The application process for the CaMD Scholar, Brace Fellow, and Sustainability Scholar programs has begun. Open to rising Uppers and Seniors, selected students receive funds and faculty support throughout the summer to conduct independent research covering a topic that interests them. Scholars and Fellows will present their findings to the student body in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Corrie Martin, Instructor in English and CaMD Scholar Program Coordinator, described the early stages of applying. She encouraged students to find topics that inspired them, highlighting their importance as the foundation for an insightful research experience.
“If you are a student just beginning to think about this, the first step is really to self-reflect and think about what issues [and] topics excite you or interest you, or that you’re curious about learning more about. What we’re trying to stress is that research [is] a quest of self-discovery to figure out what matters to you… Once you do think you have some passion for something, the next step would be to talk to a faculty member who might be an advisor for you and develop a relationship with someone and ask them if they’d consider serving as a mentor for your project,” said Martin.
Some students used topics they had previously researched in their projects. Gui Lima ’24, a current CaMD scholar, mentioned how he went into the application with a foundational understanding of his topic. Lima centered his research around favelas, densely populated and underdeveloped neighborhoods in Brazil.
“I started with the idea that I wanted to talk about favelas and… in the process of researching, this is all before I became a CaMD Scholar, I came across this segment of education called ‘liberatory education,’ by a Brazilian scholar by the name of Paolo Freire, and how it’s being used in favelas, and the way that it departs from traditional learning. I knew that was what I wanted to do very quickly, so I applied to be a CaMD Scholar with my topic already pretty much formed, and I will say that I didn’t really form an argument. I think that’s the part that really morphs as you start reading and researching, but we only really find our thesis in June or July,” said Lima.
While conducting research over the summer, Scholars and Fellows are expected to write an extensive paper detailing their findings and conclusion. Many choose to present their research to the campus community as a way to effectively publicize their findings, but some students choose to embark on more nontraditional paths.
One such example is Max Berkenbilt ’24, a Brace Scholar, who instead designed Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) classes. Berkenblit stated that he was inspired to pursue his project after noticing the lack of education and unity around it at Andover.
“[My project] ended up focusing on teaching empathy, compassion, and critical analysis, instead of traditional WGSS topics, since there would have been so much to cover in such little time… However, my project started as an answer to last year’s State of The Academy and both my and my friends’ experiences on campus. Even though Andover stresses being a diverse community, marginalized people often are forced to fill the gaps in education and educate others on their own identities… I wanted to make a curriculum that might ease some of that burden,” wrote Berkenbilt in an email to The Phillipian.
In the past, students have pursued a variety of topics in their projects. Sarah Pan ’24, a CaMD Scholar, studied ethics in artificial intelligence and its wider societal impact. She emphasized how her research was inspired by her observations of Andover’s current offerings surrounding technology.
“I came up with the original idea because I was doing a technical project with artificial intelligence, and I was really interested in exploring [AI] in a more humanities-focused way… I wanted to be able to push forward technological ethics thinking… I know on campus we have [our] computer science department, we have good programs in terms of STEM, but in terms of how that connects with the ethical realm and with the more humanity side of things, it was something that I just wanted to push forward,” said Pan.
Lillianna Villanueva ’25, a Brace Fellow, spoke on the importance of letting gradual research guide the process, regardless of whether the initial idea was clear or not. She urged any students with aspirations of passion to apply and have fun with their ideas.
“Just go for it and do something you’re passionate about, because if you’re passionate about it, you’re going to have more fun researching it, and you’re going to have more fun writing it… This is supposed to be a project you’re passionate about, that you enjoy doing, so you can bring that joy to campus. So, just put in a lot of hard work, but make sure you’re still enjoying yourself,” said Villanueva.
