Former Professor Frederick Luis Aldama endows new leadership scholarship
The Dept of English is thrilled to announce a new scholarship endowed by a former professor, the Frederick Luis Aldama Leadership Scholarship Fund. Aldama, an Ohio State Distinguished University Professor now teaching at the University of Texas—Austin, taught at Ohio State from 2005–2021 on topics including Latinx studies, comics studies, narrative theory, and film.
Aldama considers himself a “Buckeye for life” and wanted to recognize the leadership he saw many Ohio State students exemplify by their mere presence. In endowing this scholarship fund he especially thought of students who had to overcome substantial educational or economic obstacles to arrive and thrive at Ohio State, and he hopes to support these future leaders, especially those committed to educational access for everyone.
Department chair Elizabeth Hewitt says “when Frederick first told me about the gift, he said that he wanted to recognize these leaders and to do what he could to knock away the financial obstacles that got in their way.” With many students overcoming societal or family pressures to choose a “more vocational” major, along with those financial or educational obstacles, Aldama hopes this scholarship will empower future leaders to continue their commitment to the study of literature, rhetoric, writing, and culture. Hewitt emphasizes “it is an exquisite gift as it reveals not only Professor Aldama’s commitment to student access and success, but also his recognition that this is a priority for the department.”
We reached out to Professor Aldama for a short interview about this scholarship fund. Responses have been edited for style and length.
Why did you endow this scholarship?
I wanted to recognize that leadership isn't just about GPAs and accolades—it's about building bridges between the classroom and communities, between knowledge and action. Too many brilliant English majors, especially those who've faced educational or economic obstacles, have the vision and drive to make real change but need support to fully realize their potential.
I've seen it time and again: students juggling jobs, supporting families, and navigating systems that aren’t built for them who still find ways to innovate, build community, and lead. These English majors will transform what critical-creative storythinking can do in the world. This scholarship recognizes that kind of leadership—the kind that connects academic excellence with communities, both on and off campus.
How do you hope this scholarship supports students?
While it’s not a requirement of the scholarship, I'd like to see it help cover the final year of tuition for English undergraduates. That final year often proves to be an insurmountable hurdle for many students—and one where we often lose them if they’re forced to take a leave to work before returning to finish. Of course, this challenge exists in nearly every year, not just the final one. My hope is that the scholarship will help extraordinary English majors overcome tuition costs and make it to graduation.
Ideally, this support will free them up to take intellectual risks, pursue ambitious projects, and forge the connections that will define their contributions to the narrative arts. Whether that's organizing spoken word events in new community spaces, creating digital narratives that challenge dominant cultural scripts, or developing new pedagogical approaches—this fund says "yes, do that work." I'm certain my extraordinarily generous and talented colleagues will choose students who stand apart in their creative and critical work, their community building, and their innovation.
Beyond financial support, it's a message: We see you. Your critical-creative work and leadership matter. Your story matters.
What led you to set up this fund?
My mamá was a single mother who dedicated her life to bilingual education. When she fell ill from pesticide exposure in California's Central Valley, my madrina took over raising me for a while. Both were fierce, strong women who never quit in their work to help others. They, along with other strong women like my Guatemalan abuelita, showed me that opening doors for the next generation requires sacrifice, commitment, and building infrastructure that lasts.
When I arrived at OSU in 2005, former department chair of English, Valerie Lee, gave me the key to the kingdom—the freedom and support to build programs like LASER (Latinx Space for Enrichment and Research), which won a 2015 Obama White House Hispanic Education Bright Spot Award, and the Humanities & Cognitive Sciences High School Institute, which continues to be run by my colleague and friend, Angus Fletcher. When I left for UT Austin in 2021, it wasn'tbecause I was unhappy. ¡Para nada! I love my colleagues. Buckeye for life. I left because those legacy programs were running strong, and I wanted new challenges and to be closer to Mexico and family.
But OSU never stopped being home. Years after leaving, I kept thinking: what lasting infrastructure can I build that will keep recognizing and empowering new generations? That's when I established this Leadership Scholarship Fund. It's about building pipelines, not just opening doors. It's about ensuring that the next generation of English majors—especially those who've overcome substantial obstacles—get celebrated and supported for the leaders they already are.
What else should people know about this fund?
This scholarship is part of a larger commitment I've made to recognizing excellence across institutions and communities. I've also endowed awards at UT Austin, through the Comics Studies Society, at Modesto Junior College, the “Excellence in Creative Writing Award" for the Association of Graduate Liberal Studies Programs, and the "Award for Best Graphic Novel" through the Texas Institute of Letters.
But this OSU fund holds a special place. With matched dollars bringing it to $200,000, this scholarship will endure. My wonderful colleagues in the department—Beth Hewitt, Jim Phelan, Angus Fletcher, Jared Gardner, Aman Garcha, Lékè Adéẹkọ, Paloma Martínez-Cruz, Pranav Jani, Karen Winstead, Tommy Davis, Jonathan Buehl, Dorothy Noyes, Ethan Knapp, Martin Ponce, Andréa Williams, Susan Williams, and so many others—will form a team to identify and celebrate English majors who are already making a difference through innovation, community building, and leadership. These are students who understand that storytelling is more than an academic exercise—it's a tool for connection and transformation.
I've turned the corner and am now in a position where I can pay it forward. Every hardship is now behind me, but so are the role models, teachers, and community members who opened doors for me. This fund is my way of honoring that legacy, of ensuring that students who might be where I once was—uncertain, struggling, but full of vision—know that someone believes in them and their leadership.
The Department of English extends its gratitude to Frederick Aldama for this endowment, as well as all gifts we receive to support the work in our department. To donate to this fund, visit Ohio State’s giving page.