Given each year to academically and interpersonally outstanding students at Harvard or colleges and universities in the greater Boston area, the JAF recognizes young men and women of exceptional talent and high motivation who have demonstrated ability in building peer and intergenerational communities of intellectual and moral virtue.
It is now widely recognized that political correctness is fatal to free thought everywhere. The Abigail Adams Institute believes that the best way to guard against the culture of political correctness is to affirm and protect principles and practices of free inquiry and discussion. Nowhere is it more important to do this than in the University community. We therefore seek to promote virtues most necessary to realize this goal: courage, intellectual ambition, civility, friendship, and faith. The winner of the JAF will exemplify these qualities in abundance.
The fellowship stipend is $4,000 and can be used toward tuition, books, travel, colloquia, or living expenses.
The award is named after Mr. John Aroutiounian whose deep and enduring faith in God, alongside his academic brilliance, led him to explore religion in ways that inspired and brought people together. John spoke several languages and had traveled the world extensively. A citizen of the world, John was proudly vocal about his Armenian heritage and deeply loyal to the United States. John graduated from Yale University in 2015 with a double major in History (with distinction) and EP&E (Ethics, Politics & Economics). He then attended Oxford University and earned a master's degree in Classical Armenian Studies. He was in his second year at Columbia Law School and a recipient of the prestigious Dolores Zohrab Liebman Fellowship, when he was diagnosed with cancer. John departed this earthly life on May 3, 2019 at the age of 26, but his infinite presence is with us always.
Expectations of the Fellowship
John Aroutiounian Fellowship members are the heart of the Abigail Adams Institute community, participating in and leading reading groups, seminars, and social events. Fellows will have access to all that AAI has to offer: institutional resources, mentorship, & intellectual community! Fellows will be able to shape AAI programming, plan events of their own, and contribute to the AAI community at Harvard and beyond. The fellowship can involve different project responsibilities for each fellow.