The Hertog Foundation Announces Spring 2026 Humanities at Hertog Fellows
The Hertog Foundation is proud to announce the 45 fellows selected for its Spring 2026 Humanities at Hertog program. Over the coming months, these fellows will study timeless works of epic poetry, American literature, and the history of science in small, discussion-based seminars with outstanding peers and passionate teachers.
Leading the effort is Dr. Mary Elizabeth Halper, dean of the Humanities program and a tutor at St. John’s College, Annapolis. Anchored by works from Dante, Mark Twain, and Richard Rhodes, the three online seminars will explore enduring questions of human nature and political life. Each seminar is capped at 15 fellows, fostering lively and rigorous conversation. All courses are fully subsidized by the Foundation, with fellows receiving books and materials as well as a stipend to support their study.
The Humanities at Hertog program is open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as young professionals. This Spring’s fellowship class was selected from a competitive pool:
- 198 applicants from 119 colleges and universities, with an average GPA of 3.78
- 45 fellows selected representing 40 institutions, with an average GPA of 3.82
- Top-performing institutions include Ashland University, Biola University, BYU-Provo, University of Florida, Columbia University, and St. John’s College–Annapolis.
Congratulations to those institutions and to all whose students were selected as fellows this year! A full list of Spring Humanities Fellows can be found below.
Spring 2026 Humanities Fellows
Dante’s The Divine Comedy:
| Logan Arendt, St. John’s College-Annapolis, 2024 | Cole Jenkins, Ashland University, 2026 |
| Nora Bacon, Ashland University, 2026 | Mary Leece, Baylor University, 2018 |
| Helen Ball, Lindenwood University, 2026 | Amann Patel, Mercer University, 2027 |
| Ronnier Canizares, University of Florida, 2029 | Adelle Stratton, Ohio University-Athens, 2025 |
| Tyler Cunningham, Utah Valley University, 2026 | Jonathan Spiegler (Auditor), Kenyon College, 2013 |
| Jack Erickson, Emory University, 2024 | Helen Wagner, St. John’s College-Annapolis, 2026 |
| McKay Hammarstrom, BYU-Provo, 2023 | Tyler Vail, University of Maryland Global Campus, 2020 |
| Meredith Horsley Engemann, BYU-Provo, 2024 | Kaden Van Hook, Biola University, 2026
Josh Yoder, Biola University, 2026 |
Richard Rhodes’ The Making of the Atomic Bomb:
| Kelli Ahlquist, U.S. Military Academy-West Point, 2025 | Mustafa Mayar, Bard College, 2025 |
| Ryan Burgess, University of Chicago, 2019 | Tara McLaughlin, College of William & Mary, 2023 |
| Benaya Cherlow, Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya | Reichman University, 2023 | Julia Mohr, Bryn Mawr College, 2024 |
| Dominic Dale, University of Cambridge, 2025 | Nandini PS, University of California-San Francisco, 2027 |
| Christopher Gettel, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, 2015 | Matthew Spear, Loyola University-Maryland, 2023 |
| Celia Lawlor, Duke University, 2028 | Louis Wallen, Columbia University, 2021 |
| Julia Magee, University of Massachusetts-Lowell, 2026 | Anji Zhang, University of Toronto, 2022 |
| Elishama Marmon, Yeshiva University, 2024 |
Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn:
| Shiloh Briggs, California State University-Fresno, 2026 | Bellemy Morgan, George Washington University, 2025 |
| Aila Conner, Arizona State University-Tempe, 2028 | John Murray, Auburn University, 2026 |
| Amishai Goodman-Goldstein, American University, 2025 | Matthew Sivieri, Columbia University, 2027 |
| Walker Harris, New York University, 2026 | Adrian Socorro, University of Florida, 2029 |
| Dhriti Jagadish, Claremont McKenna College, 2027 | Josiah Sullivan, Clemson University, 2027 |
| Kendrick Jones, Kennesaw State University, 2016 | Olivia Vacca, Montana State University-Billings, 2021 |
| Julia Kosinski, Yale University, 2028 | Kevin Zhang, Georgetown University, 2024 |
| Sarit Marmor, McMaster University, 2026 |
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