‘Why My Fellowship Matters’: Melvin Thomas

Melvin Thomas traces his passion for Russian language and literature back to his discovery of Russian rock music of the ’80s. He got hooked on his first Soviet rock band, Kino, while learning Russian in his Staten Island high school. “Some people get into Russian after reading a Dostoevsky novel, but it was a bit simpler than that for me” he said. “I could barely understand the lyrics, but I really wanted to dive into it.” 

Now in his sixth year of Ph.D. study, Thomas researches Orthodox Christianity in literature, poetry and culture — with a focus on Russian émigré culture. “My dissertation looks at how the experience of immigrating to the West influenced the religious beliefs and intellectual development of two Russian intellectuals — historian Georges Florovsky, who taught at Princeton for several years, and poet Viacheslav Ivanov,” he said. 

Beyond his academic work, Thomas also found a campus home as a resident graduate student (RGS) at Rockefeller College, where for the past three years, he has helped organize social events for Princeton undergrads. “The RGS program is great for those of us who want to be part of campus life,” he said. “It helped enrich my Princeton experience beyond academics.”