Franklin College’s Office of Global Education has selected 14 students to fill its exclusive undergraduate research seminar — the Intercultural Honors Experience (IHE) — in spring 2022.

IHE is a highly competitive, one-semester program at Franklin College designed to expose students to international issues and train them in graduate-level research methods. Two instructors selected by the Office of Global Education and former IHE faculty will teach the course.  

Students spend their semester studying a topic proposed by the instructors, culminating into a semester-long research project of the student’s own design. At the end of the term, students will present their findings at a public, campus-wide symposium.

Those who achieve at least an 80 percent in the seminar are eligible to apply for an IHE scholarship to fund a semester abroad. IHE alumni have the potential to secure funding for 90 percent of the costs required for a semester outside of the country through this opportunity. 

The incoming class includes the following students:

Nolan Cook, a sophomore English and creative writing double major from Fort Wayne.

Annah Elliott, a junior political science major from Martinsville.

Amy Garrido Portillo, a junior political science and Spanish double major (pre-law track) from Greenwood.

Ashley Geldmeier, a freshman computer science and software engineering double major from Indianapolis.

Jack Goodhue, a junior from Jasper.

Paige Hedger, a sophomore English and economics double major from Cold Spring, Ky.

Shelby Keith, a sophomore biology (ecology and conservation) major from Austin.

Paul Klaeren, a freshman (major undecided) from Duesseldorf, Germany.

Cara Mullen, a freshman political science and philosophy (pre-law track) double major from Carthage.

Logan Ramsey, a freshman (major undecided) from Indianapolis.

Shea Reynolds, a junior political science and history double major from Crothersville.

Claire Sampson, a sophomore English and history double major from Indianapolis.

Elizabeth Sekhon, a freshman English and music double major from Franklin.

Phebe Wolf, a freshman biomedical sciences, pre-pharmacy major from Somerset, Ky.

Applicants secured their spots in October after submitting an application of interest, two letters of recommendation and a pre-course exam.

Jennifer Cataldi, director of the Office of Global Education through the college’s Center for Exploration, said the course, Origin Story: Discovering New Beginnings, will examine the ways in which people make and understand new beginnings. How do students face the joys and challenges of their first year of college? What are the pieces of a memorable and inspiring super hero origin story? How do humans understand the origin of the universe? And how are nations built … or rebuilt?

Students in this honors course can expect to explore how people from varying times and places create and understand what is new. They will explore the ways in which new experiences and stories can be both challenging and energizing. And they will learn about the ways in which people build stories, relationships and institutions that are meant to last. Each student will finish the course with the opportunity to investigate a “new beginning” that interests them, sharing what they learned in a celebration of scholarship at the end of the spring term.

The course will be co-taught by Allison Fetter-Harrott, Ph.D., associate professor of political science, and Arbin Thapaliya, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics.

The annual IHE Symposium is scheduled for May. A student presentation schedule will be available in late spring.

For more information, contact the Franklin College Office of Communications at (317) 738-8185.

POSTED Dec 16, 2021