Enrichment Programs Newsletter
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Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Undergraduate Studies Enrichment Programs newsletter! This monthly digest will provide updates about undergraduate research, creative activity, and peer teaching.
We will advertise upcoming application deadlines, events, and grant opportunities and will celebrate the successes of our innovative and hard-working Temple University undergraduate students.
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- Get to Know the Undergraduate Enrichment Team
- Upcoming Deadlines
- Program Highlight: CARAS Grants
- Student Spotlight: CARAS Project Grantee Anne Reisenwitz '19
- CARAS in the News!
- Application support for underrepresented STEM Ph.D. applicants
- Get in Touch
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Get to Know the Undergraduate Enrichment Team!
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Kerry Milch
Assistant Director
for Undergraduate Enrichment
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Kerry joined the Undergraduate Studies team in October 2018. She holds a Ph.D. in social psychology from Columbia University, where she studied decision making and motivation. She spent several years working for the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions and most recently completed a project for the U.S. Geological Survey, writing a guide to natural hazards communication based on insights from social science. Prior to graduate school, Kerry taught English in Japan and worked as a research associate at a foreign policy think tank, so she is familiar with circuitous career paths and the challenges students sometimes face in narrowing their focus.
Kerry is excited to be working with undergraduate scholars, creative artists, researchers, and peer teachers. She is available to meet with students to discuss how to get started in research, to bounce around project ideas, to talk through strategies for finding a faculty mentor, and/or to discuss the enrichment programs offered by Undergraduate Studies.
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Emily Moerer
Associate Vice Provost
for Undergraduate Enrichment
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Emily has been developing, directing, and supervising enrichment programs in the Undergraduate Studies division of the Provost's Office since 2010. She is committed to ensuring that Temple undergraduates have robust opportunities for experiential learning and preparation to pursue advanced academic work. In addition to her direction of the Diamond Programs (Research Scholars, Peer Teachers, and Ambassadors), CARAS, Merit Scholarship stipends, and the Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity, she provides oversight for the offices of Pre-Professional Health Advising and Scholar Development and Fellowships Advising.
Emily is thrilled to have Kerry on board to help support and broaden our enrichment efforts, including designing this newsletter and helping to better "get the word out" and (re)introduce our programs and initiatives. Whether you are a longstanding factuly mentor or perhaps a student just starting to think about undertaking a project, please read our news and connect with us!
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Upcoming Deadlines
- October 2: Applications for the Diamond Peer Teachers program (a paid teaching internship for upper-division undergraduates) for Spring 2020 courses are due
- October 15: CARAS project grant applications for funding for winter/spring scholarly, creative, or research projects are due to school/college reviewers
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Program Highlight: CARAS Grants
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Former CARAS Project Grant Recipients:
Clockwise from top left: Fareed Simpson-Hankins ("Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"), Jake Beyer ("Genesis (Short Film)"), Adam Brock & Owen Pearl ("Engineering Graphene-Based Membranes for Acoustic and Other Electro Mechanical Sensors"), Emma Baylor ("Opening Channels for Reception of Water into Dhrangadhra Lake").
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CARAS (Creative Arts, Research, And Scholarship)
Project Grants
- enable undergraduates to pursue an independent project under the supervision of a Temple faculty mentor
- open to full-time undergraduates from ALL schools & colleges
- up to $4,000 in funding
Application deadline for winter and/or spring projects is October 15.
Please help us spread the word about this opportunity!
Additional details can be found
here
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CARAS Travel Grants
- support undergraduates presenting their research at conferences
- up to $1,000 in funding
- applications are accepted on a rolling basis
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Student Spotlight: CARAS Project Edition
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Anne, a double-major in political science and Spanish, used a CARAS project grant in Spring 2019 to investigate hydropower projects throughout Ecuador, Ethiopia, and the U.S. under the supervision of Dr. Lauren Farmer in the political science department. Anne visited several dams and traveled to Ecuador to conduct interviews with officials and human rights activists.
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What inspired you to pursue this project? Where did the idea come from?
I was inspired to pursue this project after learning about energy through an internship with PECO and taking a human security research class with Dr. Farmer. The class taught me about water insecurity on the global scale, and I wanted to understand why investment/development of hydropower projects continued despite growing scarcity of freshwater resources.
How has your work on this project impacted you?
My work on this project showed me the harsh reality of corruption and foreign investment in developing countries. I gained a greater awareness of international exploitation of minority communities, especially indigenous peoples. As a result, I would like to do further post-graduate research about minority exploitation by extractive energy industries and create global solutions for these problems.
What was a highlight of working on this project?
The highlight was meeting with human rights activists from various indigenous rights groups while I was in Ecuador. I really enjoyed using my Spanish language education to conduct the research interviews and learning about indigenous political movements in South America.
What was your biggest challenge with this project? How did you handle it?
One of the biggest challenges was interviewing people in a variety of countries and time zones. I planned interviews months in advance and routinely checked in with interviewees before and after our conversations. I also created a system of pre- and post-interview reporting to prepare for and recap main points from our discussion. Additionally, I always contacted my mentor, Dr. Farmer, when I needed guidance with planning interviews and synthesizing qualitative data.
What are your future plans?
I hope to pursue graduate studies involving global energy markets and economics. I would like to complete a Fulbright in a South American country to study the energy industry’s effects on minority communities. Specifically, I would like to compare the impacts of traditional extractive energy industries with emerging renewable energy markets in developing countries.
Do you have any advice for students considering applying for a CARAS project grant, or considering pursuing a mentored research or creative project?
I recommend that students definitely apply to the CARAS program, no matter how much previous research experience they have! I was nervous because I had never completed a research project of this magnitude before, but the CARAS program directors and my mentor were always there for me.
Answers have been edited and condensed.
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Photo Credit:
Colleen Stepanian
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Grad School Application Support
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Are you planning to apply to Ph.D. programs in a STEM field this fall? Are you from a group traditionally underrepresented in STEM?
Científico Latino is accepting applications for mentees and mentors (STEM Ph.D. students, post-docs, and faculty) for Fall 2019.
More information can be found
here
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We Want to Hear from You!
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Are you an undergraduate researcher or peer teacher with news to share?
Do you know an undergraduate researcher or peer teacher who should be featured in our newsletter?
Do you have an event, program, or deadline you would like us to include in an upcoming issue?
Do you want to learn more about undergraduate enrichment programs at Temple and how to become involved?
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