Mellon Visiting Professor Nomination Procedures
Members of the Duke Council on Latin American and Caribbean Studies are invited to nominate Mellon Visiting Professors to visit Duke, for the period of one semester (Fall or Spring). The visiting professors may be faculty or artists from Latin America or the Caribbean. The nominating/sponsoring Duke Council faculty member must be in residence and available to work with the visiting professor in the semester when s/he/they would be in residence.
See list of past Mellon Visiting Professors
Mellon Visiting Professorship Responsibilities
The visiting faculty will serve as a campus resource for undergraduate and graduate students alike. They will teach two courses per semester on Latin American/Caribbean topics of their own choosing. One of the courses must be designed for undergraduate students only (300-level). The second course may be designed for undergraduate students only (300-level), or for upperclass and graduate students together (500-level).
The visiting professor will be expected to take an active role in working with undergraduate students by making informal presentations, holding office hours, and being available for consultation. They will be asked to make a formal presentation to the wider community interested in Latin America and the Caribbean at Duke, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the surrounding area, sometimes as part of the annual NC Conference on Latin American Studies organized by the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies. They will also be encouraged to participate in the UNC-Duke Consortium's interdisciplinary working groups and other activities.
Time period
The Mellon Visiting Professorship budget allows us to provide support for one semester. Those wishing to come for the entire academic year would need to obtain support for the second semester from non-CLACS sources.
Compensation
- Salary: The visiting professor will be paid a salary in the $40,000 range for teaching two courses.
- Health insurance: The visiting professor will be required to show proof of an acceptable health insurance policy for coverage during their stay in the US. Duke CLACS will provide reimbursement via a supplemental payment for the cost of the health insurance. Note that this is considered taxable income by the IRS, therefore, the reimbursement of this expense is reflected as a payroll supplement.
- Airfare: The visiting professor’s round-trip airfare from the home country will be covered.
- Research allowance: A research of allowance up to $1,000 will be available to help cover costs associated with travel to conferences, visiting libraries or archives in the U.S., and possibly purchasing books needed for research. These funds must be spent during the dates of residence at Duke for the visiting professorship. Note: per Duke rules the research funds cannot be used for equipment purchases.
- Office space: The visiting professor will be provided with shared office space (including phone and fax, computer/internet access, use of photocopier, etc.) at the Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies. In some cases, arrangements may be made for office space within departments co-sponsoring the visitor's courses.
*Compensation note: all salary payments will be subject to income tax withholding, the rate dependent upon whether or not the visiting professor's home country has a tax treaty with the United States.
Please also note that airfare and health insurance are only covered for the visiting professor. Unfortunately we are unable to cover these costs for family members.
To apply
Please fill out this application form (may require opening a site in a New Window, depending on your browser). Natalie Hartman and Patrick Semmler will be notified via email with your submission and attached documents.
Required Materials
- Application
- Curriculum Vitae
- Biographical Statement (1 pg)
- Statement of Current Research (1-2 pages)
- Letter of Nomination from Duke Faculty sponsor
- Evaluations of the visiting professor's professional work (may include course evaluations, awards, references, etc.)
Application/nomination deadline for Spring 2025 is February 29, 2024. Applications for Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and beyond have been extended to April 1, 2024.