Fontaine Fellowships support the education of the most underrepresented groups in PhD education.
The fellowships were established and named in honor of Dr. William Fontaine, professor of philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania for twenty-one years and the first African-American to become a fully affiliated professor of the University.
They encourage recruitment of a diverse population of graduate students, which is essential to the quality of education and research for all our graduate and undergraduate students.
The Fontaine Society is comprised of PhD students in programs across Penn, including African American, Mexican American, Native American, Puerto Rican, economically disadvantaged, and first-generation college students. All members are nominated by their Schools, from which they receive multi-year fellowships.
Membership in the Fontaine Society stands at more than 200, fluctuating as students enroll and graduate. The Fontaine Directory lists new and continuing members and alumni, and there is also a list of current students by program and school.
The student government is the Fontaine Coordinating Committee (FCC). Members serve on a voluntary basis. The FCC plans and mounts a wide range of Fontaine Society events during the academic year and administers the Fontaine Travel Awards competition, which allocates funds to assist Fontaine Fellows who are presenting at and/or attending conferences in their field of study. To contact the Fontaine Coordinating Committee, e-mail .
We encourage you to join the Fontaine Society’s Facebook page to network with your fellow Fontaines and be the first to know about upcoming events.
The administrative contact for the Fontaine Society is Karen Lawrence, Assistant Director for Education, Office of the Provost, 120 College Hall, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA 19104. Phone: 215-898-1842. Email: .
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