New Undergraduate Fellows Programs

NEW Undergraduate Fellows Programs Expand High Impact Learning

Two new undergraduate Fellows Programs – the International Fellows Program and the Otto and Fran Walter Humanitarian Fellows Program – will begin in Fall 2022.

The programs will expand high-impact learning opportunities for students and will complement the Fellows Programs currently offered in innovation and public service.

Fellows Program participants gain a deep understanding of their chosen interest and the capacity to serve as drivers of positive change for the campus and community, as well as in their careers and beyond. Fellows Programs are open to students in any major through a competitive application process.

Students enter their chosen program as a first-year cohort. During their time at Muskingum, they build their skills through academic exploration, co-curricular activities, professional networking and mentoring, field experiences, and leading campus and community projects.

Each student completes a personalized high-impact experience such as an internship, special project, study away, service learning, or training conference, usually in their third year, with financial assistance provided through the Fellows Program.

All Fellows Programs are established and supported through the generosity of donors to the University.

More than 100 students will be participating in Fellows Programs each year, once all programs have reached their full capacity of four cohorts. Each program accepts a new cohort of students from the incoming first-year class. Students apply to join a Fellows Program as part of the admission process.

InternatIonal Fellows

The International Fellows Program will build on longstanding Muskingum traditions of fostering international awareness, such as the 31st International Dinner, which was held this spring.

The new International Fellows Program, made possible by a group of alumni, will provide students with the skills to build global connections and serve as leaders in multiple internationally- focused venues.

The International Fellows Program is guided by multiple interdisciplinary perspectives including history, philosophy, economics, business, and world languages and cultures.

“The students entering the cohort this fall are coming to Muskingum with a strong interest in international perspectives and policy,” said Dr. Valerie Smith ’00, Director of International Programs and co-advisor for the International Fellows. “Some are already very involved with international issues in their local communities.” Dr. Arjun Sondhi, Assistant Professor of Economics, will also co-advise the program.

The International Fellows will acquire a fundamental knowledge of the power and complexities of cultural diversity and the international environment. They will facilitate hands-on cohort projects with an international focus that will impact the campus and community, and will

Dr. Valerie Smith ’00, Director of International Programs and co-advisor for the International Fellows. Dr. Arjun Sondhi, Assistant Professor of Economics and co-advisor for the International Fellows.

Inspired by Faculty

The initial gifts to establish the International Fellows Program were given by several alumni in honor of three faculty members who invested deeply in the experiences of Muskingum’s international students and built particularly strong connections with those who came to Muskingum from India’s Doon School:

• Dr. Joe Burton Elkins (1929-2017), Professor of Philosophy, 1962-1993

• Dr. William “Bill” Lyons Fisk ’41 (1921-2015), history faculty member, Dean, Vice President, 1946-1992

• Dr. Herbert “Herb” Fergus Thomson, Jr. (1917-2013),

Professor of Economics, 1961-1992.

Additional alumni have continued to add their support to the International Fellows Program, honoring multiple faculty members throughout the decades.

create professional networks with advanced Fellows, alumni, and mentors whose experiences have made them role models for international impact.

As a result, the Fellows will be prepared to lead change in international contexts in a wide variety of professional roles.

otto and Fran walter HumanItarIan Fellows

The new Otto and Fran Walter Humanitarian Fellows Program will provide students with an expanded understanding of local and global peace and justice initiatives and develop their ability to serve as leaders of social change.

The program is made possible through the generosity of the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation, which supports human rights, Holocaust issues, education, and the arts. Muskingum’s Walter Hall is named in honor of Dr. Otto L. Walter and his wife Frances Doonan Walter. The late Frank Helman ’51 served as the Walter Foundation’s President and his wife Martha (Marty) Peak Helman is the current President.

The essential components of the Walter Humanitarian Fellows Program will focus on peace, social justice, and community development. Students will understand the foundational ideas, dynamics, and issues and develop their own capacity to create change. Networking opportunities will connect them with alumni, representatives of peace and development organizations, and other invited speakers.

Each Fellow will experience a high-impact learning opportunity featuring extended, in-depth involvement related to peace and development. As a cohort, the Fellows will create and complete a capstone project designed to advance peace and development on campus or in the community. Dr. Melissa Conroy, Associate Professor of Religion, and Dr. Michelle Oyakawa, Assistant Professor of Sociology, will advise the Walter Humanitarian Fellows.

“One of the elements of the program will be a connection with Rotary International, which works to address what people need in order to create a society of peace and justice.” Dr. Conroy notes. “As our Walter Humanitarian Fellows learn how to become problemsolvers in their local and global communities, they will be able to help make a better world.”

Fran and Otto Walter.

Dr. Melissa Conroy, Associate Professor of Religion and co-advisor for the Walter Humanitarian Fellows. Dr. Michelle Oyakawa, Assistant Professor of Sociology and co-advisor for the Walter Humanitarian Fellows.

Frank G. Helman ’51, 1929-2022

Frank G. Helman ’51 became President of the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation in 2003. Under his leadership, the Foundation educated children in the world’s poorest countries, fed the hungry, cared for Holocaust survivors, helped protect people in danger of sex trafficking and domestic violence, and brought the arts to underprivileged youth. In 2021, the Foundation committed to fully fund a Rotary Peace Center in the Middle East/North Africa Region. Frank previously served as an attorney, an executive with a manufacturing firm, and a foreign service officer. He engaged in Nazi reparations work, including successfully locating and returning stolen works of art. In recognition of his lifetime of humanitarian work, he was awarded a Muskingum Doctor of Humane Letters degree in 2009.

www.stronghancock.com/obituary/Frank-Helman

davId and karIn kratovIlle InnovatIon Fellows

During the 2021-2022 academic year, the David and Karin Kratoville Innovation Fellows developed three concept ideas for the main entrance “signature wall” of Muskingum’s new Henry D. Bullock Health and Wellness Complex (BHWC).

One concept was selected for the BHWC, representing the six facets of the facility: athletics, academics, recreation, health, wellness, and community.

A second concept was chosen for the newly renovated Bait Shop in the bottom of the Quad Center. It will be painted as a mural by Innovation Fellow and art major Natilie Hill ’23.

The third concept will be used to brand the second floor of Montgomery Hall.

The Kratoville Innovation Fellows Program was made possible through the generosity of David ’81 and Karin Collins ’82 Kratoville. Dr. Rob Wilson, Associate Professor of Physics, advises the group. The Kratoville Innovation Fellows investigate, develop, and apply innovation to creations and problem solutions which result in positive impacts on the campus or in the community. Participants from all disciplines, backgrounds, and interests can become holistic, lifelong problem-solvers and innovators, whose work will positively impact their own lives, the lives of their family and friends, and the lives of those in their communities.

The John and Annie Glenn Public Service Fellows Program’s mission is to transform students into active, engaged citizens and public servants. Cheyenne Van Gundy ’22 recently reflected on her experiences with the program.

“As a member of the Glenn Fellows Program, I’ve had the opportunity to help make the University and the community the best it can be. One of our first projects was the Village of New Concord’s

Candidate Forum for mayoral and school board elections. We hosted the event, organized its format, created questions, and moderated the debate.

“During the Summer 2021 John Glenn Centennial Celebration, we hosted visitors at the John and Annie Glenn Museum and presented our research posters on the Glenns’ legacy of service. We have also held several book drives for local school districts, in honor of Martin Luther King Day and Women’s History Month.”

Cheyenne graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She will be attending the Pettit College of Law at Ohio Northern University in Fall 2022. She was the recipient of the Magnus Leadership Awards’ 2022 Muskie of the Year Award and 2021 Unsung Student Hero Award. She served as Vice President for Women in Politics and for Student Senate, and as the student representative to the Educational Excellence Committee of the University’s Board of Trustees.

JoHn and annIe Glenn PublIc servIce Fellows

Cheyenne Van Gundy ’22. A group of Innovation Fellows created Signature Wall concepts for the new Henry D. Bullock Health and Wellness Complex. Front: Lexi Sheets ’24, Lexi Buchanan ’23, Camryn Woodley ’22. Back: Samuel Pollock ’25, Lia Buckley ’24, Mattie Ruehrmund ’24. Not Pictured: Natilie Hill ’23, Cullen Gump ’25.