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ACM Announces Summer Research Placements for Graduate School Exploration Fellows

ACM Announces Summer Research Placements for Graduate School Exploration Fellows July 16, 2021
ACM Announces Summer Research Placements for Graduate School Exploration Fellows

The Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) is pleased to announce the summer research placements for the fifth and final cohort of Graduate School Exploration Fellowship (GSEF) recipients. This summer, 22 ACM undergraduates from underrepresented backgrounds will have summer research experiences at either a Big Ten Academic Alliance institution or the University of Chicago.

During the program, GSEF Fellows work directly with graduate professors and/or graduate students in their field to give them firsthand experience with graduate training. Fellows also participate in programming at their host institution to help them prepare for other aspects of graduate school applications and study, such as GRE test preparation or application essay workshops.

“These 22 Graduate School Exploration Fellows help comprise the next generation of academic scholars,” said ACM President Sonya Malunda. “The ACM is pleased to partner with the Big Ten Academic Alliance and the University of Chicago to offer our Fellows the opportunity to spend their summer working at a top research institution and ultimately advance their academic careers. We are also grateful to the Mellon Foundation, which has generously funded these opportunities.”

“It’s super exciting and affirming to interact with people like myself in this field that, growing up, I didn’t think was for me in the slightest. Seeing the Fellowship highlight people like myself succeeding in graduate school and as professors has been something I really appreciate.”

Maya Rogers, Carleton College Student and Summer Research Intern at Rutgers University

Since beginning in 2016, the GSEF has helped underrepresented students in the humanities, humanistic social sciences, and the arts learn about and prepare for graduate study. In addition to the summer research experience, Fellows participate in two Annual Summits with GSEF students from across the 14 ACM colleges, as well as on-campus structured mentoring opportunities and enrichment workshops with ACM faculty and staff during their junior and senior years.

“It’s super exciting and affirming to interact with people like myself in this field that, growing up, I didn’t think was for me in the slightest,” said Maya Rogers, a rising senior at Carleton College who is working this summer with Shana Cole, Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Regulation, Action, and Motivated Perception Lab at Rutgers University. Through her participation in GSEF, Rogers has decided to pursue a PhD in social or perceptual psychology following completion of her bachelor’s degree. “Seeing the Fellowship highlight people like myself succeeding in graduate school and as professors has been something I really appreciate,” she said.

The GSEF is one of four programs supported by an $8.1 million grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation as part of the Undergraduate and Faculty Fellows Program for a Diverse Professoriate. This nine-year initiative is a partnership between the ACM and the Big Ten Academic Alliance to address barriers to faculty diversity in the humanities, humanistic social sciences, and arts, especially in the liberal arts college context.

“A liberal arts education requires diversity,” said Zach Messitte, President of Ripon College and Chair of the ACM Board of Directors. “The Graduate School Exploration Fellowship plays a vital role in identifying and nurturing students who will help shape college campuses and inspire young minds for years to come. On behalf of the ACM, I congratulate this cohort of Fellows and look forward to their many future contributions as scholars.”


2021 GSEF Summer Research Placements

Danielle Amezcua

ACM College: Coe College

Major: Sociology and Asian Studies

Summer Research Placement: University of Michigan

 

Ruth E. Castillo-Espinoza

ACM College: Lake Forest College

Major: Spanish and International Relations

Summer Research Placement: University of Michigan

 

Ursula Mbra Damtse

ACM College: Luther College

Major: International Studies and French

Summer Research Placement: University of Chicago

 

Jonathan Doriscar

ACM College: Knox College

Major: Psychology

Summer Research Placement: Michigan State University

 

Keely Fisher

ACM College: Carleton College

Major: Environmental Studies

Summer Research Placement: Ohio State University

 

Terrence Freeman

ACM College: Lawrence University

Major: Archaeology

Summer Research Placement: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 

Emily Hidalgo

ACM College: Colorado College

Major: Spanish and Race, Ethnicity & Migration Studies

Summer Research Placement: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Esther Kim

ACM College: Lake Forest College

Major: Psychology and Film

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Jacquelyne Leon-Flores

ACM College: Coe College

Major: Sociology and Social & Criminal Justice

Summer Research Placement: University of Nebraska-Lincoln

 

Abigail Maas

ACM College: Ripon College

Major: Psychology and English

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Natalie Meinhardt

ACM College: St. Olaf College

Major: Environmental Studies

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Olivia Palepoi

ACM College: Knox College

Major: Anthropology and Sociology

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Sonam Dolma Rabgay

ACM College: Colorado College

Major: Psychology

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Ariana Ramirez

ACM College: Cornell College

Major: Art History

Summer Research Placement: Pennsylvania State University

 

Camila Alejandra Rico

ACM College: Monmouth College

Major: Spanish and International Studies

Summer Research Placement: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

 

Samuel Rivera

ACM College: St. Olaf College

Major: Vocal Music Education

Summer Research Placement: University of Chicago

 

Sophia Rodriguez

ACM College: Luther College

Major: Spanish, French and Linguistics

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Maya Rogers

ACM College: Carleton College

Major: Psychology

Summer Research Placement: Rutgers University-New Brunswick

 

Sabrina Salas

ACM College: Lawrence University

Major: Anthropology on the Cultural Track

Summer Research Placement: Rutgers University-New Brunswick

 

Serena Touqan

ACM College: Macalester College

Major: Religious Studies

Summer Research Placement: Purdue University

 

Cathy Kiều My Trương

ACM College: Macalester College

Major: American Studies

Summer Research Placement: Northwestern University

 

Luis Ybarra

ACM College: Coe College

Major: Psychology and Kinesiology

Summer Research Placement: Michigan State University

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