Spellman Research

Wander down the hallway of second floor Stuart Hall in June or July and you're likely to hear a small group of students engaged in a lively discussion on anything from developing economies to the marketing of children's toys. You might hear students and faculty arguing over total quality management principles. If you ask any of them why they're in a college classroom on a sunny summer day, you just might be invited to join them in discussing what they've been reading as they work on summer research projects in economics or business.

Each year, eight to 10 business, economics and accounting majors are selected as Spellman Research Associates and are invited to spend the summer at Coe, working on a research project with a department faculty member. Research Associates receive a stipend, housing allowance and a free course credit for the summer. Throughout the summer, they meet with their faculty supervisors and with each other in an attempt to learn more about the topics they're studying and about the process of conducting academic research.

The work done by many Research Associates is the beginning stage of what will turn into a senior honor thesis. These theses are in-depth papers that are presented and defended by the students to a faculty committee on campus and are sometimes also presented at professional meetings or published in academic journals.

These opportunities have been made possible by generous donations to the Spellman Fund.