Fellowships
The History Center/Cornell Undergraduate Oral History Fellowship
This undergraduate fellowship, run by the Public History Initiative in partnership with The History Center in Tompkins County, gives a group of Cornell sophomores and juniors the opportunity to work with The History Center in Tompkins Country to learn oral history methods and ethics and conduct oral history interviews with community members.
Fall 2021: Food and Foodways
Our theme for Fall 2021 is “Food and Foodways.” Potential interview participants include restaurant owners, farm workers, and community organizers; potential topics include food as a form of family-and community-building, commerce, labor, and mutual aid. In alignment with the Public History Initiative’s commitment to antiracist practice and pedagogy, we are especially interested in preserving stories of communities of color and immigrants.
Learn more about this semester’s instructors and fellows.
2020/2021: Community Responses to COVID
For the 2020-21 academic year, seven undergraduate fellows conducted interviews with community leaders about their ongoing responses to social and economic challenges related to COVID-19, as part of The History Center’s larger oral history initiatives. Topics included political leadership, community organizing, food security, and responses among local business owners, including hotels and restaurants.