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.
Randall Harp (August 1, 2008 - August 21, 2009), former Henderson Fellow, is an Assistant Professor in the department of Philosophy at UVM. His research interests primarily lie at the various intersections of rationality, justification, agency, and sociality. He is interested in the philosophical underpinnings of the behavioral sciences and of the social sciences; in explanations of individual and collective behavior; in the explanatory adequacy of rational choice theory and game theory; and in the ways that we model rational and irrational behaviors. He teaches courses in the philosophy of action, logic, the philosophy of social science, ethics, and ancient philosophy.
"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