Harvardwood congratulates writer Youmna Chamieh ‘22 and musical theater composer/lyricist Julia Riew ‘22, who are the recipients of the inaugural Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship.

In addition to receiving a $24,000 grant to support her work, each Fellow will be paired with an alumni mentor to offer professional guidance and support during the term of the Fellowship (June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023).

Youmna Chamieh is a senior in Adams House studying Government and English. Originally from Lebanon, she grew up in Paris with her two sisters. During the fellowship year, she will work on original pieces, including a collection of short stories. Though these stories all gravitate towards Lebanon, at their core is the belief that, as Salman Rushdie puts it, “the past is a country from which we have all emigrated, whose loss is part of our common humanity.”

Youmna’s mentor will be Jennifer Joel ’98, who is a literary agent, partner, co-head of the Publications department and member of the board at ICM Partners, where she represents a diverse group of writers of both fiction and nonfiction: literary and commercial novelists for adults and young readers, historians, biographers, memoirists, journalists, strategists, adventurers and entertainers. Her clients include Senator Cory Booker, Chris Cleave, Nelson DeMille, AJ Finn, Stuart Gibbs, Graham Moore, Evan Osnos, Shonda Rhimes, Adam Rubin, Jennifer E. Smith, Lisa Taddeo and Leif Babin & Jocko Willink.

Julia Riew is a senior in Lowell House studying Theater, Dance, Media (TDM) and Music. In 2018, Julia co-founded the Asian Student Arts Project (ASAP) and co-wrote their first production, The East Side. Her   recent works include Alice’s Wonderland; Jack and the Beanstalk: A Musical Adventure which was commissioned for the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.)’s 2020 Family Musical; and Thumbelina: A Little Musical (The A.R.T. 2019 Family Musical).

Julia will spend her Fellowship year creating new musical theater projects for stage and screen and further developing her senior thesis, an original musical called Shimcheong: A Folktale. Her mentor will be award-winning composer/lyricist/writer Laurence O’Keefe ‘91 (Legally Blonde: The Musical, Bat Boy: The Musical).

Due to the strong display of talent in the inaugural Fellowship applicant pool, Harvardwood and the sponsors doubled their initial commitment to support two Fellowship winners, and they also named five finalists who will each receive a $1000 grant to support their work. Those finalists are writer Juan Arenas ‘22, visual artist Kelsey Chen ‘22, writer-director Jasiel Lampkin ‘20, musician-composer Ria Modak ‘22, and comedian Freddie Shanel ‘21.

The Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship is open to graduating seniors or recent Harvard alumni working or seeking to work in the arts, media, and entertainment fields. It will be awarded annually to at least one artist, with the inaugural term running from June 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023, and subsequent terms also planned for a June-to-May cycle with applications open in October and due by early January.

Click here for more information about the Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship.

Photo credit / Youmna Chamieh: Emilia Cabrera
Photo credit / Julia Riew: Ramona Park

Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship

Harvardwood is pleased to announce the Mia and David Alpert Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship for graduating seniors or recent Harvard alumni working or seeking to work in the arts, media, and entertainment fields. The multiyear gift, generously donated by Harvardwood Co-Founder Mia Riverton Alpert ’99 and her husband, producer and media entrepreneur David Alpert ‘97, includes a $24,000 grant, awarded annually, to support one recent graduate from the College for one year as they pursue their artistic projects. Each Alpert Harvardwood Fellow will also be paired with a mentor in their field of interest to help guide their creative endeavors and will receive additional assistance through Harvardwood.

The Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship will be awarded annually to a different artist. Grant funds can be used at the grantee’s discretion. The purpose of the funds is to provide the opportunity for an individual to choose the pursuit of artistic endeavors without consideration of financial need for the duration of the grant period. There is no restriction on the artistic field; musicians, dancers, visual artists, actors, writers, filmmakers and artists/creators in all disciplines are encouraged to apply. 

“Creating more equitable access to careers in the arts has been a lifelong passion for us and was a motivating force behind Harvardwood’s founding 22 years ago.  David and I are honored to support the next generation of emerging Harvard artists as they begin their professional journeys,” said Mia Riverton Alpert.

Harvardwood President Allison Kiessling said, "We have long known that to have a greater impact we need to invest more deeply in individual artists. This fellowship will allow Harvardwood to amplify our efforts to promote diversity, equity and the positive impact of new voices in the arts. We are incredibly grateful for the Alperts’ generosity."

2022-23 Fellowship Winners

Click here for more information about the 2022-23 Harvardwood Artist Launch Fellowship winners.

2023-24 Eligibility

To apply, individuals must be current Harvard College seniors or have graduated from Harvard College within the past two years (i.e. class of 2021, 2022 or 2023), complete the application form, provide a resume, a work sample or portfolio, an introductory video, an artist statement (in written, audio or video format), a letter of recommendation, a creative plan with an overview of envisioned projects to be completed or substantially developed during the term of the Fellowship, and a projected budget for the term of the Fellowship. The finalist round will include a video interview. Individuals who have previously been beneficiaries of Harvardwood grants or scholarships or have participated in Harvardwood programs are eligible if they meet the other terms of eligibility.

Applications will be accepted starting in October 2022 and will be due in January 2023, with the grant announcement in March 2023. Specific dates and deadlines will be announced soon. Funds will be distributed monthly to the Alpert Harvardwood Fellows beginning in June 2023 and ending in May 2024. 

Harvardwood will host informational sessions to answer any questions about the application process. Dates and times TBD.

Company: PopShift
Type of Position: Internship
Minimum Education Level: N/A
Minimum Years of Experience: N/A

Job Description: The PopShift Entertainment Fellowship is a competitive fellowship for those who care about making an impact, and who love entertainment. We are looking for 5-10 university students to serve as PopShift Entertainment Fellows.

Company: AT&T
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Start Date: DEADLINE TO APPLY IS MARCH 2, 2018
Type of Position: Fellowship
Minimum Education Level: current student
Minimum Years of Experience:

Job Description: Does everything about digital media and television excite you? Do you want insider knowledge on starting a career in TV? The AT&T Media Fellowship is looking for you! AT&T has its own full scale internal production team, and they want to help you get your foot in the door in the media industry. This 4-week workshop is designed to empower aspiring creators to compete for jobs in a rapidly changing media economy with a combination of TV production know-how, marketable assets, and job seeking savvy. You will leave well equipped to plan your career trajectory, develop skills and assets to help you navigate the TV/digital media industry, and be a competitive candidate. Learn directly from AT&T media professionals with tours, job shadowing, presentations as well as educational sessions with industry experts working in the field.

Company: NBC News
Location: Washington, DC
Start Date: Deadline to apply - 3/31/2017
Type of Position: Fellowship
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's
Minimum Years of Experience: 

Job Description: The deadline for the application for the 2017-2018 Fellowship is Friday, March 31, 2017 at 5PM Eastern Time.
The Tim Russert Fellowship will be awarded to one motivated, passionate graduating senior interested in pursuing a career in political journalism. The Fellowship is a one-year, paid position in the NBC News Washington, D.C. Bureau. The fellow will work on a rotational basis in several areas of the Washington Bureau including “Meet the Press” and the NBC News Political Unit. Responsibilities will include assisting talent and producers, participating in news shoots, and story research. The goal is to give a talented, early career journalist the opportunity to be mentored by seasoned NBC News staff members and experience a yearlong “boot camp” in political journalism.

Company: Storyhunter Fellowship
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Start Date: October 26, 2015
Type of Position: Full-Time
Minimum Education Level: Bachelor's
Minimum Years of Experience: 1-2 years

Job Description: The Storyhunter Fellowship is a 6-month training program that provides a hands-on experience across all of our operations. Fellows will rotate between our community, sales, and tech teams to gain complete insight into how Storyhunter helps leading media companies find, manage and hire journalists and filmmakers around the world. This is a highly competitive program designed to identify future hires.

Compensation: $2,000/month (full time) $1200/month (part time)

Work Schedule: Preference will be given to applicants who are available to work 5 days a week. Applicants who can only work 3 days a week will also be considered.