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
