Kalena Holeman’s creativity runs the gamut. An English major in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Holeman is fueled by a passion for Black literature and an innate desire to study the intricate interplay of culture and gender. This exploration is evident in her admiration for the works of authors such as Dante, Gwendolyn Brooks and Gayl Jones.

“I saw interesting connections between past and present writers that inspired my approach, noticing that, historically speaking, a lot of more diverse writers weren't being considered in the same way as their white counterparts because of institutional differences such as not really being seen as part of the cannon,” Holeman said. “However, the more scholarly work that's done on them, the more that those doors are being opened.”

The oldest of three, Holeman is the first in her family to attend college immediately after high school. Holeman says she has valued her time at the University of Houston from the start. Opting to study the humanities, her college career has been packed with unique educational experiences and opportunities to travel. The research experience she has received as an undergraduate student offers tangible advantages for her future career in academia.

“Over the summer, I was accepted into the FrameWorks program at the Honors College, and I spent last fall and spring writing an academic article for the FrameWorks journal,” Holeman said. “I then presented at the [FrameWorks] symposium, and my research took me in various directions after applying to undergraduate conferences and receiving funding to travel to Harvard, Johns Hopkins and UT.”

Diving headfirst into three phenomenal research projects, Holeman worked with the English department to curate a digital exhibition that explored various digital humanities aspects and brought her creative vision to life. The exhibition will reflect the receptions of Homer's “Odyssey” in the art of Romare Bearden and Chris Ofili. Holeman has been in contact with the Schaumburg Center’s digital research center to convey her vision and explore her options to expand her project into the summer and fall.

Holeman received funding from the English department to travel to the Schaumburg Center in New York in June and research Bearden in the archives. She plans to seek out other researchers while at Colombia to discuss Bearden, gaining insight into his lifestyle and methodologies and compare notes.

I'll be staying in Harlem and seeing exciting places such as the Apollo Theater, too,” Holeman said. “I can’t wait to see these historical sites that I never would have seen otherwise. It'll be exciting being in the archives for the first time; flipping through the materials will be surreal.”

“I'll be staying in Harlem and seeing exciting places such as the Apollo Theater, too,” Holeman said. “I can’t wait to see these historical sites that I never would have seen otherwise. It'll be exciting being in the archives for the first time; flipping through the materials will be surreal.”

And that’s not all. Her passion for English literature is heightened by the intense research and analysis of her FrameWorks project which centered around Black diasporic receptions of antiquity. Comparing Dante’s “Divine Comedy” to Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man” and Derek Walcott’s “Omeros,” Holeman views the classics through a unique lens centered on the reception of women in the art of the Black artists Romare Bearden and Chris Ofili.

The Mellon Research Scholars program awarded Holeman $5,000 to continue working to uncover scholarly writings and enjoy hands-on research activities. The project focuses on Black feminist criticism in the mid-20th century and the scope taken in Black women writings such as journeys, dissents or political and apolitical musings.

“Currently, my Mellon project is new terrain, theoretical work,” Holeman said. “I am looking at fiction writings and seeing what scholars have written, re-examining and really dissecting it to see how it could be enhanced by my research while remaining impartial in my project’s formatting.”

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Major Awards (OURMA) has been essential to Holeman in the planning and scheduling of her conferences and trips. OURMA provides mentored research and fellowship opportunities for University of Houston undergraduates, prompting connections, faculty mentors and resources and ways to get involved.

Holeman participated in the Rutgers English Diversity Institute, a one-week summer program in New Jersey that offers an introductory graduate school experience for students interested in English literature. The program was packed with seminars and lectures by Rutgers professors and researchers who provided mentorship and advice about the journey into academia.

Upon return, Holeman was accepted by the Alexandra L. Rowan Memorial Foundation, a Houston-based nonprofit which partners with the English department to support creative writing undergraduate students. She also began a joint internship with Rice University's Woodson Research Center and the Houston Public Library's African American History Research Center at the Gregory School in July. An invaluable experience, Holeman is gaining exposure to archival research and methods varying from collection processing to oral history projects.

“Undergraduate resources and overall support for my research has actually gone further than I anticipated, and I am very appreciative,” Holeman said. “I have been in contact with OURMA more recently to see what resources are made available and how undergraduates are supported in that way.”