Colin Powell School
Visiting Fulbright Scholar Margo Groenewoud brings new Caribbean insights to CUNY DSI
Originally from the Netherlands, Margo Groenewoud has lived in the Dutch Caribbean for more than 15 years. There she obtained her PhD, developed herself as a teacher, and discovered the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program, which ultimately brought her to CCNY. In this position, Groenewoud focuses on research, guest lecturing and digital humanities, bringing her expertise on the Dutch Caribbean in the context of trans-Caribbean history and Caribbean Studies. Groenewoud aims to raise awareness of the intertwined histories of New York City and the Caribbean: “Just take a walk here in the neighborhood and count all things Dutch or Dominican, just for a start. And there is so much more that doesn’t meet the eye!” The Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program aims to bring new insights and practices to the US and endow the scholars with experiences they bring to their home communities, while strengthening relationships between different institutions.
Tell us about your professional, personal, and academic backgrounds.
Originally, I am from the Netherlands but I have lived in the Dutch Caribbean for over 15 years now. I studied history at Leiden University, doing my thesis on a comparative study in colonial history. After that, I wanted to gain work experience in a variety of places, so I left academia thinking I would never return… In 2007 I moved to Curaçao in the Dutch Caribbean and started to work there as Library Director at the University of the Netherlands Antilles (now University of Curaçao). It was there that I started to feel that I belonged in academia. Long story short, I obtained my PhD degree, continued to publish and develop myself as a teacher, and then last year received major support for my scholarship through a CUNY Dominican Studies Institute (DSI) Fellowship and a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence grant.
What projects have you worked on prior to City College that you are most proud of?
Frankly, when I started my PhD research, I never ever imagined an academic career as viable, thinking I could never compete with the ‘young generation.’ Then one day I met someone who had done exactly that in her (late) forties, and that really changed my attitude and my life. In that context, publishing in the amazing Small Axe Caribbean journal of criticism in 2021 was a major achievement and something I still feel very proud of, mostly because of the originality of the piece. I found my voice and an audience for it – that felt amazing.
How did you find yourself ending up at CCNY?
A friend and former DSI Research Fellow, Dr. Sheridan Wigginton, suggested getting in touch with CUNY DSI when I was preparing a new research project on Dutch-Spanish Caribbean affairs. I had a very nice and fruitful zoom conversation with DSI Librarian Sarah Aponte, who showed genuine interest and offered great support. We remained in touch and eventually applied for the Fulbright with the institutional support of Dean Dr. Andrew Rich of the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, and of course Dr. Ramona Hernandez, CUNY DSI director. Knowing the odds for getting a Fulbright, I successfully applied for a DSI Research Fellowship. Then in May came the news that I was also awarded the Fulbright.
How are you affiliated with the Fulbright program?
I take part in the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence program, which is a program for non-US scholars to work in a US institute for higher education for one or two semesters, and to bring new insights and practices to the US. Also of course, this program intends that you learn new things here that you will bring back to your home community, and aims at building sustaining relationships between institutions.
What are your primary responsibilities as the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence?
In my case, the emphasis is on research, (guest) lecturing and Digital Humanities. The output relevant to teaching will be through a publication (DSI Research Monograph) and developing Digital Humanities and teaching materials. I will guest lecture in a variety of places and for different audiences, which will be of major importance for fine-tuning my writing and teaching. I hope to continue my relationship with the CUNY community and CCNY as guest lecturer and in projects, bringing in my expertise on the Dutch Caribbean in the context of trans-Caribbean history and Caribbean Studies where needed.
What initiatives have you been working on?
Apart from the lecturing activities already mentioned, we also started a Round Table Conversations on Digital Humanities in Caribbean Studies that will continue in the coming months. DSI Library has developed a broad and very interesting offering of Digital Scholarship. The idea of this conversation series is to make connections with relevant partners and scholars, and to bring the discussion on Digital Humanities – which is mostly project-based – to a higher and strategic level. Also, I take part in some of the very interesting grant proposals being developed by DSI, in particular some relevant to heritage and education.
What are your overall impressions of CCNY and CPS in the time you’ve been here?
More than expected, I feel very much at home. I come from a small Caribbean island university where we teach mostly first generation students from all sorts of backgrounds. Though the Harlem ‘vibe’ is unique, the university population feels very similar to that of my home institute. The challenges relative to being a public school, such as non-functioning elevators, are also very relatable. Having said that, having all these amazing research facilities - such as the libraries and the offering of workshops and lectures - make me feel like being in a research candy store. Coming from an island that suffered major economic recessions in the past decade, the contrast in material wealth and facilities is substantial. To have so much research material available at your fingertips, online but also through the support of the DSI librarians, and being surrounded by so many interesting scholars, has had a major influence on the quality and efficiency of my research.
What do you hope to accomplish in your time as the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence?
Apart of course from my scholarly output, I hope to have supported raising awareness and building knowledge about how intertwined the history of New York City and its population is with the history of the Caribbean, and in particular with the Dominican Republic and the Dutch Caribbean. These histories for centuries have intersected and intertwined. Just take a walk here in the neighborhood and count all things Dutch or Dominican, just for a start. And there is so much more that doesn’t meet the eye! There are so many amazing stories to tell, and I would love to continue discovering and telling these stories together with my colleagues and friends here at CCNY.