Fontaine Fellowships support the education of the most underrepresented groups in PhD education.
In 1970, an endowment was established at the University of Pennsylvania in honor of Dr. William Fontaine, professor of philosophy for twenty-one years and the first African-American to become a fully affiliated professor at the University. From its inception, the endowment, known as the “Fontaine Fellowship” has been used to advance the University’s goals related to diversity. Originally restricted to U.S. students from groups “traditionally and historically underrepresented” in higher education — specifically African American, Native American, and Hispanic students – diversity is now more broadly defined to include economically disadvantaged and first-generation college students, and others from backgrounds underrepresented in a specific discipline or field. Fontaine funding is used by the schools, in combination with other resources, to recruit a diverse class of PhD students. Regardless of the source of a student’s funding, schools are encouraged to nominate their “underrepresented students” for membership in the Fontaine Society, which provides a supportive scholarly community.
Today the Fontaine Society is comprised of more than 200 PhD students in programs across Penn. The Fontaine Directory lists new and continuing members and alumni, and there is also a list of current students by program and school. Congratulations to our recent graduates!
The governing body for the Fontaine Society is the Fontaine Coordinating Committee (FCC). Members serve on a voluntary basis to organize and implement a wide range of events during the year. The FCC also administers the Fontaine Travel Fellowship competition, which allocates funds to assist Fontaine Fellows as they progress through their doctoral programs, with preference to individuals 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.
Students with questions about the Fontaine Society are welcome to contact Karen Lawrence, Associate Director for Education, Office of the Provost, 120 College Hall, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Phone: 215-898-1842
)