Apply for the Christopher Brodigan Award

Given the current global health crisis related to Covid-19, applications must be sensitive to health and safety protocols, including travel restrictions and public health guidelines.  The award committee encourages the submission of digital project proposals and those designed with physical distancing in mind or that include a flexible timeline during the award year (2020-2021).  See the CDC website for specific global travel guidelines (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html).

African Studies is now accepting submissions from graduating seniors for the Brodigan Award, awarded every year in honor of Christopher Brodigan.  More information about the origin of the award is listed on the African Studies website:https://www.wesleyan.edu/africanstudies/brodigan/index.html.

Students from any discipline are encouraged to submit applications proposing a public service or research project in Africa.  Students may propose an individually designed project or to provide service in an educational institution, development organization, grassroots group, or non-governmental organization pursuing service work.  Research projects will be supported especially if they state the potential significance for the public interest in the country where the project will be carried out.

Several awards of up to approximately $3,000 each will be offered.  Recipients are required to submit reports on their projects once they are completed.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday, April 28th by 11:55pm EST.

Interested students should contact Prof. Laura Ann Twagira at ltwagira@wesleyan.edu or Prof. Alice Hadler at ahadler@wesleyan.edu.

Application Instructions

Applications should include:

  1. A proposal (2 pages) which includes the following information:

    • Description of project

    • Detailed plan for carrying out the project

    • Identification and description of any sponsoring organization

    • The proposal should address concerns regarding health, safety, or any political sensitivity

  1. A detailed budget, including airfare and room and board costs (1 page)

  2. A resume, including a listing and description of relevant Wesleyan coursework or other experiences

  3. The name of one faculty member who can serve as a reference for you and for your project

Applications should be submitted by email to Professor Laura Ann Twagira in the Department of History (ltwagira@wesleyan.edu).

Fellowships After Graduation

With graduation coming up in a few short months, many of you are thinking about the future. Did you know that alumni from all academic backgrounds are eligible to apply for several national fellowships? These are fully funded, usually year-long programs that support research, English teaching, graduate study, and professional experiences in and outside of the U.S. Come learn more at this info session on Tuesday, February 4, at 12 noon at the Fries Center for Global Studies in Fisk Commons.

Apply for the Millennium Fellowship

The United Nations Academic Impact and MCN proudly present the Millennium Fellowship.  This program convenes, challenges, and celebrates bold student leadership advancing UN goals on campus and in communities.  Millennium Fellows hone skills, take concrete action, and earn a certificate of recognition from the United Nations Academic Impact and MCN.  Your undergraduates are invited to apply; the application is open on a rolling basis through May 2020 with early applications strongly recommended (there were 7,000+ applicants from 1,209 campuses last cycle).

The Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Social JusticeAward

The Peter Morgenstern-Clarren ’03 Social JusticeAward was created in memory of Peter Morgenstern-Clarren who pursued social justice while a student at Wesleyan.  His activism included securing benefits for Wesleyan custodial staff, participating in the United Student and Labor Action Committee, and contributing his leadership to the campus chapter of Amnesty International.  We are grateful to Dr. Hadley Morgenstern-Clarren and The Honorable Pat Morgenstern-Clarren for their generosity in sponsoring this award that honors their son’s activism for the public good.  A committee will select the sophomore or junior who best embodies the pursuit of social justice. The winner will receive a cash award of $1,500.  The application process is described below. Any sophomore or junior in good standing may submit an essay that addresses the following:

Describe in detail the most influential social justice effort in which you played a leadership role that sought to make our local and global communities more equitable (The effort should have a direct effect on the Wesleyan campus and/or on external communities.)

  1. Explain your level of involvement in the work for example: your role in raising awareness about a particular issue on campus, coordinating events, implementing programming and campaigns in the pursuit of social justice.
  2. n addition to your essay, you must include a letter of support from a faculty or administrator involved in your effort and submit evidence of impact that the social justice effort had on making our society more just by contributing testimonies from individuals (excluding family and friends) directly involved, artifacts from your social justice effort (e.g., past printed programs, presentations, and articles), and/or your work from courses. You may include non-print items, such as DVDs.

You must submit all items electronically to Dean Teshia Levy-Grant (tlevygrant@wesleyan.edu), North College, 1st floor, Room 122 by 5 p.m. Friday, April 12th, 2019.  All essays, letters of support and printed items must be in by the deadline.  By submitting your packet, you agree to allow the Office of Equity & Inclusion to use it (or excerpts from it) for assessment, archival, and promotion purposes. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact Dean Teshia Levy-Grant.

Be The Change Venture Pitch Competition

Join Be the Change Venture 509(a)(2) and Kai Wes on Thursday, April 25, 2019, from 6-8 p.m. for a pitch competition at Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore. This opportunity is open to high school students and college undergraduates. A $500 -college and $200- high school seed grant will be given to the best pitch competitors. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 12, 2019 at 11:59 p.m.Submit an application and or register here.

Shu Tokita Prize For Students of Color Studying Literature

The Shu Tokita Prize, established by friends and relatives of Shu Tokita, ’84, will be awarded to a student of color majoring in literature, in area studies, or a language major with a focus on literature, who demonstrate need for substantial financial assistance. If you have any questions about whether or not you are eligible, please contact us.  Recipients will be selected on the basis of commitment to the study of literature as evidenced in the content and quality of their essays, and financial need. Awarded to one or two sophomores and/or juniors for the remainder of their time at Wesleyan, the Prize is usually $1,500 per year. The recipient(s) of the Shu Tokita Prize will receive the annual award at the start of the following fall semester, that is, for their junior and/or senior year(s).

The Prize was established in memory of Shu Tokita, Class of 1984, who passed away in January of 1989 from leukemia. He had received a B. A. in English Literature from Wesleyan University and an M. A. in Japanese Literature from Tsukuba University. He studied literature as a pursuit that spoke to his life, and from which he gained insights and, ultimately, strength. The Prize seeks to reflect Shu’s interest in literature and his belief that it should be accessible to people of all backgrounds; thus, the Prize is focused on supporting students of color, for whom the study of literature, Shu’s family and friends felt, is often considered a “luxury.” Through the Prize, we hope to encourage and assist Shu Tokita recipients in their decision to pursue literature as an academic endeavor. We hope that they will likewise share their insights and wisdom with their communities. Current Wesleyan student winners of the Shu Tokita Prize are Kalee Kennedy ‘19 and  Brynn Assignon ‘20.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Any domestic student of color (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student) who is a full-time Wesleyan sophomore or junior and is African American, Asian/Pacific American, Latino/a American, or Native American, is eligible to apply. The applicant must be in need of substantial financial aid.
  2. The applicant’s major or focus of study must be in literature. Applicants may be affiliated with the following departments: English, College of Letters, other language/literature departments, or area studies, e. g., East Asian Studies concentrating on Chinese or Japanese literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The selection is based on the submitted 750-word essay on one of the two topics identified in the application form, and on financial need, and not on academic standing.

SELECTION: Selection is based on review of applicant’s written essay and financial need.

DEADLINE for submission of applications: 5 p.m., Wednesday, April 17.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZE WINNER: In time for the prize reception in May.

TO APPLY: Prize application form is attached. For further information, please contact the campus coordinator of the Shu Tokita Prize committee, Alice Hadler (Downey House 209, x 2832, ahadler@wesleyan.edu, campus mail: English Dept., 294 High St.). Please submit your application and essay as an email attachment to Prof. Hadler by the Wednesday April 17 deadline.

THE SHU TOKITA MEMORIAL PRIZE APPLICATION FORM

Name: _____________________________________ Class: _________________________

Campus Box #: ____________________________ Telephone: _____________________

WesID#: __________________________ E-Mail: _________________________

Home Address: _____________________________ Home Telephone: _______________

______________________________

Major: ________________________________________________________________________

Program with a focus on literature: _________________________________________________

Please check:

__________ I am a domestic student of color currently enrolled full-time at Wesleyan.

Please also check:

_____ I hereby give permission to the members of the Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee to share among themselves information concerning my Financial Aid status for the purpose of evaluating my application. I understand that the Committee members are Prof Emerita Yoshiko Samuel, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Teiji Kawana, ’84, Daphne Kwok, ’84, Alice Hadler, English Department and Dean’s Office, Renee Johnson-Thornton, Dean for the Class of 2018, Amy Tang, English Dept., Marguerite Nguyen, English Dept.  Current prizewinners may also be asked to read application essays, but will not see other application information.

Please include a 750- word essay on one of the two topics below with your application:

  1. How do you plan to use your major, or focus of study, to make literature more accessible to people of all backgrounds? Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.
  1. What is your response to someone who asserts that a major in literature is “impractical?” Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

Applications should be submitted by email by April 17, 2019 to:

The Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee
ahadler@wesleyan.edu

Fulbright Grants: A Year Abroad After Graduation

Do you want to travel overseas after graduating from Wesleyan? Fulbright grants provide full funding for a year of research, graduate study, or English teaching in a foreign country.

With over 2,000 awards each year and no minimum GPA requirement, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest and most inclusive national fellowship program.

Come to learn more and hear about Study Abroad Advisor Michael Acosta’s recent Fulbright experience!

Tuesday, April 2, 12 noon
Fisk Commons
Lunch from Thai Gardens will be served!
https://www.facebook.com/events/334016627469300/

Contact: Dr. Magdalena Zapędowska, Assistant Director of Fellowships, Fries Center for Global Studies
mzapedowska@wesleyan.edu

Center for the Humanities Open House and Student Fellowship Information Session 3/6

All members of the junior class are invited to an Open House in the Lounge at the Center for the Humanities (95 Pearl Street) on Wednesday, March 6th (11:50-1pm) to learn more about the Center and its Student Fellowship Program.  Come meet our current Student Fellows and learn about their projects and experiences at the Center while enjoying a delicious lunch!

A total of eight Student Fellowships are awarded each year by the Center’s Advisory Board (four Student Fellows for each semester).  Student Fellows share an office at the Center and take part in Center events and activities. Among these events are the Center’s Monday Night Lecture series; colloquia discussions on Tuesdays, 10:30-1:00; and occasional Center conferences. One course credit is awarded for the Student Fellow’s participation in the Center’s activities.

Applicants for a Student Fellowship must be planning to do a senior project (usually an Honors Thesis) on a topic relating to the Center theme for the semester or year.  The 2019-2020 theme is:  “ Revolutions: Material Forms, Mobile Futures.”  The project need not be underway at the time of the application. Student Fellows have the opportunity to work closely with Faculty Fellows, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Visiting Research Fellows in residence at the Center. The Center also provides up to $500 in travel funding to Student Fellows for travel to archives, libraries, museums, conferences, performances and other sites necessary to the completion of their senior projects.

Applications for student fellowships are due by 4pm on Thursday, March 28th, 2019.  Applicants will be informed of the Center Advisory Board’s decision by Friday, April 12th, 2019.

If you have any questions, please email Erinn Savage at esavage@wesleyan.edu.

For further information, see: http://wesleyan.edu/humanities/fellowships/students.html

 

National Fellowships for Juniors

National Fellowships for Juniors
Tuesday, February 12, 12:00 Noon in Fisk Commons

Are you thinking of applying for a national fellowship in the future? Are you interested but unsure what fellowships are and how to get started? Come learn what opportunities are out there and which might be a good fit for you. Remember that we support you throughout the application process, from initial exploration through brainstorming, drafting, and revising your materials. Mondo pizza will be served.

Looking for Funding for your Unpaid or Low-paid Summer Experience?

The 2019 Wesleyan Summer Grants Program will be accepting applications from January 28th – February 28th, 11:59pm.

Wesleyan Summer Grants are funding resources awarded through the Gordon Career Center which allow students to pursue no- or low-paid career-related summer experiences. Experiential learning opportunities can be both in the U.S. and abroad and include career-related opportunities such as internships, faculty-mentored research, language study, volunteer work, field study, and academic programs.

The Gordon Career Center will be holding four information sessions which will cover funding opportunities, eligibility and requirements, navigating the application process, and what makes a strong application. All sessions will conclude with a Q&A.
01.29 – WSG Information Session, 12:00pm, Career Center
02.01 – WSG Information Session, 12:15pm, Career Center
02.07 – WSG Information Session, 12:00pm, Career Center
02.11 – WSG Information Session, 12:15pm, Career Center

The list of available grants and the application can be accessed on AcademicWorks through WesPortal. For more information about the application process, please visit the Gordon Career Center website.

Don’t know where to begin or need help with your application? Schedule an appointment to meet with a career advisor.

McNair Program Recruiting STEM Majors

Eligibility Requirements

  • 2nd and 3rd-Year STEM majors who are interested in pursuing a PhD
  • US citizen or Permanent Resident
  • First-generation to attend college & low income and/or
  • Groups underrepresented in STEM fields (Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; females not considered underrepresented)

Apply at: http://www.wesleyan.edu/mcnair
Application review begins Friday, November 16.

McNair Program Information Session for STEM Students 10/16

Info Session Tuesday, October 16, 6-7pm, Usdan 110

Eligibility Requirements

  • 2nd and 3rd-Year STEM majors who are interested in pursuing a PhD
  • US citizen or Permanent Resident
  • First-generation to attend college & low income and/or
  • Groups underrepresented in STEM fields (Hispanic/Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; females not considered underrepresented)

Shu Tokita Prize for Students of Color Studying Literature

The Shu Tokita Prize, established by friends and relatives of Shu Tokita, ’84, will be awarded to one or two students of color majoring in literature, in area studies, or a language major with a focus on literature, who demonstrate need for substantial financial assistance. If you have any questions about whether or not you are eligible, please contact us.  Recipients will be selected on the basis of commitment to the study of literature as evidenced in the content and quality of their essays, and financial need. Awarded to one or two sophomores and/or juniors for the remainder of their time at Wesleyan, the Prize is usually $1,500 per year. The recipient(s) of the Shu Tokita Prize will receive the annual award at the start of the following fall semester, that is, for their junior and/or senior year(s).

The Prize was established in memory of Shu Tokita, Class of 1984, who passed away in January of 1989 from leukemia. He had received a B. A. in English Literature from Wesleyan University and an M. A. in Japanese Literature from Tsukuba University. He studied literature as a pursuit that spoke to his life, and from which he gained insights and, ultimately, strength. The Prize seeks to reflect Shu’s interest in literature and his belief that it should be accessible to people of all backgrounds; thus, the Prize is focused on supporting students of color, for whom the study of literature, Shu’s family and friends felt, is often considered a “luxury.” Through the Prize, we hope to encourage and assist Shu Tokita recipients in their decision to pursue literature as an academic endeavor. We hope that they will likewise share their insights and wisdom with their communities.

ELIGIBILITY:

  1. Any domestic student of color (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or undocumented student) who is a full-time Wesleyan sophomore or junior and is African American, Asian/Pacific American, Latino/a American, or Native American, is eligible to apply. The applicant must be in need of substantial financial aid.
  2. The applicant’s major or focus of study must be in literature. Applicants may be affiliated with the following departments: English, College of Letters, other language/literature departments, or area studies, e. g., East Asian Studies concentrating on Chinese or Japanese literature.

SELECTION CRITERIA:

The selection is based on the submitted 750-word essay on one of the two topics below, and on financial need, and not on academic standing.

Essay topics:

  1. How do you plan to use your major, or focus of study, to make literature more

accessible to people of all backgrounds?  Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

  1. What is your response to someone who asserts that a major in literature is “impractical?” Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

SELECTION: Selection is based on review of applicant’s written essay and financial need.

DEADLINE for submission of applications: 5 p.m., Monday, April 16.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIZE WINNER: In time for the prize reception in May.

TO APPLY: Prize application form is attached. For further information, please contact the campus coordinator of the Shu Tokita Prize committee, Alice Hadler (Downey House 209, x 2832, ahadler@wesleyan.edu, campus mail: English Dept., 294 High St.). Please submit your application and essay as an email attachment to Prof. Hadler by the Monday April 16 deadline.

 

THE SHU TOKITA MEMORIAL PRIZE APPLICATION FORM

Name: _____________________________________ Class: _________________________

Campus Box #: ____________________________ Telephone: _____________________

WesID#: __________________________ E-Mail: _________________________

Home Address: _____________________________ Home Telephone: _______________

______________________________

Major: ________________________________________________________________________

Program with a focus on literature: _________________________________________________

Please check:

__________ I am a domestic student of color currently enrolled full-time at Wesleyan.

Please also check:

_____ I hereby give permission to the members of the Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee to

share among themselves information concerning my Financial Aid status for the purpose of

evaluating my application. I understand that the Committee members are Prof Emerita Yoshiko Samuel, East Asian Languages and Literatures, Teiji Kawana, ’84, Daphne Kwok, ’84, Alice Hadler, English Department and Dean’s Office, Renee Johnson-Thornton, Dean for the Class of 2018, Amy Tang, English Dept., Marguerite Nguyen, English Dept.  Current prizewinners may also be asked to read application essays, but will not see other application information.

Please include a 750- word essay on one of the two topics below with your application:

  1. How do you plan to use your major, or focus of study, to make literature more accessible to people of all backgrounds? Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.
  1. What is your response to someone who asserts that a major in literature is “impractical?” Please offer a specific example from either your own experience or perhaps a literary text that can illustrate your views.

 Applications should be submitted by email by April 16, 2018 to:

The Shu Tokita Memorial Prize Committee

ahadler@wesleyan.edu