Research Partners & Fellows
Our research partners and fellows expand our understanding of equity, history, and community. Rooted in our commitment to lift up rigorous, culturally-grounded research, these partnerships spur new ideas, deepen ongoing projects, and help build a knowledge base that can move Boston—and the nation—forward. These thought partners collaborate with Embrace to generate public-facing work, spark dialogue, and contribute to the growing ecosystem of ideas that guide our mission.
2026-27 Du Bois Forum x Embrace Fellows
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In partnership with the Du Bois Forum, Embrace seeks to incubate durable ideas and practices inspired by the Black liberatory tradition exemplified by Du Bois’s early-20th-century convenings of scholars and writers. This belief in the power of the arts, humanities, and social sciences in the pursuit of liberation is reflected in our support of three Boston-based scholars: Jovonna Jones, Ph.D., Kyera Singleton, Ph.D., and Chad Williams, Ph.D.. In their respective disciplines, their work exemplifies a shared conviction: that memory is not just a passive thing people possess, but an active force that can be employed to shape the future.
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Research Advisor
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Katalin Szelényi, Ph.D.
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University of Massachusetts Boston Professor Katalin Szelényi, Ph.D. serves as Embrace’s Research Advisor and contributes to our original research projects. Professor Szelényi brings her expertise in the study of gender in intersection with other social identities, including race/ethnicity, family status, and national origin to our work. Additionally, her decades of experience using innovative qualitative research methods have helped to shape Embrace’s examination of the power of cultural gatherings and public art.
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Inaugural Scholar in Residence
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Dr. Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, Ph.D. M.S.W. is Associate Dean of Faculty Development for the School of Social Work and Professor of Social Work at Simmons University.
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As a visiting scholar at Embrace, Johnnie Hamilton-Mason, Ph.D. has conducted archival research at the League of Women for Community Service, that contextualizes the League’s founding during the Progressive Era and the nadir period following Reconstruction, a time marked by systemic racial oppression and significant societal transformation. By examining the League’s origins, she explores how African American women in Boston mobilized to create a vital space for community building, advocacy, and resistance. By unearthing and analyzing the contributions of the League, she aims to highlight the enduring impact of these Bostonians on both local and national movements for equity and community empowerment.
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