Whom to Contact

Sandra K. Shumaker
Director of the Gerald and Carol Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study
2 East South Street
Galesburg, IL 61401-4999
309-341-7387
309-341-7166 (fax)
E-mail: skshumaker@knox.edu

Ford Fellowship

Researching the pentatonic scale in jazz and organic vs. conventional agriculture are just a few topics our Ford Fellows have explored.

Kasandara Sullivan '13
Physics major, Latin and mathematics minors

As a Ford Fellow, Kasandara conducted research on the virtual phase transitions in liquid crystals and was able to measure evidence of pretransitional optical rotation. She helped test and troubleshoot an experimental set-up and in the process learned how to design experiments that correctly address research questions. Kasandara is continuing her work informally while pursuing challenging coursework to better prepare her to pursue a Ph.D. upon graduation. She looks forward to applying her early dreams of being a mechanic into a career in experimental research.

Each year, juniors with strong academic records are nominated by faculty to apply for the Ford Fellowship program. Approximately 10 students are selected by a committee of three faculty and the director of the Gerald and Carol Vovis Center for Research and Advanced Study.

As a Ford Fellow, you'll participate in a weekly seminar during the winter term covering topics related to successfully attaining an advanced degree and preparing for a career in teaching or research. Ford Fellows also receive a sizeable stipend to pursue an independent research, scholarly, or creative project -- usually over the course of the summer before your senior year.

Application process and eligibility guidelines

Many Ford Fellows continue their work through the Honors Program during their senior year.

Recent Ford Fellowships

Anthropology and Sociology

Musical and linguistic prosody in the expression of emotion through sound communication

Biochemistry

Effects of gp6 on Fts2 polymerization and cell division

Biology

Importance of ITSN1 on Xenopus' neural development

Classics

Ancient Greek myth of the Amazons to gain insights about male psychology and the relationships between men and women in Ancient Greece

English Literature

Virginia Woolf's novels To the Lighthouse and Mrs. Dalloway and how they relate to the intersection between reality and fiction as a possible means for self-realization

History

Hollywood practices that lead to the underrepresentation of people of color in film and their effect on American concepts of race

Music / Anthropology and Sociology

Musical qualities of motherese and how it may help infants develop an understanding of emotional expression

Physics

Virtual phase transitions in liquid crystals and evidence of pretransitional optical rotation

Political Science

Arab Spring's impact on the international political and security scene (research conducted through an internship with Tri-Mission to France at the U.S. Consulate in Strasbourg)
Trends in political activism in the United States and New Zealand
Regression analysis and case studies to establish what links may exist between "societal ideology" and terrorism

Psychology