Hendrix College receives $494,000 grant from Mellon Foundation

Hendrix College received a $494,00 grant from the Mellon Foundation that will fund the creation of a new health humanities program to complement the existing pre-medical and health sciences programs.

This new health humanities program will explore how literature, philosophy, religion, and the arts impact human health and well-being, creating collaborations across campus to provide Hendrix students with well-rounded, humanities-informed healthcare education. The program will also create opportunities for faculty and students to design and carry out internships and other engaged learning projects in health humanities throughout the state, particularly in underserved communities.

“I am very excited to add this program to our already robust engaged learning opportunities available to Hendrix students,” said Hendrix Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Teresa Garrett. “This program will not only provide students with courses, programs and engaged learning in the emerging field of the health humanities but will also positively impact health care in years to come for all Arkansans.”

The grant will fund the development of a new health humanities program at Hendrix, including six health humanities courses and three interdisciplinary courses that bring humanities disciplines into dialogue with the natural and social sciences. It will also support student internships with community partners, engaged learning activities, service opportunities, and collaborative educational programs. This new health humanities program will integrate with existing pre-medical and health sciences programs to provide Hendrix students with a scientifically rigorous, human-centered approach to health and healthcare.

“The growing field of health humanities has shown that the humanities disciplines have an essential role to play in human health and well-being,” said Dr. Robert Williamson, chair of humanities and professor of religious studies at Hendrix and the director of the health humanities grant.

“For instance, the humanities can prepare doctors to be more attentive interpreters of patient stories, help caregivers grapple with the spiritual dimensions of illness and healing, or explore the benefits of music and dance for people with memory loss or mobility issues. By strengthening the connections between our exceptional humanities faculty and our top-tier pre-medical and health sciences program, this generous grant from the Mellon Foundation positions Hendrix to be a leader in human-centered health and healthcare education for Arkansas and the surrounding region.”

Of the Hendrix student population, around 20% are actively pursuing pre-medical studies. The acceptance rate to medical school for Hendrix students has been 74.5% over the last 10 years, significantly higher than the national average of 48%. The existing partnership Hendrix has with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) School for Public Health in Little Rock, allows students to complete a BA and MPH in five years.

Partnerships are currently being developed with the new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) and the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM), establishing multiple pathways for Hendrix students to continue their health education in Arkansas.

“Receiving support from the Mellon Foundation allows our students to explore careers in health-related fields with a more nuanced understanding of human health,” said Hendrix President Dr. Karen Petersen. “Hendrix College has a reputation for producing outstanding medical professionals and researchers, because we provide a strong foundation in the humanities for all students. Mellon funding allows us to build on that foundation in new and exciting ways. Our communities will benefit from human-centered healthcare provided by our graduates as they enter the workforce in Arkansas and beyond for many years to come.”

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities.