“This summer, I had the life-changing opportunity to travel to the remarkable country of Vietnam thanks to the Experiential Learning Fellowship in the Anthropology Department. I am incredibly excited to present my experiences in Vietnam for my senior capstone!”

-Tara Phuongnhi Tran
Above photograph: Tara Phuongnhi Tran was the recipient of a Jonathan F. Plimpton Experiential Learning Fellowship in Anthropology. Her primary research focus was to study the business of small scale rural farms in Long An, a province in Southern Vietnam. Tara studied how these small farms work economically, from free roaming cows that were pretty much domesticated, countless flocks of geese that you could see for miles, and everything in between. Through the fellowship, she was able to develop a deeper understanding of the economics of farming in rural Vietnam from a quantitative perspective, as well as truly immersing herself in the culture there, where she learned so much about the lives of the people that worked on the farms from a more qualitative lens.

Experiential Learning Fellowships in Anthropology* provide Anthropology undergraduate majors with the opportunity to have a meaningful experience in another culture, with the specific goal of enhancing your understanding of cultural, economic, political and social diversity.

Award: The maximum award is $4000.

Eligibility: Only Anthropology majors who have an overall GPA of at least 3.0, have obtained at least sophomore status, and who have completed a minimum of 12 credits in anthropology, including ANTH 102 (Being Human: An Introduction to Social and Cultural Anthropology) are eligible to apply for these funds.

Project Eligibility: The fellowship is available to students with an interest in a project related in some way to business activities. These funds can be used to support a Senior Capstone project. They may also be used to support an experience or project conducted in conjunction with Junior Year Abroad. The expenses associated with experiences such as attending field schools and conferences are not eligible.

Application Procedure: Identify an Anthropology faculty sponsor and submit the application to Professor Lawrence Greksa, 236 Mather Memorial. Electronic proposals to lawrence.greksa@case.edu are preferred but not required. You may need to obtain approval from the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). If so, work with your faculty sponsor to obtain IRB approval.

Complete the cover sheet (see below) and include it with your application. Include a maximum 1000-word proposal describing your proposed project. Your description must include the following sections: (a) an introduction in which you provide a brief background for your project, including its anthropological relevance, and a clear statement of your primary thesis/goal; (b) a detailed description of your proposed methods, including a description of how you will obtain a sample; and (c) a detailed budget. The department will provide some basic electronic resources, including a netbook computer, camera and digital recorders.

These do not need to be included in the budget. Submit the completed application to Professor Greksa, again preferably electronically.

You will need to receive approval from the relevant authorities in the country where you wish to do research. A copy of an approval letter is not required for the initial application but is required before funds will be released.

Application Deadline: All applications must be received by February 28, 2019.

Letter of Recommendation: One letter of recommendation describing the qualifications of the applicant and the feasibility of the proposal must be submitted to Professor Lawrence Greksa, 236 Mather Memorial. Electronic proposals to lawrence.greksa@case.edu are preferred but not required. The letter of recommendation will normally be written by the faculty sponsor but it may be written by anyone with appropriate expertise to evaluate the project.

Final Report (See last page): Experiential Learning Fellowship in Anthropology

* The Experiential Learning Fellowship in Anthropology is possible through the generous support of Mr. Jonathan Plimpton, Managing Director, International Business Management, Inc. and a 1970 graduate of the Department of Anthropology of Western Reserve College