UWM alum Ashley Glassburn Falzetti (MA, philosophy, 2006), has been named a 2017 Nancy Weiss Malkiel Scholar by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation.
Falzetti, an assistant professor of women’s and gender studies at Eastern Michigan University, was one of 10 young faculty leaders named by the foundation.
Falzetti will receive a 12-month award of $17,500 while working toward tenure. The award is structured to free the time of junior faculty who have passed their midpoint tenure review so they can make their fields and campuses more inclusive.
Associate professor of philosophy Andrea Westlund was Falzetti’s thesis adviser at UWM and also knew her through the graduate certificate in women’s studies program, in which Westland also teaches. She pointed to Falzetti’s work on Algonquin language revitalization and critical ethnic studies as ways she engages both community youth and graduate students in her academic interests.
“She’s really a perfect candidate for this award because she’s always been motivated by her involvement and commitment to her community,” Westlund says.
“Our department really focuses on mentoring students and placing them in strong Ph.D. programs, so I was really pleased at her success at Rutgers (where Falzetti earned her doctorate), which has one of the top women and gender studies PhD programs in the country,” she added.
“I’m excited and proud to see her flourishing,” Westlund said. “We hope to have her here for a talk in the not-too-distant future.”
The Malkiel Scholars Award supports junior faculty whose research focuses on contemporary American history, politics, culture, and society, and who are committed to the creation of an inclusive campus community for underrepresented students and scholars. The award is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
