ASSET Program

The impact of historical foreign intervention on a modern-day epidemic. Government policy and laboratory research involved in alternative fuels. These are just a few topics our ASSET (Artists, Scholars, Scientists, and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow) Fellows have explored.

Each year, juniors with strong academic records are invited to apply for the ASSET Fellowship program. Approximately 10 students are selected by a committee for the immersive experience where they devote themselves to a single independent project and come together as a group to examine their own and each other's views on current issues relevant to all disciplines.

ASSET Fellows participate in seminars during the winter and spring term on topics related to successfully attaining an advanced degree and preparing for a career in teaching or research. The summer before their senior year, Fellows receive a sizeable stipend to pursue an independent research, scholarly, or creative project.

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

Recent Asset Fellows

• Will Parkinson — "From Mind to Market"
• Joshua Althoff — The Illinois Campaign: George Rogers Clark and his interactions with Native nations
• Phoebe Billups — "#LookBackMarchForward": Social Media Activism in the Women's March
• Zachary Barnes — "Music Genre Classification"
• Beatriz Jimenez — "Politics in Barataria"
• Libby Croce — "How do I look?": The Medical Gaze in Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut
• Alex Kellogg — "Mood and Sexuality"