Fellow & Alumni Achievements

Deanna Sharpe (MMUF Cohort 24) was awarded a Fulbright Postgraduate Award to study at York University in the United Kingdom. At York University, Deanna will join the Forensic Speech Science MSc program in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science.

In addition to receiving the Fulbright award, Deanna also received Emory University’s Charles E. Shepard Scholarship, which provides funding toward graduate school tuition and expenses for students pursuing a Master's or PhD. Recipients of the Shepard Award must demonstrate a superior record of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement, and personal promise, as well as other indicators of substantive intellectual accomplishment such as research awards, departmental awards, independent research, and/or publications. Deanna also demonstrated the ability to complete a graduate program ranked among the best for her discipline with distinction.

Lynette Dixon (MMUF Cohort 15), doctoral candidate in UCLA’s Department of Gender Studies, was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award by UCLA’s Teaching and Learning Center, becoming her department’s first recipient. The award recognizes teaching assistants who advance pedagogical practices that inspire, challenge, and support all students. 

Lynette serves as her department’s Teaching Assistant Consultant. This position is held by experienced graduate students who teach a department’s pedagogy courses, imparting teaching and classroom facilitation skills to fellow graduate students.

Celeste Lee (MMUF Cohort 1) was awarded an ACLS HBCU Faculty Fellowship in Spring 2025, one of only eight scholars selected nationally for this prestigious honor. Celeste is an assistant professor at Spelman College, and her project, "Racial Bias and Black Maternal Health: An Examination of Nurses' Knowledge and Perspectives," explores the impact of racial bias on maternal healthcare and seeks to deepen understanding of the challenges faced by Black mothers.

Courtney Fitzgerald (MMUF Cohort 23) was awarded the prestigious Beinecke Scholarship, recognizing her exceptional academic achievements and commitment to graduate study. Her research explores Black lesbian identity, examining its cultural and historical significance. This scholarship will support Courtney’s future doctoral studies, where she aims to further her scholarship on race, gender, and sexuality while contributing to broader conversations in the humanities.