POTSDAM – Clarkson University has received a $50,000 grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation® to support students majoring in history who pursue service-learning projects to gain professional experience in the field.

Over the next five years, Clarkson’s Department of Humanities and Social Sciences (DHSS) will provide up to 20 undergraduate students with $2,500 fellowships to help cover cost-of-living expenses while working on their projects at history-related organizations, such as museums and historical societies. The selected students will be named Pomeroy Fellows.

“I don’t think it is widely appreciated how many heritage organizations there are in New York State. They need dedicated, mature early career workers who can arrive in new jobs with the skills necessary to advance those organizations’ charitable missions,” said Professor of History Stephen Casper who submitted the proposal. “Everyone benefits from history, but history needs historians. In my opinion, the William G. Pomeroy Foundation has shown real vision in the way it has promoted the advancement of our local and regional history by helping students become professionals.”

Four Pomeroy Fellows will be named each academic year beginning in 2023 through 2028. Casper and DHSS colleagues will provide mentorship to students throughout their service-projects with partner organizations.

“When college students have access to meaningful professional experiences as they complete their degrees, everyone benefits,” said Deryn Pomeroy, Trustee and Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Pomeroy Foundation. “We are proud to support this important initiative led by Professor Casper and his colleagues as they help prepare Clarkson history majors for the field and their future.”

DHSS, which is part of Clarkson’s School of Arts and Sciences, offers a variety of majors and minors, including a bachelor’s degree in history. Students may also minor in history.

“We are delighted to receive this generous award which will allow history majors to gain hands-on experience in the field and strengthen our ties to our communities,” said Professor of Ancient History Sarah C. Melville.

To learn more about Pomeroy Foundation special interest grants, visit: wgpfoundation.org.