First Fellowship in Holocaust Studies Awarded

Jeffrey E. Wolfson, doctoral student in the School of Arts & Humanities at UT Dallas, is the first recipient of the Belofsky Graduate Fellowship in Holocaust Studies. The fellowship, a gift of The Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman Foundation, is a three-year award that includes tuition and a living stipend.

Wolfson was chosen by a faculty committee through a competitive application process.

“I am grateful for the confidence the committee has placed in me and the opportunities that the Belofsky Fellowship presents,” said Wolfson. “The fellowship allows me to concentrate more of my time and attention on my own research and writing.”

The Edward and Wilhelmina Ackerman Foundation created the Belofsky Fellowship to develop the next generation of Holocaust educators. Belofsky Fellows have the opportunity to pursue doctoral studies under the supervision of Dr. Zsuzsanna Ozsvath or Dr. Nils Roemer, both of whom teach and pursue research at the Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies.

“The Belofsky Fellowship will be of a large significance for our program,” said Dr. Ozsvath. “It will offer students time for immersing themselves into their studies of the Holocaust, and it will give our program a highly competitive edge over other universities that teach this field.”

Wolfson left a teaching career in 2006 to pursue a master’s degree in the History of Ideas program with a concentration in Holocaust Studies at UT Dallas. He will pursue his academic interests, which include representations of the Shoah (Holocaust), Jewishness and gender during his doctoral studies. He also plans to learn Yiddish and German.

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