Annual Western Regional Conference 

The USC, Stanford University, Heritage University, Whittier College, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angeles, and Cal Tech Mellon programs collaborate to host an annual regional conference. The conference provides an opportunity for fellows to meet each other, discuss research ideas, and motivate each other to succeed in their academic and personal lives. It is typically held near the end of the fall semester (early to mid November or early December), at one of the seven campuses.

Workshops, Meetings, and Other Activities may include:

  • Mellon Fellows Mandatory Monthly Meetings
  • Research Course for fellows
  • Graduate School Workshops on various topics
  • Attendance at national conferences with mentors

Mentor-Fellow Interaction

Fellows work with their mentors to develop their scholarly interests into research projects. The interaction that occurs between mentors and fellows typically includes:

  • development of a plan for working together and a timeline for completion of the project
  • regular communication (meetings, emails, phone calls, reviews of report drafts, etc.)
  • exchange of articles or suggested readings about research or topics of interest

Research

Fellows are expected to present their research through scholarly articles, oral reports, workshops, conferences, multimedia displays, and at USC ‘s annual Undergraduate Symposium for Scholarly and Creative Work. 

Senior fellows also have the opportunity to publish their research in the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Journal.