A new $1 million grant to The Claremont Colleges — Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, Pomona and Scripps—will push forward efforts by this group of small, academically-rigorous institutions to create a more diverse faculty for America’s colleges and universities.

The grant was awarded acceptance as members of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF), an initiative of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation aimed at increasing faculty diversity by supporting underrepresented students to pursue careers as professors.

“America’s demographics are changing rapidly, and it’s more important than ever for college students to learn from faculty members who share their backgrounds and understand their personal stories,” Pomona College President David Oxtoby said.

MMUF member institutions select students to be fellows, typically in their sophomore year. Students are selected based on their demonstrated academic ability and their stated aspiration to pursue a doctoral degree in the humanities and select social sciences and physical sciences.

Currently, Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), Pomona college initiatives and mentoring programs such as Posse, QuestBridge and HHMI are among the network of cohorts that increase access, affordability and diversity at The Claremont Colleges.

The Claremont Colleges undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions, offering rigorous curricula, small classes, distinguished professors and personalized instruction in a vibrant residential college community that provides intensive interaction between students and faculty.