Student Testimonial
Edward Kunz recently graduated with a PhD in history from The Ohio State University’s Department of History. Upon graduation, he reached out to describe how the Melton Center supported him throughout his journey in graduate school:
“My experience working as a diplomatic history graduate student on The Ohio State University’s campus was made significantly easier thanks to the Melton Center for Jewish Studies. During the years I spent on and off campus working towards my PhD, the Melton Center offered me frequent opportunities for funding, mentorship and professional growth. In terms of funding, I was fortunate enough to receive both the George M. and Renée Levine Graduate Fellowship in Jewish Studies in 2022 and the Charlotte Susan Roth Memorial Essay Prize in 2025. When it came to mentorship, I was directly aided in my studies by faculty members associated with the Melton Center, like Dr. Ori Yehudai, Dr. Robin Judd and Dr. Tamar Rudavsky. Finally, the Melton Center gave me the opportunity to lecture to the Jewish community of Columbus, both improving my skills as a lecturer and giving me a chance to engage with an excited audience. My experiences working with the Melton Center helped me to build a more robust curriculum vitae, something that was key to my receiving a postdoctoral fellowship from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. During every step of my career as a graduate student, the Melton Center was quick to reach out with advice, opportunities and funding options. I am grateful for all that the Melton Center did for me and continues to do for the next generation of academics.”
