New Graduate Fellowship Focuses on Global Justice and Equity

Fellowship designed to continue legacy of John Hope Franklin

-By Charles Givens

March 29, 2023

The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) is delighted to announce the inaugural cohort of the Graduate Fellowship for Global Justice and Equity (GJE Fellows). This fellowship supports current advanced Duke Ph.D. students whose dissertations are situated in international or regional studies and make an important contribution to advancing understanding of racial, social and equitable justice.

The creation of the GJE Fellowship is influenced by the legacy of Dr. John Hope Franklin, acclaimed historian of African American history. Franklin was an American historian, scholar, and civil rights activist. He is known for his groundbreaking research on the history of African Americans, particularly his studies of the American South and the role of slavery in American history. He was also a committed global citizen. His destinations included Nigeria, where he celebrated that country’s independence in 1960; the United Kingdom, where he was a visiting professor at Cambridge from 1962-3; and Senegal, where he filmed “A Journey Toward Peace” with Bishop Desmond Tutu.

After receiving many outstanding applications, our selection committee has chosen an exceptional group of seven individuals to join our first cohort. OGA is excited to welcome these fellows to our community and to support them in their important work.

Below are the seven selected GJE Fellows. Their term begins June 1, 2023, and concludes May 31, 2024:

  1. SaeHim Park – East Asia, Asia-Pacific
    Art, Art History and Visual Studies
  2. Jasmine Magaña – Latin America/United States
    Art, Art History and Visual Studies
  3. Robin Fail – United States (Maine)
    Marine Science and Conservation
  4. Reshma Nargund – United States (North Carolina/Florida)
    Nicholas School of the Environment
  5. Elizabeth Brown – North America
    Art, Art History and Visual Studies
  6. Miguel Martinez – Mexico/United States
    Political Science
  7. Adrienne Jones – United States (South)
    Public Policy and Sociology

The GJE Fellowship offers the following to each fellow:

  • Full 12-month coverage of tuition and fees and a stipend
  • Inclusion in a cohort with like-minded, transdisciplinary students who will share insights across regions around justice and equity.
  • Dedicated office space in the John Hope Franklin Center
  • Monetary support for scholarly journal publication
  • Opportunities for meaningful engagement and service in the local community
  • Professional development opportunities including:
  • Opportunities to share work and research with mixed (community and academic) audiences.
  • Collectively organizing and hosting a conference at Duke.
  • Opportunity to invite scholars to present their work at Duke and partner with an administrator to learn processes for success.

The GJE Fellows will hold offices in the John Hope Franklin Center, which is intentional, as this fellowship follows the example of John Hope Franklin himself. Franklin once said, “We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.” The Office of Global Affairs wants to walk with the fellows as they complete their time at Duke and help them to share their stories, their learnings and leave Duke leading with a lens of equity and justice.

Eve Duffy, AVP for the Office of Global Affairs, said, “The fellows in our cohort come from a wide range of backgrounds and have diverse experiences and areas of expertise. However, they all share a commitment to advancing global justice and equity through their research, advocacy and activism.”