May 15, 2003
Gamow Fellows Present Findings at First Symposium
University Invests in Programs to Enhance Educational
and National Recognition
By Brian
Krause
The George Gamow Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program held its
first Research Symposium in Gelman Library, giving student scholars
five minutes to present their original research findings and answer
questions from the University community.
The fellowship was established as part of the University’s strategic
plan to provide meaningful, guided research experiences to top sophomores
and juniors, and to advance the research programs of GW faculty in the
process. Students team with faculty mentors on joint research projects
that are presented at conferences or published in journals.
“Students must have an understanding of research methods in a field
of study,” says Carol Sigelman, associate vice president for research
and graduate studies. “And you learn it better if you do it. You
can’t just study what we know about a subject. It is equally important
to understand how that knowledge comes about.”
To apply for a Gamow Fellowship, students and their mentors submit a
research proposal, which is evaluated by a committee of faculty members.
Only students with outstanding academic credentials are selected: grade
point averages, performance in classes relevant to their projects, and
interest and talent for research are used as selection criteria, along
with the quality of the proposal and the plan for mentoring the student
scholar.
“It was a very tough competition this year. Only 12 out of 52 proposals
were accepted,” says Sigelman. “It was difficult to send out
rejection letters, but it shows that we have a lot of interest in the
program.”
The fellowship is named for George Gamow, a distinguished theoretical
nuclear physicist who served on GW’s faculty from 1934 to 1956.
A Ukrainian immigrant, he is best known for developing the “Big
Bang” theory of the expanding universe, as well as increasing understanding
of the atom, the activity of stars, the creation of the elements, and
the genetic code of life.
“Research allows for a unique partnership between faculty and students.
The faculty play a special role in mentoring students; it is that aspect
that excites me,” says Donald R. Lehman, executive vice president
for academic affairs and George Gamow Professor of Theoretical Physics.
“As we move forward, we see faculty and students engaged in more
and more research together.”
Catarina Kim, a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs
concentrating in Asian Studies, first heard about the fellowship when
Young-Key Kim-Renaud, chair of the Department of East Asian Languages
and Literature, approached her with a project idea. Together, they set
about translating a piece of modern Korean fiction, “The Site of
Fate and Festivity,” into English while trying to capture the voice
of the author and spirit of the original work.
“The Gamow Fellowship will help any undergraduate because it teaches
you the importance of having a faculty mentor,” explains Kim. “Too
often students don’t get to know their professors, either because
they are in large lectures or because the classroom doesn’t facilitate
it.”
Since having presented her findings to the Third Annual Interdisciplinary
Conference on Writing in the Academy: Craft, Critique and Culture at
the University of Iowa, Kim is looking for other grants and fellowships
to continue her research. She now sees Korean translation as a possible
future career.
“The Gamow Fellowship gave me the confidence to go for other fellowships
to continue studying and researching Korean translation,” says
Kim. “It opens doors for people.”
The other 2002–03 Gamow Fellowship students and mentors, respectively,
are: Meaghan Casey and Tyler Anbinder; Jacquelynn Danek and Christopher
Cahill; Blythe Debenport and Rahul Simha; Kristen Eckert and Marcy Norton;
Robert Frederickson and Simha; Seth Goldman and Kimberly Gross; Rebekah
Kushner and Fred Abramson; Jessica Lundin and Randall Packer; Bryan
O’Keefe and Sean Aday; Conor Savoy and James Hershberg; and William
Young and Richard Thornton.
The program’s first year was sponsored by the Office of Research
and Graduate Studies, the University Honors Program, and the Office
of Academic Affairs.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
