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News Release

Last modified: Monday, August 27, 2007

Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program begins second year

EDITORS: A complete list of Indiana University Undergraduate Research Scholars is at the bottom of this story. For more information on this program, contact Heidi Schulz with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research at 812-855-5400 or hmschulz@indiana.edu.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 27, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Twenty-seven Indiana University freshmen join five sophomores in an educational journey this fall as recipients of the Undergraduate Research Scholarship at Indiana University Bloomington.

The scholarship, now in its second year, is distinctive in that it features four years of undergraduate research, with students and their faculty mentors working side-by-side. Supported by an anonymous $46.7 million gift from a donor who specified that the scholarships include a "work experience," the program is now in its second year. Not only does the scholarship offer exciting opportunities to students, but it allows IU to be highly competitve in recruiting the best students in Indiana while also providing support to faculty researchers.

"The Research Scholars Program offers students a tremendous opportunity to learn through direct experience," said IU President Michael McRobbie. "The partnership between these students and faculty mentors promises to enrich individual intellectual lives and strengthen Indiana University as a whole."

Students are carefully paired with faculty mentors and work under their direction for eight to 10 hours per week while maintaining a 3.5 cumulative GPA. The scholarship recipients receive full tuition, fees and room and board for a total value of more than $60,000 per student. The awards are renewable for a maximum of four years or until students receive their first undergraduate degree.

"We are delighted to welcome this year's Undergraduate Research Scholars into our community of scholars," IU Provost Karen Hanson said. "This scholarship program is extraordinary in its structured one-to-one pairing of outstanding incoming freshmen and our superb faculty. The faculty mentors are of course educating these terrific young students, and these students are themselves becoming engaged in the other central mission of the campus -- the acquisition of new knowledge. The wonderful opportunities connected with this program are available only because Indiana University is a research university. The program makes plain the crucial intertwining of education and research."

The 27 freshman Research Scholars will pursue research in various academic fields this fall including law, business, chemistry, theater and drama, English, optometry and linguistics. They join five Research Scholars who are entering their sophomore years.

"I had the most fulfilling, wonderful and exciting freshman year of college, and it is thanks in no small part to the generous scholarship I have been awarded," said sophomore business student Ali Stewart, who is interested in privacy law and the legal treatment of pretexting.

Sophomore Alexandra Peirce said that she was not seriously considering IU prior to receiving notification that she had been awarded the Indiana University Undergraduate Research Scholarship. Now, though, she's glad that she changed her mind.

"IU is such a rich community, full of opportunities and diversity," she said. "I truly cannot imagine being as genuinely satisfied or content anywhere but at IU."

Peirce has studied consumer behavior inside American Eagle Outfitters using a program called New Vision. This fall, she will follow her true passion of swimming by conducting research in the Counsilman Center for the Science of Swimming while continuing her course work in the Kelley School of Business.

"Many faculty members across campus have generously volunteered to serve as faculty mentors for the Research Scholars," said Sarita Soni, IU's vice provost for research, whose office coordinates the program. "Given the reputation of our faculty, this response shouldn't come as a surprise. It indicates the high degree of dedication that IU professors have to undergraduate teaching and to helping students explore scholarly ideas."

2007 Research Scholars:

• Joseph Buser, Carmel, Carmel High School; Intended major: Finance, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Bob Jennings (Finance)
• Kristina Coleman, Indianapolis, North Central High School; Intended major: Management, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Frank Acito (Marketing)
• Jack Derby, New Haven, New Haven High School; Intended major: Physics, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Don Miller (Optometry)
• Jennifer DeVito, Valparaiso, Penn High School; Intended major: International Business, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Patricia McDougall (Entrepreneurship)
• Laura Engelhardt, Lawrenceburg, East Central High School; Intended major: Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Karin James (Psychology)
• Jacob Fisk, Fishers, Cathedral High School; Intended major: Theatre and Drama, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Fred Duer (Theatre and Drama, Scenic Design)
• Brittany Francis, Indianapolis, Decatur Central High School; Intended major: Legal Studies, School of Public and Environmental Affairs; Faculty Mentor: Jeannine Bell (Law)
• Abraham Gerber, Ossian, Home School; Intended major: International Studies, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Scott Kennedy (Political Science and East Asian Languages and Cultures)
• Andrew Harbor, West Lafayette, Harrison High School; Intended major: Exploratory, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Ken de Jong (Linguistics)
• Anna Huguenard, Roanoke, Homestead High School; Intended major: Biology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Dale Sengelaub (Psychology and Neuroscience)
• Wesley Jones, Indianapolis, Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School; Intended major: Accounting, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Patrick Hopkins (Accounting)
• Shruti Krishnan, West Lafayette, Harrison High School; Intended major: English, College of Arts and Sciences, Faculty mentor: Michael Gasser (Informatics and Cognitive Science)
• Angela Kuo, Terre Haute, Terre Haute High School; Intended major: Biochemistry-Pre-Med, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Caroline Jarrold (Chemistry)
• Peter Osorio, Warsaw, Warsaw Community High School; Intended major: Finance, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Geoff Sprinkle (Accounting)
• Christi Perkins, Whiteland, Whiteland Community High School; Intended major: Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Peter Ortoleva (Chemistry)
• Timothy Preuss, Granger, Trinity School at Greenlawn; Intended major: Finance, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Alan Rugman (International Business)
• Justin Robinson, Fort Wayne, Canterbury High School; Intended major: Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Bill Hetrick (Psychology and Neuroscience)
• Laura Robinson, Zionsville, Zionsville High School; Intended major: English, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Scott Russell Sanders (English)
• Sarah Robinson, Zionsville, Zionsville High School; Intended major: English, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Jack Rollins (English)
• Clare Rosenbalm, Brownsburg, Brownsburg High School; Intended major: Individualized Major Program-Gemology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: David Bish (Geology)
• Kevin Schwartz, Fort Wayne, Bishop Luers High School; Intended major: Communication and Culture, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Josh Malitsky (Communication and Culture)
• John Seasly, South Bend, Trinity School at Greenlawn; Intended major: Journalism, School of Journalism; Faculty mentor: Amy Reynolds (Journalism)
• Esteban Velez-Valencia, Indianapolis, Roncalli High School; Intended major: Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Viola Ellison (Biochemistry)
• Andrew Vore, Carmel, Brebeuf Preparatory High School; Intended major: Biology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: Matthew Hahn (Biology)
• Linwood Watkins, Indianapolis, Pike High School; Intended major: Computer Information Systems, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Vijay Khatri (Information Systems)
• Johnny Wright, Indianapolis, Indiana Academy; Intended major: Biology, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty mentor: David Daleke (Biology)
• Sisi Yang, Carmel, Carmel High School; Intended major: Marketing, Kelley School of Business; Faculty mentor: Shanker Krishnan (Marketing)

2006 Research Scholars:

• David Hsieh, Carmel, Carmel High School; Major: Biochemistry, College of Arts and Sciences; Faculty Mentor: Claire Walczak (Medical Sciences)
• Dominique McGee, Indianapolis, Lawrence North High School; Major: International Business, Kelley School of Business; Faculty Mentor: Kevin Brown (Law)
• Alexandra Peirce, Fort Wayne, Snider High School; Major: Marketing, Kelley School of Business; Faculty Mentor: Joel Stager (Health, Physical Education and Recreation-Kinesiology)
• Ali Stewart, Portage, Portage High School; Major: Accounting and Finance, Kelley School of Business; Faculty Mentor: Jane Mallor (Business Law)
• Jenny Troyer, Evansville, Evansville Harrison High School; Major: Chemistry; Faculty Mentor: Caroline Chick Jarrold

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