Isingoma Peter

Peter Isingoma: Building Dreams Through Education

Peter Isingoma embodies the transformative power of education in rural Uganda. With over a decade of experience in teaching and educational leadership, Peter has dedicated his life to expanding access to quality education in the Kibaale District, where he first began his own educational journey at Kihumuro Primary School.

After earning his teaching certificate from Kyambogo University, Peter quickly distinguished himself as an innovative educator and natural leader. He rose from classroom teacher to Education Assistant for the Kibaale District Local Government, where he has worked tirelessly to improve educational outcomes across the region. His commitment to excellence in education is reflected in his continuous professional development, including a Bachelor's of Science in Education, multiple postgraduate diplomas, and current pursuit of a Master's in Teacher Education.

As the visionary behind the Janice D Steenblik Learning Centre, Peter brings both practical experience and academic expertise to the project. His time as Acting Head Teacher and Deputy Head Teacher at St. Gerald Trust Primary School has given him firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of running a school in rural Uganda. His experience implementing personalized learning strategies and developing innovative solutions has consistently led to improved academic performance.

Peter's approach to education extends beyond traditional academics. He has developed expertise in Early Childhood Development (ECD), psychosocial support, and accelerated learning programs. His skills in digital learning and technology integration will be crucial in preparing students at the JDS Learning Centre for an increasingly connected world, while his deep understanding of local culture and community needs ensures the school will serve as a true community resource.

The JDS Learning Centre represents the culmination of Peter's educational philosophy: that every child deserves access to quality education in an environment that nurtures both academic excellence and personal growth. Through this project, he aims to create a model for sustainable, community-centered education that can be replicated across rural Uganda.

Fluent in English, Runyakitara, and Ruganda, Peter brings strong communication skills and cultural competency to his leadership role. His commitment to continuous improvement and community engagement makes him the ideal steward for bringing the vision of the Janice D Steenblik Learning Centre to life, creating lasting educational opportunities for generations to come.

Sharon J. Harris

This past week we have had our second fellow! Sharon J. Harris, a PhD Candidate in English at Fordham University. Her dissertation examines the interdependent ways that music moves its hearers affectively, rhetorically, and physically in seventeenth-century English literature and how music’s power to move thus ultimately forms communities. She holds degrees in music and humanities from Brigham Young University and the University of Chicago and has an article appearing in the upcoming issue of Mormon Studies Review. For her research Sharon has received grants to the Folger Shakespeare Library, Yale Beinecke Library, UCLA Clark Library, and Digital Humanities Summer Institute. Sharon is the founder of Fordham University’s Music and Sound Studies reading group and blog and helps organize Fordham University's semi-annual Voices Up! concert series directed by Lawrence Kramer. She has also worked on the editorial staff of 19th-Century Music, published by UC Press and Opera Quarterly, published by Oxford Journals.

Janice was an accomplished pianist and Organist and generally loved music and singing. She made sure to teach all of her children to love and appreciate their skill in piano and singing. This fellowship provided accommodation for Sharon to attend The 2017 Historical Notation Bootcamp at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Janice would have been elated to have supported Sharon in her pursuit of this specialized musical talent, and would have wanted to know everything about what Sharon was learning. Thank you Sharon for applying and participating in the fellowship, and pursuing your passion for music! We look forward to seeing Sharon's reflections on her experience at the bootcamp.

The 2017 Historical Notation Bootcamp at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library is co-sponsored by Yale University and Cornell University and directed by Andrew Hicks and Anna Zayaruznaya. In its second year it is already drawing scholars from around the country and generating international interest. The bootcamp is part seminar and part workshop, offering a primer in the theoretical grounding and practical know-how of medieval musical notations, from neumes to early print sources. Participants receive instruction in skills needed for work with musical sources, source-based analysis, and for singing from original notation.

Hal R. Boyd

We have already had our first fellow, who is a great credit and a momentous fellow to start with! As his contribution to the fellowship he published an article in the Yale Daily News entitled "Live Free or Lashes".

Hal R. Boyd graduated with honors from Brigham Young University. His writing has appeared in various venues, including BYU Studies Quarterly and The Oxford Handbook to Mormonism (2015). He recently published Psalms of Nauvoo: Early Mormon Poetry (2015) with Susan Easton Black. He is a J.D. candidate at Yale Law School.