Since 2015, the National Humanities Center (NHC) has been offering a summer residency program for graduate students and faculty in humanities doctoral programs. This four-week annual event, held each June, aims to help scholars advance their current research projects.
In 2025, three members of Stony Brook University have been selected for this program. The participants include Wan-Zi Lu from the Department of Sociology, Jenean McGee from Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Frankie Petronio, a graduate instructor in the same field.
The residency provides scholars with a focused period for research and intellectual exchange at the NHC facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. This environment is tailored to support humanities research and writing.
Wan-Zi Lu will use this time to work on her first monograph titled "The Many Hands of the Healthcare State: The Politics of Valuing Taboo Exchange in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan." Her research examines organ donation regulations and policy outcomes across these East Asian societies. Lu expressed her gratitude by saying, “I’m grateful to receive this residency...Having the time and space to work on my first monograph...is truly a gift.”
Jenean McGee will participate in the Scholarly Writing Institute pilot program. She plans to transform several dissertation chapters into book chapters. McGee's work focuses on African American women’s online parasocial relationships within social media and surveillance capitalism frameworks. She commented on her participation: “It is an honor and a privilege to participate...It feels great and validating to receive this residency opportunity.”
Frankie Petronio will join the Graduate Student Residency aimed at equipping students with essential skills in research and pedagogy. Petronio stated their enthusiasm about focusing on innovative methodologies and curriculum design: “I’m thrilled to receive this residency opportunity...As a fifth-year PhD student, I’m especially eager to prepare for the academic job market this fall while continuing to develop my dissertation.”
The program continues its mission of fostering scholarly development through dedicated time for research progress.
— Robert Emproto