The University of Kentucky Gaines Center for the Humanities has selected 11 outstanding undergraduates as new scholars for the university's Gaines Fellowship Program for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years.
Gaines Fellowships are given in recognition of students’ outstanding academic performance, demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, interest in public issues, and desire to enhance understanding of the human condition through the humanities. Fellowships are awarded for the tenure of a student's junior and senior years, or for the last two years of a five-year program; students in all disciplines and with any intended profession are given equal consideration.
The 11 students selected as Gaines Scholars are as follows:
- Catherine Brereton, of Derbyshire, England, majoring in English and gender and women's studies;
- Jonathan D. Finnie, of Lexington, majoring in German and geography;
- Jared Flanery, of Louisville, Ky., majoring in political science and international studies;
- Luke Glaser, of Louisville, majoring in English and Hispanic studies;
- Mary Jennings, of Nicholasville, Ky., majoring in biology and Spanish;
- Kelly King, of Florence, Ky., majoring in English and philosophy;
- Damarias Moore, of Glasgow, Ky., majoring in French and Islamic studies;
- Doug Niemann, of Louisville, majoring in architecture;
- Elizabeth Schaller, of LaGrange, Ky., majoring in history and art history;
- Will Spence, of Louisville, majoring in management and finance; and
- Dorneshia L. Thomas, of Lithonia, Ga., majoring in psychology
All Gaines Fellows take a specially designed, four-credit-hour per semester seminar in the humanities both semesters of their junior year. Each of these students will complete a major independent study project in their senior year, earning them between six and 15 credit hours. The Gaines Fellowship carries a stipend of $2,000 in a scholar's junior year and $3,000 in the senior year.
In addition to the course requirements, Gaines Fellows enjoy a rich program of field trips, lectures, and other activities designed to widen and deepen their educational experience.
Being chosen as a Gaines Fellow is an affirmation of a student's hard work and potential and is considered a significant honor. "To me, the Gaines Fellowship offers an entirely unique experience for students to engage in open and meaningful intellectual debate and learning," said Mary Jennings. "I am overjoyed and honored to become a part of this close-knit community."
Founded in 1984 by a gift from John and Joan Gaines, the Gaines Center functions as a laboratory for imaginative and innovative education. Devoted to cultivating an appreciation of the humanities in its students and faculty, the Gaines Center embraces varied paths of knowledge, and particularly strives to integrate creative work with traditional academic learning.