Penn Scholars Research Residencies

Overview

Annual calls are issued for faculty to lead undergraduate and graduate student place-based studies each academic year. Workshops are also offered, which are available more broadly. This year marks the fifth consecutive year of the Penn Scholars Research Residency.

Spring 2026 Residencies

Commemorations Residential Week brings together students and faculty from Agnes Scott College, Claflin University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, South Carolina State University, Tuskegee University, and University of Georgia to study and experience Gullah Geechee history and culture. This is the first year Tuskegee and South Carolina State Universities are participating, both having historical ties to St. Helena Island and Penn Center.

Key Dates

• May 18-22, 2026: Commemorations Residential Week

Participants

Students are both undergraduates and graduate students earning degrees in Humanities and Social Sciences disciplines including Religion, Architecture, Literature and Languages, Theatre and Film, African American Studies, Anthropology, and Sociology. Some participants are members of Honors colleges or programs planning to compose posters or critical papers in fulfillment of academic requirements.

Student Project Examples

• Lesson plans for a class on Gullah communities and francophone Caribbean connections
• Documentary about the resilience of Gullah communities in the wake of climate change's impact on land and marine environments
• Research on African retentions in language, architecture, and foodways

Faculty Leaders

Faculty members with research and teaching interests in Gullah Geechee culture and history, the work of Penn Center, and/or Reconstruction-era American history accompany students from their institutions and participate fully in residency workshops, excursions, and guest lectures. Faculty include Dr. Catherine Adams (Claflin University), Dr. Valerie Babb (Emory University), Dr. Zanice Bond (Tuskegee University), Christian Coles (Georgia Institute of Technology), Dr. Barbara McCaskill (University of Georgia), Dr. Alison McLetchie (South Carolina State University), and Dr. Atticus Wolfe (Agnes Scott College).