Hans Wallach Fellowship

The Hans Wallach Research Fellowship was established to honor Professor Hans Wallach, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, one of the most outstanding researchers in the history of the study of perception, and, for more than half a century, one of the most distinguished members of the Swarthmore community.

Many colleagues and former students of Professor Wallach contributed to the creation of the prize, which is used to support the summer research project of one member of Swarthmore's incoming junior or senior class. Since Professor Wallach's own career reflected a deep and continuing commitment to the development of new knowledge and understanding, we choose to honor him by supporting the kind of activity that he most valued. (Read the College Bulletin's 2002 profile of Professor Wallach.)

About the Prize

The prize provides support for a worthy project in any area of psychology. The project may be empirical or conceptual in nature. Laboratory research, field research, or library research are all suitable methods of inquiry, so long as the focus of the project is on producing new knowledge or understanding. Projects that serve primarily to help the student gain research or clinical experience while assisting a faculty member or practitioner are not appropriate. The stipend of $5,500 is expected to cover approximately ten weeks of research activity during the summer.

Applications

Eligibility for the prize is not restricted to psychology majors, but priority will be given to junior majors whose summer project will serve as the first stage of a senior thesis in honors or in course. Students are automatically considered for the Wallach if they apply for a summer fellowship through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Division or the Social Science Division to work on research in psychology.

The prize will be awarded by the Department based upon an evaluation of both the quality of the proposal and the quality of the student's overall record. If none of the proposals meet the quality guidelines, no award will be made.

For questions or to learn more about the fellowship, students should contact Professor Jane Gillham, Chair, or Betsy Durning, Academic Coordinator. For more information about the application process for summer fellowships, please visit the Summer Research Opportunities page. 

Past Recipients