Valerie Popp, Ph.D. works cross-departmentally to envision, develop, and execute programmatic initiatives that uphold NJCH’s mission and contribute to New Jersey’s diverse humanities ecosystem. Prior to joining NJCH in 2021, she was the Senior Program Officer at the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) in New York City, where she played a lead role in administering ACLS’s $25 million portfolio of fellowships and grants for humanities and social sciences scholars worldwide. She also has worked as an institutional giving manager for national nonprofits and as a researcher for New York Times-bestselling financial journalist Beth Kobliner. A proud first-generation college graduate, Valerie holds a B.A. in English literature from Yale University and a Ph.D. in English literature from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her publications span the fields of modernist and contemporary poetry, disability studies, and African American literary and cultural studies. When she isn’t creating new humanities programs, Valerie enjoys traveling, writing short stories and book reviews, and hiking.
