Four scholars from the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts were recently recognized for outstanding research and teaching contributions across the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Fellows hold appointments in the Humanities Council and as lecturers in their academic host departments, teaching one course per term while conducting their own research.
Akil Fletcher (Anthropology) received the Excellence in Education award from the Black in Gaming (BIG) Foundation. The honor was presented at the 2026 BIG Awards, which recognizes “leaders, creators and changemakers whose work continues to shape the gaming industry across media, artistry, programming, development, and social advocacy,” according to the announcement. Fletcher’s research examines how Black individuals create identity, community, and alternative forms of play within online games and gaming spaces. He is currently working on a new book project on “Black worlding,” which engages with the way Black gamers use gaming technologies to imagine new worlds of play within pre-established game worlds.
Sara Kang (History) received the 2026 Charlotte J. Conroy Dissertation Prize from the Modern Japan History Association for her dissertation “Operation Relax: Empires of Sex in Japan, South Korea, and the Asia-Pacific, 1945-1995.” The prize is awarded to “an outstanding English-language dissertation on modern Japan or Japanese History.” In the award citation, Kang’s dissertation was praised for its “innovative and deeply researched analysis” and “major contribution to the histories of Japan, the Asia-Pacific, gender, and the Cold War.” At Princeton, Kang is developing her first book project, which expands on her dissertation topic.
Tobias Scheunchen (Near Eastern Studies) received the Dean’s Distinguished Dissertation Award from the University of Chicago for his dissertation “Recording Justice in Byzantine and Early Islamic Egypt (550–800): Material Culture, Ordinary People, and the Making of the Islamic State.” The award “recognizes the scholarly contributions of a dissertation project,” and includes criteria for originality, innovation, significant contributions to the field, and scholarly excellence. Scheunchen’s research focuses on social, material, and global approaches to history. He is currently developing his first monograph based on his dissertation research.
Daniela Valdés (History) received the John D’Emilio LGBTQ History Award from the Organization of American Historians for her dissertation “Clocked and Locked: Race, Gender Nonconformity, and the Making of the Carceral-Psychiatric State, 1945-1995.” The prize is awarded annually to honor the “best PhD dissertation in U.S. LGBTQ history.” As a historian of 20th century U.S. history, Valdés’ work bridges carceral, labor, migration, and gender and sexuality studies. Valdés is working on a book project, which builds on her dissertation work.
Read more news on the Society of Fellows in the Liberal Arts website.
