Dr. Donelle Boose, Assistant Professor of History and Black Studies, has been selected as the Applied Humanities Fellow for the 2026-2027 academic year. This fellowship is part of RMC’s Humanities Initiatives, a bold presidential priority aimed at elevating the profile of humanistic study at Randolph-Macon and ensuring their continued centrality to a 21st-century liberal arts education.

The applied humanities seeks to utilize the methods of the humanities classroom—the analysis of language, culture, and history—in addressing pressing real-world problems. The Applied Humanities Fellow was charged with undertaking a project to inspire innovative pedagogy at the College by adopting an applied humanities approach for the classroom. During her fellowship year, Boose will create a Public History Practicum course that will use digital tools to support community needs.

“What really excites me about Professor Boose’s project,” said Dr. Bob Volpicelli, Director of the Humanities Initiatives, “is how it showcases the way humanities coursework can have an immediate impact on the communities around us. I’m also excited about the prospect of building out the College’s offerings in public history, an exciting new area of study in our curriculum.”

In Boose’s proposed course, students will collaborate with the Hanover County Black Heritage Society to support development of new interactive interpretations that bolster tourism around the African American history in Hanover County. Students will be introduced to digital archiving tools, digital storytelling maps, and geographic information system (GIS) tools to aid in the creation of these interpretations.

Boose has previously spearheaded efforts in oral and public history through her courses, with an emphasis on direct impact on the local community.