Each year hundreds of talented artists, architects, classicists, and historians compete for seventy-five vacancies at the American Academy in Rome. A few years ago, Nicholas de Monchaux was the recipient of an associated fellowship, as the Alan Van Dinkeloo fellow. They will leave for Rome in the fall. Dean's Forum member William Fain from Los Angeles has also recently won the Rome Prize. The American Academy in Rome does not have a faculty, curriculum, or student body.
Fellows reside at the school where they pursue independent projects for up to one year.
The lucky few chosen to attend become part of a rich academic tradition. decided to start a center where America's top artists could study amid the classical tradition of ancient Rome. With the support of Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., William K. Vanderbilt, and Henry Clay Frick, the new American School of Architecture opened in Rome in 1894. In 1913 the school merged with the American School of Classical Studies in Rome to become the American Academy. These informal site visits are held twice a week and were led for many years by U.Va. Meeting new people and making friends is one of the best parts of living at the Academy.