The Patrick F. Palermo Honors Program Founders Fund
The Palermo Founders Fund was established in 2004 and provides annual support in perpetuity for Honors students undertaking Honors Thesis projects that involve international research, service and leadership in the community, or which advance the realization of a just society. All of these are characteristics of the University’s distinctive approach to enhanced higher education in the Catholic and Marianist tradition. The endowed Dr. Patrick F. Palermo Honors Program Founders Fund is an example of the generosity of our alumni.
Fellowships that are awarded from this Fund are determined during the Thesis Research Proposal and Fellowship Request process each year.
2012 Fellowship Recipients
Congratulations to Chin Yi Chen, Carol Harper and Alexander Ulintz, Honors Class of 2013, this year's Palermo Founders Fund fellowship recipients.
Chin Yi Chen
Major: International Studies
Title: Intercultural Communication Among College Students: A Case Study in South Korea, Morocco, and the United States
Chen's aim is to compare human behavior across cultures. She will travel to Korea University and to Akhawayn University for one semester each to complete detailed research. Through observation, social interaction, informal interviews, and daily journaling, Chen aims to challenge cultural stereotypes and correct misconceptions surrounding those from other cultures.
Carol Harper
Major: Teacher Education: Intervention Specialist
Title: Improving Teacher Preparation and Professional Development to Enhance the Academic Achievement of English Language Learners (ELL)
Harper's thesis recommends ways to improve the learning experience in school for ELL grades K-12. She collected and organized questions of Ohio teachers according to a framework provided by The National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. She hopes her work will help close the achievement gap between ELL and their English-speaking peers.
Alex Ulintz
Major: PreMedicine
Title: The Genetic and Community Effects of Mycobacterium ulcerans and Mycolactone Upon Biofilm Growth and Succession
Through his research, Ulintz hopes to better understand the role that mycolactone plays in the ecology of Buruli ulcer disease. This disease occurs in over 30 countries in rural areas near freshwater bodies that move slowly, and although it is not lethal it is very harmful those infected. Ulintz plans to use his research to develop a conceptual model that could be used in medical care educational initiatives.
Past Recipients
The inaugural Palermo Fund fellowships in 2008 were awarded to:
Beth Ann Saracco: Uneven Transitions in Democracy: The Cases of Chile and Guatemala
Emily Klein: The Application of Public Engagement Models in Modern Christianity
The recipients of the 2009 fellowships were:
Eric J. Krissek: An Ethnographical Exploration of Math and Science Pedagogy in a Kenyan Primary (K-8) School
Marie-Claire Tuzeneu: The Ripple Effect? Examining the Impact of the Global Economic Crisis on the Least Developed Countries
The recipient of the 2010 fellowship was:
Abagail Lawson: The Cost of Justice: The International Criminal Court and the Tension between Pursuing Peace and Obtaining Justice
The recipients of the 2011 fellowship were:
Amanda Fioritto: Through the Golden Door: Exploring the Integration of Iraqi Refugees in the United States
Monica Guisfredi: Appropriate Technology for Extraction of Essential Oils from Orange Peels in La Paz, Bolivia
Rebecca Young: "To Prepare the Revolution in the Family": Girls’ Education in French Protectorate Morocco (1912-1956)