Why Humanities Still Matter: A UWC Alumnus on Policy, Data, and Social Change

At UWC Dover’s 2026 Humanities Focus Week, students across the high school had the opportunity to hear from Nicolas De Mellow, a 2018 alumnus and a current research Assistant at Harvard’s Department of Health Care Policy. With a background in economic research, Nicolas’s experiences created an enriching opportunity for UWC students to reflect on public policy and the importance of the humanities in the contemporary world. 

He begins by reflecting on his experiences, during which he pursued work and studies in the humanities. Nicolas started his college studies at Claremont McKenna College, a liberal arts college in LA. He was an economics and history dual major with a minor in data science. In terms of this subject combination, Nicolas feels that these matters drove him to want to have a “positive social impact” in his career. This drove him to more economics research with a focus on public policy, specifically dealing with topics such as health, education, poverty, and inequality. 

Nicolas’ career has taken him to unique spaces he did not initially expect. In 2023,  he moved to Boston to work for the City of Boston’s research division, a move he wasn’t expecting, as he did not anticipate working for the city government in the US due to his background as a “non-US citizen.” There, his research involved analysing the ‘spatial and temporal distribution of gun violence in Boston, while simultaneously researching the “racial disparities in home loans and mortgage application approvals in Boston.” 

Looking toward a shift towards academia and with the plan of receiving an economics PhD in the back of my mind,” Nicolas began working as a research assistant at Harvard’s Department of Health Care Policy, where he researched policies in the US, including projects such as exploring “how the US views disability insurance compared to other countries like the Netherlands.” Nicolas’s works alos include looking at equity, especially in terms of look at “disparities in mental health care access in the US,” and analysing the privatization of health care resources such as hospitals. 

In terms of how the humanities function in the contemporary world, Nicolas notes a significant “20% decrease in undergrad degrees in the humanities.” Nicolas explains the importance of the role of the humanities, explaining that these subjects provide context in polarizing discussions” that are occurring in modern societies. Furthermore, Nicolas states that the humanities has a unique role in allowing us to “think more deeply about the real impacts of policy and societal development,” allowing us to gain more nuanced understandings of “how the world works at multiple levels.” 

“Everyone should have some sort of exposure to the humanities,” Nicolas says. 

Throughout this discussion, Nicolas frequently emphasizes that research and analysis can be for everyone.  “I think often, especially today, anyone can analyze data, anyone can present data, but you can kind of use data in whatever way you want and present it however you want to tell your story,” he says. 

When asked how students interested in the humanities should approach the field, Nicolas emphasizes the importance of an individual’s unique interests, encouraging students to “go through the motions” and “think about what you want to do.” 

Nicolas’s unique and diverse experiences emphasize the importance of finding oneself, approaching each opportunity with an open heart and mind.