2 Pitt people were named 2026 American Council of Learned Societies fellows

Two faculty members in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences — Paula Kupfer and Michelle Granshaw — were awarded 2026 American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellowships. The fellowship supports outstanding scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, providing up to $60,000 to support full-time research and writing.

“We are proud to award fellowships to 63 outstanding scholars across a range of fields,” ACLS President Joy Connolly said. “Deep understanding of humanity and human endeavor doesn’t come out of thin air: it rests on the work of generations of scholars who need time to do research and develop their arguments.”

Kpufer, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture, will investigate how historical images, visual culture and contemporary art have shaped the memory of the Panama Canal and U.S. Canal Zone. The project critically examines visual records of the canal project, revealing photography’s role as a persuasive agent, placing these visual records in dialogue with the work of contemporary artists.

Granshaw, associate professor and director of graduate studies in the Department of Theatre Arts, will analyze a pivotal point in theater history, two decades after the Civil War. Her project traces the emergence and decline of a national, decentralized effort by Black Americans that worked to desegregate U.S. theaters.

Read more and see the full list of fellows.