The Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program honors the memory of George Washington Henderson and Andrew Harris. George Washington Henderson was one of the first African American students elected to Phi Beta Kappa and to graduate from the University of Vermont (class of 1877). Andrew Harris was not only the very first African American graduate of the University of Vermont (class of 1838), but he was also the first African American college graduate in the United States to champion the abolition of slavery and to demand full equality for people of color. The Henderson-Harris Fellowship Program, offered in cooperation with academic departments, sponsors post-doctoral scholars who can help to advance UVM’s research and teaching goals and assist in reaching identified diversity goals, especially with respect to the specific academic curricula.
"In some very important respects, this fellowship extended and deepened my graduate education...as a fellow I had many opportunities to become involved in undergraduate teaching and life, which provided valuable hands-on training for the tenure track position I would eventually assume."
- Luis A. Vivanco, Ph.D., Henderson Fellow (1997-1999), UVM Professor of Anthropology
Below is list of the past UVM Henderson Fellows.
Shametrice Davis (August 31, 2012 - August 12, 2013) joined the Higher Education and Student Affairs program faculty as a Henderson Postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Education and Social Services in the fall of 2012. She finished her doctoral studies at the University of Denver, where she completed her dissertation research on the success of historically Black colleges and universities in the 21st century. Through her research, Shametrice hopes to expose underlying systemic injustice leading to individual inequity or oppression and give voice to non-dominant communities that are not pervasive to dominant ideologies and scholarship. Integral to her research is a strengths-based approach to empowering underrepresented communities and leaders. Shametrice is an Assistant Professor in the department of Educational Leadership at California State University.
"The Fellowship gave me a wonderful opportunity at UVM to experience faculty life and finish writing my dissertation. I found many opportunities to be involved and meet some wonderful people both on and off-campus."
- Sherwood Smith, Ph.D. Henderson Fellow (1995-1996), Senior Executive Director, Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion