplace, and the transformation of family in hybrid cultures. Participants will analyze how American identities are forged through the confluence of cultural traditions, globalization, labor conditions, family structures, and gender roles. Cal State L.A.Âs location, at the intersection of several of the most significant diasporic communities in the nation, offers an ideal site for the study of cultural dispersion and resiliency, particularly in the Latino/a, Asian, and Middle-Eastern communities. ÂOne of the most important benefits of this project is the way in which it supports and builds the long-term stability of two emerging interdisciplinary programs: the American Communities Program established through an NEH matching grant, and the Center for the Study of Genders and Sexualities. Both of these projects will benefit from the momentum the Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship Program provides, explained Selkin. Rockefeller officials were particularly impressed with the non-traditional structure of the grant project that made it possible for Cal State L.A. to have an engaged community of scholars, said Professor Rodriguez. ÂNormally, Rockefeller residencies only support external fellows. By incorporating two of our own faculty scholars, we achieved a stimulating and productive research community. Marchevsky added, ÂThe program is designed to involve the entire campus and the public through an ongoing seminar, an annual colloquium, and an academic conference in 2006. ÂThe ultimate beneficiaries of this grant will be the Cal State L.A. students who are partners with our faculty in learning about the world, their communities, and themselves through the humanities, said Herman D. Lujan, Cal State L.A. provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. ÂBecause the daily lives of our students are closely tied to our research theme, their participation in the fellowship will be especially meaningful, offering them not only cutting-edge humanities research, but a new context for their research, and possibly for their own lives, said Lujan. ÂFor faculty, this project offers a way to encourage the optimism and intellectual energy of our young faculty, who will be participating in research group dialogue and a successful and innovative, faculty-inspired program, Lujan continued. For more information on the Rockefeller Humanities Fellowship program, the Center for the Study of Genders and Sexualities, or the American Communities Program, contact Robin Moler, director of development, College of Arts and Letters at Cal State L.A., (323) 343-5061.
The American Communities Program and Endowed Chair explores the question, ÂWhat does it mean to be Âan AmericanÂ? by studying the evolving nature of American identity through the humanities disciplines. Supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and generous individual gifts, the endowment supports a 2-3 year rotating chair and a variety of academic programs, such as faculty-student collaborative research; new curriculum and teaching; seminars and public events; undergraduate and post-doctoral fellowships; and faculty research grants. The College is currently recruiting a distinguished scholar to fill the endowed chair. The Center for the Study of Genders and Sexualities, led by Ann Garry, Cal State L.A. professor of philosophy and Hema Chari, professor of English, is a university-wide, interdisciplinary center dedicated to providing support for scholars, teachers, and students who investigate gender and sexuality. The primary focus of the Center is to address issues of gender and sexuality particular to the diverse communities represented at Cal State L.A. and its surrounding community. The CenterÂs goals include revitalizing the gender studies curriculum; providing an institutional base of support for feminist, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender scholarship; sponsoring a visiting scholars program, offering campus networking events; providing mentoring for students; and, eventually, hosting an annual conference on gender/sexuality issues. California State University, Los Angeles, is a comprehensive university at the heart of a major metropolitan city. The 175-acre hilltop campus is located five miles east of Los Angeles civic and cultural center. Since 1947, Cal State L.A. has been a leader in providing quality higher education. Today, the campus comprises a faculty of internationally recognized scholars and artists, and more than 20,000 students with a wide variety of interests, ages and backgrounds that reflect the cityÂs dynamic mix of populations. The College of Arts and Letters at Cal State L.A. is the academic home to more than 2,700 majors and 120 full-time faculty members. The departments in the College include the visual and performing arts, disciplines in the humanities, and two multidisciplinary programs. It is one of only 15 institutions nationally to participate in the Woodrow Wilson Postdoctoral Fellowships. A National Endowment for the Arts grant enabled the College to research an in-depth study of the Chinese Diaspora. In addition, the American Literature Association is housed in the College, and the major publication Journal for Film and Video is edited by a College faculty member. The College of Natural and Social Sciences, the largest college at Cal State L.A., is committed to academic excellence in its programs that lead to unlimited opportunities for its diverse student body. The College offers 23 bachelors and 15 masters degree programs in 14 academic departments that include: Anthropology, Biological Sciences, Chicano Studies, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geography and Urban Analysis, Geological Sciences, History, Latin American Studies, Mathematics, Pan African Studies, Physics and Astronomy, Political Science, Psychology and Sociology. The College strongly encourages interaction among the natural sciences, social sciences, and the University and local community as an essential component of its mission. The College faculty members are nationally recognized for mentoring students and for their direct involvement with undergraduate and graduate student research and scholarly activity. This outstanding and dedicated team, numbering nearly 200, continues to be very successful in grant activity and scholarly publications in peer-reviewed journals. # # # |