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Student Fellowships

The John Goodwin Tower Center Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The John G. Tower Center offers a limited number of research fellowships to SMU undergraduate students to pursue collaborative work in politics and government. The Undergraduate Fellows work closely with faculty in developing a research project resulting in a publication or final paper presented at a professional meeting or before a faculty committee. The Tower Center's Undergraduate Fellows are accepted during the second semester of their sophomore year and serve as fellows during their junior and senior years. Selection is based on merit and determined by an application and interview process emphasizing ability and interest in research.

Each fellow receives a stipend of $700 per semester for a maximum of four consecutive semesters, a book allowance for documents related to the independent study project, support for research expenses approved by the Director of the Center and support for travel to appropriate academic conference(s) for presentation of their research.

There are four fellowships and each fellow is designated by the name of the donor of his fellowship: The Edwin L. Cox Fellowship Award, the Al G. Hill, Jr. Fellowship Award, the Tom Bryant Medders, Jr. Fellowship Award, the Juanita and Henry S. Miller Fellowship Award.

Applications package for the 2008-2010 Miller and Hill Fellowships - Application Deadline April 21, 2008. (pdf forms)

Fellowship Description and Application Instructions

Application Form

2006-2008 Undergraduate Research Fellows:

• Alan S. Lin, Al G. Hill, Jr. Fellow, Economics and History major, minor in Political Science.
• Ryan A. Rutkowski, Henry S. Miller Fellow, International Studies, Economics and Public Policy major, Chinese and Asian Studies minor.

2007-2009 Undergraduate Research Fellows:

• Rachael Morgan, Edwin L. Cox fellow,  Political Science and Journalism major.
• Allie Showalter, Tom Bryant Medders, Jr. Fellow,  Political Science and Spanish major.

The Jack C. and Annette K. Vaughn Foreign Service and International Affairs Internship

Every academic year, the John G. Tower Center offer one Foreign Service and International Affairs Internship which will allow a highly qualified SMU sophomore or junior student to have the opportunity to gain first hand knowledge of American foreign affairs. The selection process is based on merit and determined by an application and interview process. Additionally, students applying for the State Department Intern Program must meet the eligibility requirement of this program, which includes a background investigation necessary to obtain security clearance. Students selected by the Tower Center but not chosen by the State Department Intern Program will be placed in another international affairs center, government agency, or think tank in Washington, DC.

The intern is awarded a stipend for the internship period, an allowance for the research books as required by the faculty sponsor, housing at GWU, and round-trip airfare to Washington, DC. The intern is expected to enroll in an internship course and must develop a plan in consultation with a faculty sponsor and Professor Hollifield, Director of the Tower Center.

Application instructions and form for the 2007-2008 Vaughn internship

The summer 2007 recipients of the Jack C. and Annette K. Vaughn Internship were Steven K. Chlapecka, double major in International Studies and CCPA, and Asmara Sohail, double major in Political Science and International Studies. Both Asmara and Steven are spending the summer in Washington, D.C. as interns at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

The Marian Tower Study Abroad Scholarships

These scholarships were established by the John G. Tower Center for Political Studies to support opportunities for SMU students to participate in one of SMU's International Semester Programs. Ten $2000 scholarships are awarded every year - for the Fall and Spring semesters only. These scholarships are administered by SMU's Study Abroad Programs, Blanton Building,6815 Drive, Dallas, TX 75275.

The recipients of the Marian Tower Study Abroad Scholarships for Spring 2008:

• Ashley Ackserson-Gilroy, Journalism major - SMU in Paris
• Vivian Costandy, International Studies and English major - SMU in Spain
• Sara Kamali, Biology major - SMU in Australia
• Worlynn Ow, Mech. Engineering and Mathematics major - SMU in Australia
• Matthew Roney, Finance and Psychology major  - SMU in Australia

The Tower Institute: A Summer Program in the Study of Politics and Government for Talented and Gifted Students

The Tower Institute, a summer program for the study of politics and government, is offered in conjunction with SMU's Gifted Students Institute.

This summer, thirteen "Tower Scholars" were selected for the Tower Institute scholarships. They are 7th to 11th grade students in the TAG and College Experience programs.