The Freshman Fellowship
A Year-Long Experience in Research & Mentoring
Notice: Listserv Problem Solved
We noticed that there was a problem with the email account for the applications. The problem was reported and is fixed. Send your application to sc-fellows@lists.johnshopkins.edu .
Feel free to CC your application to Heidi Herr (hherr1@jhu.edu) as a backup.
What Is the Special Collections Freshman Fellows Program?
Freshman Fellows is designed to give you an amazing research-driven experience in the Humanities during your first year at Johns Hopkins University! So, what's in it for you? So many things! You will:
- Conduct research with rare books, manuscripts, and archival material
- Analyze items of cultural significance and improve your research skills
- Be partnered with a mentor in Special Collections who will provide you with individualized research guidance
- Create an end product of your choosing that focuses on your research, such as an academic talk, a poster presentation, or even a one-act play inspired by your discoveries
- Receive a $1,000 research award in May 2019
Alumni of the program have used the experience to obtain additional research grants, such as the Dean's Undergraduate Research Award (DURA) and Arts Innovation Grants.
How to Apply
The Freshman Fellows program is very competitive; we only select four students to participate each year. In order to apply, simply write an essay of no more than 750 words discussing why you want to be part of the program and what you would like to explore. You can petition to work on one of the pre-selected topics listed below, or you can chose your own adventure! If you come up with your own research topic, please make sure that we have materials in Special Collections that support your area of study. You can contact staff involved in the program directly for questions about your research interest or for guidance with the application process. Send in your essay by 11:59PM on Sunday, September 23 to the following address:
Topics For Your Consideration
Cooks & Their Books
Love cooking . . . the books? Then why not spend your freshman year on a culinary odyssey featuring hedgehogs for dessert, manly sandwiches, and radical vegetarian women! Cookbooks reveal not just what people ate or aspired to consume, but also intriguing glimpses into cultural trends, the impact of colonialism on nutrition, and the development of national character. Explore our collection of 18th, 19th, and mid-20th century cookbooks, and while you are at it, try to whip up a recipe or two, learn how to roast a peacock, and treat mad dog bites. Take a delicious (or deliciously disgusting) tour of foodways of yore!
Yearbook, Yearkbook Evolution
Alas, the storied Hopkins yearbook ist kaput now, but its legacy is remembered in the hallowed halls of the Special Collections Reading Room, where yearbooks dating back to 1889 are lovingly kept. Swoop into vintage Blue Jay history and discover how the yearbooks evolved: What did students wish to remember through the ages, and what kinds of changes to the content and format of the yearbooks were made? Is what the students include Instagram-ready, or would it get them banned from Twitter? While you are at it, get a chuckle or two from all the proto-hipster facial hair on display!
Putting Maryland on the Map
What makes Maryland, Maryland? With a history full of dramatic events, challenging times, innovative accomplishments, and just plain weird stuff (the Ouija board was invented here!), Maryland has many stories to tell.
Using the Maryland: From the William Hackermann Map Collection exhibition, on display at the Peabody Library from October 2018 – January 2019 as inspiration, find out what the state has to offer.
Travel along established pathways or explore uncharted territory in researching the words and deeds of the Old Line State.
It’s the End of the Book as We Know It
Is a book more than words on a page? For over 500 years, books were cherished as the most reliable way to preserve and protect information, a value reflected in the way they were made. Each time technology made books cheaper, faster, or more plentiful, people have worried about the loss of something special. Our collections illustrate two key reactions to the changes in books: between print and manuscript books, and the second comes at the end of the nineteenth century, when small presses turned to traditional methods of bookmaking as a contrast to extremely cheap, industrially-produced paperbacks. Examine the relationships between manuscripts and printed books, from the old to the very new, to discover the value beyond their text, and their appreciation as beautiful, useful objects.
A Question of Academics
Make 'Em Laugh: The Ottenheimers of Baltimore
In 1890 Moses and Ike Ottenheimer received a loan from their aunt to start a business, provided that it was not to interfere with the Sabbath. They decided to go into publishing, specializing in cheaply produced, pocket-sized joke books that proved to be a hit among dandies, cravat-wearing party animals, and students alike! Largely forgotten today, the books published by the Ottenheimers are a treasure trove of insights on early 20th century popular culture and the making of modern American humor. Dive into the secret history of Baltimore's pulp book kings, and learn jokes so horrible you are guaranteed to have a turkey thrown at you during Thanksgiving!
A Noble Tradition of Fellowship
2016-2017 Freshman Fellows
- Caroline West (Shakespeare's Language Through Time); Amy Kimball, Mentor.
- Lucy Massey (Post-Roman Latin Translations); Paul Espinosa, Mentor.
- Faith Terry (History of Student Housing at Hopkins); Jim Stimpert, Mentor.
- Kiana Bouromand (Dress Reform); Heidi Herr, Mentor.
Help Us Build Collections!
2017-2018 Freshman Fellows
- Tim Lyu (The Life & Mysterious Death of Jose Robles); Jim Stimpert, Mentor.
- Brianna Joseph (Post-Roman Latin Translations); Paul Espinosa, Mentor.
- Keyi Yin (Miraculous Creatures/Monsters); Amy Kimball, Mentor.
- Chloe Otterson (19th Century Spiritualism); Heidi Herr, Mentor.
Special Collections at JHU
Email: sc-fellows@lists.johnshopkins.edu
Website: library.jhu.edu
Location: M-level, Brody Learning Commons
Phone: 410-516-8348
Find Out More During Our Freshman Fellows Info Session
Wednesday, Sep 12, 2018, 05:30 PM
Macksey Room, M-level, Brody Learning Commons
RSVPs are enabled for this event.