Grants at Work in 2011-12
Funding Received for Smith's Summer Science and Engineering Program
Now in its 22nd year of programming, the Smith Summer Science and Engineering Program (SSEP) has welcomed over 1,700 high school girls to campus for a month-long science enrichment program. Students participate in intensive research courses in astronomy, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, women's health, and writing. To fund its 2011 session of the SSEP, Smith College received a number of grant awards. The Bechtel Group Foundation and the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation both renewed their support with grants of $15,000 and $50,000. The Praxair Foundation contributed $15,000 for research needs, and the Siemens Foundation sponsored eight students with an award of $20,000.
Delmas Foundation Grant for Smith College Poetry Concentration Students
Smith College received a $10,000 grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation in support of the Poetry Concentration. Funding assisted our first concentrators to secure the practical experiences required for their certificates. For example, one student worked at Horton Tank Graphics, a fine letterpress printing shop, learning how to sort and set type. Another student spent her internship at the Brooklyn Artist Alliance learning all aspects of running a nonprofit organization supporting book arts. Click for more information on the Poetry Concentration at Smith.
New Engineering Shadowing Program Receives Funding
The Engineering Information Foundation (EiF) awarded a $12,868 grant to support a new Smith program, "Out of the Shadows: Improving Interest and Persistence for Women in Engineering." The purpose of this initiative, designed by members of the Picker Engineering Program Susannah Howe and Mary Moriarty, is to create and test the effectiveness of job shadowing for undergraduate women studying engineering.
Science Grant for Faculty Research
In April, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Michael Barresi received the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) grant from the National Science Foundation. Funding will support Barrsei's latest project, which examines the role of axon-glial interactions during commissure formation in the zebrafish forebrain.
Chemistry Professor Honored with Two Research Grants
Associate Professor of Chemistry, Elizabeth Jamieson, was the recipient of two grants this year. She was awarded funds from the National Institutes of Health in support of her DNA research. Through the Alliance to Advance Liberal Arts Colleges (AALAC) —currently sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation—Professor Jamieson received support for a faculty workshop on organic chemistry.
Projects for Peace Scholarships Program Funds Student Research
This spring, Smith College was awarded the Davis Projects for Peace grant in support of the work of Sanita Dhaubanjar, class of 2013. Sanita conducted research in her home country of Nepal over the summer, working with the International Development Enterprise Program Engineers on a project to design and use appropriate micro-irrigation systems.
Scholarship Funding for Engineering Students
The S.D. Bechtel, Jr., Foundation recently approved a grant that will provide scholarship support to undergraduate students pursuing degrees in Engineering. The Bechtel Scholarship is a competitive award, given to students who exhibit excellent academic standing, outstanding leadership, and a passion for their field of study.
Mellon Emeritus Fellowship Awarded to Smith Professors
Smith Professors Hans Vaget and David Newbury recently received the prestigious Mellon Emeritus Fellowship from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Professor Newbury's grant will support his project entitled "Rwakayihura in Rawanda: Famine and the Reconstruction of Colonial Power in Eastern Africa, 1928-29." Professor Vaget will use his award for his project "Thomas Mann in Exile. The American Year, 1938-1952."
