FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

James Sturm has been named a 2020–2021 fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, joining an impressive class whose work will span the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts.

As the 2020–2021 Mary I. Bunting Institute Fellow, Sturm will pursue an individual project in a community dedicated to exploration and inquiry. He will focus on creating a comic that attempts to make sense of the US health care system.”

“This fellowship class, taking shape amid a devastating pandemic, reflects our conviction that the cross-disciplinary exchange and deep exploration that Radcliffe enables are critically important for Harvard and for the wider world—especially in times like these, when we must confront unprecedented challenges,” said Radcliffe Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin RI ’17, who is also the Daniel P. S. Paul Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School and a professor of history in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

“Our fellows will advance human understanding in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Their creative work will change how we see the world. And they will pursue solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing our society. Their endeavors will be immeasurably enhanced by the unique intellectual cross-fertilization that takes place at Radcliffe.”

The 2020–2021 fellowship year will be virtual, with the possibility of a residential component, pending decisions on Harvard-wide policies by University leaders and informed by epidemiological models of the spread of COVID-19 in the United States. The acceptance rate for the incoming class was 2.8 percent, from a pool of nearly 1,400 applicants. The group represents six countries and a wide range of disciplines.

James Sturm is the cofounder and director of The Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont. He is the creator of several acclaimed graphic novels including The Golem’s Mighty Swing, Market Day, and Off Season. His children’s books include the popular Adventures in Cartooning series. In addition, James is a two-time MacDowell Colony Fellow and his art and writing has appeared in The Chronicle of Higher Education, The New York Times, and on the cover of The New Yorker.

“I am so honored and grateful to be selected as a Radcliffe fellow. To be part of such a bright and inspiring community of scholars from so many disciplines will undoubtedly have a wonderful impact on my work. I look forward to cartooning my little heart out during this next year,” says Sturm.

The Radcliffe Institute has awarded more than 900 fellowships since its founding in 1999.

The full list of fellows is online here.

For more information contact: Ryan Mulcahy, ryan_mulcahy@radcliffe.harvard.edu
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University

Photo credit: Kaila Skeet Browning

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About the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University

The Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study is a unique space within Harvard—a school dedicated to creating and sharing transformative ideas across all disciplines. Each year, the Institute hosts leading scholars, scientists, and artists from around the world in its renowned residential fellowship program. Radcliffe fosters innovative research collaborations and offers hundreds of public lectures, exhibitions, performances, conferences, and other events annually. The Institute is home to the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library, the nation’s foremost archive on the history of women, gender, and sexuality. For more information about the people and programs of the Radcliffe Institute, visit www.radcliffe.harvard.edu.

The Center for Cartoon Studies is America’s premier cartooning school and studio located in the historic village of White River Junction, Vermont. CCS programs include a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree, one- and two-year certificates in cartooning, and annual summer workshops. Faculty and visiting artists include many of today’s most celebrated cartoonists. CCS has received national acclaim for its work and prominent mention in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and other publications. For more information: cartoonstudies.org

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