The University Scholars Program is pleased to announce the names of our first ever Scholars Independent Research Fellowship recipients. Thirty-seven freshmen and sophomore Scholars received funding to pursue original, student-initiated independent research, creative performance, and project making in close collaboration with a faculty mentor through the SIRF initiative. The fellowships were awarded through a competitive application process, which includes training in how to craft and carry out research proposals. See below for more information on some of the exciting projects our Scholars are carrying out this summer!
Puro Project Prototype
The "Puro" Project submitted by Kelli Lynch (COE), Ian McLarney (DMSB), and Sofia Sotelo Ortiz (DMSB), seeks to implement a sustainable, long-term solution to the problem of access to safe drinking water in Bolivia by redesigning, testing and distributing a low-cost, family-friendly ultraviolet water purifier (UV-C), which has proven effectively to eliminate bacteria, viruses and parasites. Professor Veronica Godoy-Carter is the faculty mentor for the "Puro" Project.
Marc Mina Tawfik of the Neuroscience Project.
The Neuroscience Outreach Project submitted by George Bekheet (COS), John Howard (COE), and Marc Tawfik (CCIS) hopes to construct a fully dynamic and interactive neuron model for use as a teaching tool in high school and undergraduate science/neuroscience courses. The device will reveal the fascinating simplicity of the neuron and, in so doing, inspire young people to pursue science and technology careers. Professor Jade Zee is the faculty mentor for the Neuroscience Outreach Project.
Scholar and doula Gaylen Alexander with an infant.
For the Haiti Maternal Health Education Project, Gaylen Alexander (Bouve') will carry out a health educational needs assessment with a specific focus on childbirth and pregnancy in collaboration with MamaBaby Haiti (MBH) -- a non-profit organization that provides free health care to the women in and around Cap-Haïtien. The goal of the project is to collect and analyze qualitative information that might lead to the improvement of MBH established programs and/or the creation of new ones. Professor Tiffany Kim is the faculty mentor for the Haiti Maternal Health Education Project.
Siddhartha Pant will explore taxi microfinance in Nepal.
The Taxi Micro-financing Project, proposed by Siddhartha Pant (DMSB), seeks to assess the impact of a unique and seemingly effective program in Nepal that provides micro-financing services to help poor uneducated drivers finance the cost of owning second-hand public transportation vehicles. The goal of the project is to produce analysis and recommendations that will lead not only to taxi MFIs improvement in Nepal, but also to their potential application to other developing countries. Professor Sophie Bacq is the faculty mentor for the Taxi Micro-financing Project.