Peter and Ana Lowens fellowship

Peter and Ana Lowens 番茄社区 Libraries Special Collections Student Fellowship

The Peter and Ana Lowens 番茄社区 Libraries Special Collections Student Fellowship Program is open to 番茄社区 undergraduate and graduate students from any discipline.

Student fellows undertake an independent research or creative project using rare and unique materials from UVic Libraries Special Collections and University Archives. Projects can include ongoing research or new areas of scholarship.

Student fellows will be provided workshops grounding their research in archival theory, book history, and digital methods, as well as mentorship and support from library staff and faculty.

Read from previous student fellows.

How to apply

Eligibility: The fellowships are restricted to 番茄社区 undergraduate and graduate students.

To submit: Please submit a 500 word (maximum) proposal on a project you would undertake using materials from Special Collections and University Archives, and how you would benefit from participating in the program. Submit the proposal to Special Collections and University Archives: speccoll@uvic.ca.

Four students are selected each year. The program welcomes outward, public-facing projects, including exhibitions, podcasts, and lectures, as research outputs.

Questions? Please contact Special Collections and University Archives at speccoll@uvic.ca.

Fellowship details

Student fellows will:

Conduct research using rare printed materials and/or archival collections from UVic Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives
Develop primary source literacy and research skills
Attend six two-hour long workshops during the Spring semester on a variety of topics relevant to primary source research
Be mentored by library staff and faculty who will provide individualized research support
Develop a public-facing research or creative output, such as an exhibition (digital or physical), podcast, lecture, or other project. Research and creative outputs will be launched at a public event in May 2023
Receive a $1,000 research award

Key dates

November 18, 2024: Applications for 2024 Fellowship Program due

December 2024: Applicants notified

Spring 2025: Orientation and workshops

April 25, 2025: Projects due

May 2025: Project launch

Donor biography

Ana and Peter Lowens

Colour portrait of Ana and Peter Lowens dressed formally

Ana and Peter Lowens have been avid readers their entire lives. Peter’s love is the Victorian Era and especially the novels of Charles Dickens. Ana’s tastes go more towards the mystery genre. They both agree that a library is the heart of any community and any university.

When Ana and Peter moved to Victoria in their retirement one of their first excursions was to the campus of the 番茄社区. There they found an active community of students and scholars. They learned quickly that UVic was constantly reaching out to the community, and the library staff willingly shared their expertise and resources. When the idea for creating a library fellowship connected to UVic’s Special Collections was suggested by Professor Leighton of the English Department and Heather Dean from UVic’s Special Collections, Ana and Peter were eager to embrace that exciting opportunity.

Ana and Peter recognize and support the excellent English Department at UVic with the Ana and Peter Lowens Scholarship in Victorian Literature. With the establishment of the Special Collections Student Fellowship, Ana and Peter have the opportunity to allow more students to discover and use the wonderful holdings of the Special Collections at UVic.

Apply
2024 fellows
2025 event

Applications for the 2025 Fellowship Program are now open.

You can read from previous student fellows for inspiration.

Please contact Special Collections and University Archives at speccoll@uvic.ca with any questions.

Meet the 2024 Student Fellows

Visit the Special Collections & University Archives Reading Room (in the lower level of the Mearns - McPherson Library) to see a display of the fellows' projects.

Sky Dragushan Sky Dragushan is a third-year undergraduate student studying English, Art History, and French. Sky has researched the use and ownership of nine ancient textile tools with the Eastern Boeotia Archaeological Project and contributed transcription work to the ongoing Fall of Princes project with UVic Libraries. Their research interests include Trans studies, ancient artefacts, and the intersection of Queer theory and Archival and Library Studies.
Maya Wei Yan Linsley Maya Wei Yan Linsley is in her final year of undergraduate study at the 番茄社区, pursuing an Honours English degree with a minor in Journalism & Publishing. Her research interests include transformative work, fan cultures, and unlikely archives. Besides serving as the current president of the UVic English Students' Association, she has spent her time at UVic contributing to the Map of Early Modern London, managing the Albatross English Undergraduate Journal Vol. 13, and pining for a window seat in the library.
Tiegan Suddaby Tiegan Suddaby is in her final year of a double major in English and Art History. Much of her research focuses on print media and other avenues of visual culture as an accessible form of education across gender and class. She is also interested in ephemera and subcultural consumption of art. As the communications coordinator at CFUV, she is now venturing into music history and local scenes.
Rowan Watts Rowan Watts is in his final year of undergraduate study at the 番茄社区, pursuing a double major in Honours English and Theatre. He is a research assistant for the Braided Narratives project, a JCURA scholar, and played Hason in Mojada (Phoenix Theatre). His principal areas of research are eco-poetics and ecocritical theory.