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.
2011 Fellowship Recipients
Congratulations to Amanda Fioritto, Monica Guisfredi and Rebecca Young, Honors Class of 2012, this year's Palermo Founders Fund fellowship recipients.
Amanda Fioritto, International Studies and Sociology
Through the Golden Door: Exploring the Integration of Iraqi Refugees in the United States
“I hypothesize that the Iraqi community in Dayton, Ohio, still has a significant amount of barriers to integration, including difficulties with language acquisition, employment and social acceptance in the larger Dayton community. The purpose of this study is not only to gain insight into the level of incorporation of Iraqi refugees, but also to address remaining issues and propose policy changes to local social service organizations.”
Monica Guisfredi, Chemical Engineering
Appropriate Technology for Extraction of Essential Oils from Orange Peels in La Paz, Bolivia
“If an appropriate design for extracting the essential oils from orange peels can be developed, entrepreneurs in the area [of La Paz, Bolivia] would be able to use the process and sell the oils in markets for a sustainable income. The proposed project will investigate past and current processes of essential oil extraction from orange peels then develop and build an appropriate design that is technically feasible, financially viable and sustainable for La Paz, Bolivia."
Rebecca Young, International Studies and French
Legacy of Language: The Role and Effects of French as Language of Instruction in Colonial Morocco
“This thesis will explore the manner and means of assimilation by which the French implemented their language, as well as the consequences of its use. Additionally, this thesis will examine how the Moroccans attempted to counter the effects of French assimilation. Would maintaining French education keep the country connected to and successful in the international community, or is Arabic instruction required for full independence?"
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)
