For immediate release: May 10, 2019

EVANSTON, Ill. --- The Alumnae of Northwestern University is pleased to honor 13 students who have been named as recipients of the Alumnae Undergraduate Research Grants. Funding for these grants comes from The Alumnae Centennial Endowment for Undergraduate Research, established in 2016 to commemorate the organization’s 100th anniversary. The Endowment, administered by the Office of Undergraduate Research, supports students from all academic areas, giving them opportunities to develop and complete independent research and creative projects across a wide range of fields. These students will work with faculty sponsors this summer to explore answers to questions raised by research projects from many fields of study.

“Undergraduate research allows students to take what they have learned in their classes and use it to try to solve problems they see in the world. They learn creative problem-solving and critical project-management skills across all fields of study. The Alumnae Endowment allows us to expand these incredibly meaningful opportunities to more students, creating an environment where student success becomes the norm,” notes Peter Civetta, director, Office of Undergraduate Education.

“Today, increasing numbers of undergraduates from all disciplines want to pursue research projects on a variety of topics, including music, art, gender studies, biological sciences, American studies, anthropology, global health, chemistry, environmental science and journalism. The Alumnae Centennial Endowment addresses this need by making such opportunities available,” notes The Alumnae president Michele Bresler.

Click HERE to read about the students and their undergraduate research projects.

EVANSTON, Ill. --- After a review of 63 proposals, The Alumnae of Northwestern University has awarded full or partial funding to 25 projects sponsored by Northwestern entities or schools, including the Block Museum of Art; Deering Library; Norris University Center; School of Communication; Feinberg School of Medicine; The Graduate School; Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications; McCormick School of Engineering; School of Education and Social Policy; and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences.

“The Grants Committee was impressed by the quality and variety of the proposals submitted. It was quite a challenge to choose recipients from among them,” reports Charlene Shaw, chair of the committee. “The grants provide funding for such worthwhile endeavors as exhibits, stage productions and performances, travel, scientific research and data analysis.”

The comprehensive range of projects includes full or partial funding to: purchase a large format projection system; fund an exhibit about Latin American Pop Art; pilot a program to preserve records from undergraduate student organizations; support the 88th production of Waa-Mu; study the benefits of new hearing aid technologies; professionally print two publications on public health topics; examine the effects of early snowmelt and warmer temperatures on plants; focus on factors limiting germination of numerous native violets in the Midwest; fund a documentary film that traces the birth and maturation of the anti-apartheid movement in the Chicago area from 1980 until the early 1990s; host a Pop-Up Zine, bringing this unique live show storytelling experience to campus; sponsor an innovative survey of Illinois residents that examines how people from different walks of life define “good citizenship;” pilot a Mental Health Ally program through a series of workshops for faculty and students; tackle NASA’s 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge, a Centennial Challenge that seeks ways to create or develop technologies needed to autonomously develop habitats on Mars; develop a broad engineering design course to create prototype solutions to problems associated with education, health or human services in an international underserved community; fund the Civil and Environmental Engineering Summer Internship Program (CEE SIP); pilot a Humanities Community summer practicum to help students apply their skills in public contexts while helping support nonprofit and community-based organizations in Evanston and Chicago; sponsor the 78th annual Dolphin Show; hold a conference on moral and political philosophy; develop molecularly targeted magnetic resonance imaging agents to help with early detection of brain tumors; sponsor a visit to “West Side Story” for students in History 300 to explore why the play became the iconic American musical; explore, through a book, why so many Hispanics in America continue to vote for Republican candidates; fund a two-day symposium on contemporary African artists’ career strategies as they negotiate the global art market; provide funds for a classroom set of pH meters for general chemistry courses; provide art history students with actual art objects, which can never be fully conveyed by photographs; and conduct safety inspections in different research laboratories using the RSSI Laboratory Safety Walk-Through Checklist.

Read HERE for details of all of the 25 Grants.

Click here to read about the four Alumnae Graduate Fellows.

Click here for the news release about the recipients.

Click here to read about these students.

Click here to read about these outstanding students and their undergraduate research projects.

The deadline for proposals is January, 13, 2018.  Proposals must be received by email or by postmarked U.S. mail or other delivery services by January 13, 2018. (No hand deliveries will be accepted.)

Because of their extrordinary ideas each will receive $12,500 to develop innovative new curriculum. See more about their research under the  Award Recipients tab.

Click to read about this outstanding professor.

Click below to read about the 2016-17 Alumnae Graduate Fellows.