about

. . . the job

Public Knowledge is one of four core programs at the Mellon Foundation. The others are Higher Learning; Arts and Cultural; and Humanities in Place.

As Program Officer, I am involved in a range of activities and responsibilities:

  • Management and monitoring of the Public Knowledge grant portfolio and grantmaking budget.
  • Building and strengthening relationships with prospective and current grantees in higher education, libraries, archives, publishing, and information technology, with particular attention to the humanities.
  • Inviting, evaluating, and offering guidance in the development of proposals.
  • Engaging collaboratively with staff in other programs to advance other aspects of the Foundation’s mission, including areas of joint interest – such as diversity and international higher education – as relevant to the objectives of the Public Knowledge program.
  • Developing, facilitating, and monitoring Public Knowledge program initiatives across institutions.
  • Preparing grant recommendations, essays, and reports for the Foundation’s officers and Board of Trustees.
  • Attending Board meetings and presenting grant recommendations.
  • Overseeing staff responsible for post-award grant management and participating in the
    monitoring and reconciliation of grant narrative and financial reports.
  • Tracking and assessing the progress of Public Knowledge-supported programs.
  • Representing the Foundation in meetings with current and prospective grantee
    organizations, Foundation partners, and professional organizations.

. . . the name

“Hswe” (“sway”) is a Burmese name – Burmese being a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Burma. Burma is directly west of Thailand, sitting a bit east of India and west-southwest of China. I was born in Burma and came to the U.S. as an infant. Alas, I do not speak Burmese! But I have been known to get the gist of my parents’ conversations, now and then.

Map of Burma