The John Aroutiounian Fellowship
The John Aroutiounian Fellowship (JAF) is a yearlong intellectual fellowship program designed for select undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to holistic intellectual exploration, free and open dialogue, community-building, and alignment with AAI’s mission of promoting humanistic inquiry and a spirit of intellectual adventure.
The Fellowship was created in memory of John Aroutiounian, a brilliant young scholar and radiant personality whose life was cut short by cancer in 2019. The Fellowship honors a conviction that animated John's own life: that education is not merely the transmission of information but rather the deep formation of the whole person.
The Fellowship seeks to cultivate the intellectual and moral virtues that sustain a lifelong pursuit of truth: intellectual humility, prudence, diligence, courage, perseverance, collaboration, curiosity, and genuine openness to dialogue. Through intellectual friendship, mentorship, and engagement with great thinkers and timeless big ideas, students are invited into a community of intellectual friendship and the shared pursuit of a flourishing life.
Fellowship Experience
John Aroutiounian Fellows participate in a yearlong program that includes:
Monthly Fellowship Breakfasts
Intimate conversations with faculty and subject matter expertsCultural and Historical Excursions
Visits to sites of artistic, historical, and cultural significance across New EnglandAnnual Retreats
Weekend getaways for reading, reflection, discussion, and hands-on learning opportunitiesSupport for Independent Work
Guidance and resources for scholarly projects like thesis workshopping, student lectures and discussions, reading groups, written reflections, and student-led eventsPrivate Events with Guest Lecturers
Reserved access to high-profile speakers and visiting scholarsMentorship and Advising
One-on-one guidance from Institute staff and senior fellowsIntegration into the AAI Network
Lifelong connection to a growing community of alumni, scholars, and public thinkers
Fellowship Impact
Fellows help advance the Institute’s mission through:
Leadership
Spearheading academic initiatives and acting as a leader and mentor for their peers in the AAI communityAmbassadorship
Representing the Institute on their campus, assisting with event promotion and introducing classmates and faculty to AAI’s workCommunity-building
Fostering a culture of intellectual fellowship and cultivating a united community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and supporters
Commitments
Fellows commit to participating fully in the cohort, attending a minimum of four JAF events per semester in addition to regular involvement in the broader AAI community. They are also required to spearhead one AAI event and/or produce one focused piece of writing for the Veritas Review during the academic year. Fellows receive a stipend of $200 upon successfully completing each semester.
Application
The Fellowship Program is by application only, and space is limited (20 students will be selected). All undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled at Harvard or other Boston-area universities are invited to apply. After application forms are submitted, top candidates will be contacted to set up a 15-minute phone interview.
Applications are due August 5, 2026.
Honoring the Legacy of John Aroutiounian
The Fellowship honors John Aroutiounian, a brilliant young scholar whose academic brilliance, deep faith, intellectual passion, and generous spirit left a lasting impact on everyone he met. A Yale (2015) graduate in History and Ethics, Politics & Economics (EP&E), John later earned a master’s in Classical Armenian Studies at Oxford. 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 terminal cancer.
John was a citizen of the world—fluent in several languages, widely traveled, and vocally proud of both his Armenian heritage and his American identity. An excellent speaker and a prolific writer, John was well-versed in matters of faith, culture, religion, politics and society, and lived his life in the light of the Armenian Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.
John departed this earthly life on May 3, 2019 at the age of 26, but his infinite presence is with us always. His legacy lives on through the lives he touched and through his posthumously published collection of essays, Finding Gold in the Dark: Reflections on Modern America, Virtue, and Faith, which the Institute was honored to help publish.
