English Professor Named RBS-Mellon Fellow in Critical Bibliography

Photo by Russell Cothren

Joshua Byron Smith

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Joshua Byron Smith, assistant professor of English in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected by the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia as one of 20 RBS-Mellon Fellows in critical bibliography. These early-career academics will participate in a three-year program to reinvigorate bibliographical studies within the humanities.

Recipients of the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship of Scholars in Critical Bibliography come from a broad spectrum of departments, including archaeology, art history, classics, East Asian languages and civilizations, English, French and Italian, history and religious studies and from institutions such as Duke University, Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University.

“This is a great privilege, and I’m honored to represent the University of Arkansas among my peers,” Smith said.

“Dr. Smith is a wonderful choice for this highly competitive fellowship,” said Dorothy Stephens, professor of English and chair of the department. “We have brilliant faculty in Fulbright College, and it’s gratifying when they are acknowledged by prestigious organizations like the Mellon Foundation and the Rare Book School.”

Fellows receive funding to attend specialized workshops at the Rare Book School and to travel to national and international archives. Additionally, each fellow agrees to host at least one academic symposium at his or her home institution. Fellows are allocated $2,000 to invite model practitioners of bibliography, book history and related fields to enrich the ongoing critical conversations in their departments.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to bring distinguished scholars to campus – not only to expose our students to new ideas, but also to show our visitors all that the university and Northwest Arkansas have to offer,” Smith said. “I plan on organizing one symposium on medieval manuscript culture and another on Arkansas’ multilingual past. We have a wealth of archival material in Cherokee, German and French, and I look forward to bringing this aspect of Arkansas’ past into greater prominence.”

Smith teaches medieval literature and languages. His research interests include the multilingual literary culture of 12th century Britain, particularly Anglo-Welsh textual exchange, and Welsh-language archival material in America. His current book project explores how Walter Map, one of the most important writers of medieval Britain, incorporated Welsh material into his work.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with 19 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.