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College of Liberal Arts launches new research fellows program, announces inaugural fellows

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) is proud to announce the launch of the Dean’s Distinguished Research Fellows (DDRF) program, a prestigious new initiative designed to honor exceptional faculty members and strengthen the college’s commitment to research and creative scholarship.

This innovative fellowship seeks to both recognize and reward the college’s leading scholars while fostering a dynamic research environment that benefits the entire CLA community. By highlighting scholarly excellence, the DDRF program aims to raise the profile of the college and cultivate a culture of mentorship, collaboration and continued academic growth.

The DDRF program has five core objectives:

• Recognition and reward for outstanding faculty achievement in research and creative scholarship
• Support and encouragement for sustained scholarly productivity
• Modeling best practices for academic research and creativity
• Mentorship for junior faculty, helping them advance in their scholarly endeavors
• Enhancing the overall research culture of CLA and elevating its academic reputation

Three faculty members were selected by Dean Jason Hicks as the inaugural fellows. Draughon Professor of Southern History Keith Hébert, Political Science Professor John C. Morris and Lanier Endowed Professor Mary Sandage from the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, are recognized as leaders in their field and will play an active role in shaping CLA’s research landscape through a variety of responsibilities, including:

• Advising on strategies to foster scholarly productivity across departments
• Leading annual workshops on research development and grant writing
• Mentoring junior faculty members
• Serving as grant advisors and reviewers
• Utilizing fellowship funds to pursue innovative research activities
• Collaborating with CLA leadership to shape the long-term vision and operations of the DDRF program

The College of Liberal Arts anticipates the DDRF program will have a lasting and transformative effect on its research ecosystem. By investing in its most accomplished scholars and empowering them to lead and mentor, CLA is taking a bold step toward amplifying its academic influence and fostering a vibrant, forward-thinking intellectual community.

As the program launches in spring 2025, the College looks forward to celebrating the achievements of its three inaugural fellows and to the many contributions they will make to CLA’s scholarly future. 

Three additional fellows will be named in the near future. Candidates must have served at Auburn for at least three years and exhibit a consistent track record of high-impact research or creative work, either within their disciplines or across interdisciplinary fields.

For more information about the Dean’s Distinguished Research Fellows program, contact Cindy Bowling, associate dean of research and faculty development, at bowlicj@auburn.edu.

Tags: Faculty Research