Exploration and Discovery are fundamental to the experience of students and faculty at Franklin & Marshall. They are hallmarks of a liberal arts education and provide the opportunity for new ideas to emerge. The Fall Research Fair presents a venue for us to examine the tangible results of our collective efforts to engage new questions and produce new knowledge during the past summer and prior academic year.

Student-faculty research collaborations began in the natural sciences at Franklin & Marshall in the 1950s, and in the early 1980s the Hackman Summer Research Scholars program ensured substantial future support for such collaborations in all divisions of the College. During the summer of 2022, One hundred and two Summer Scholar students received significant institutional support and collaborated on 65 research projects with faculty from the Hackman, Eyler, David Schuyler Urban Studies Fellowship, Center for Sustained Engagement with Lancaster, and Bolton Funds. Many of these students are here today to share the results of their research and discuss the various impacts these research experiences have had on them. During each academic year, students also receive support from the Leser, Nissley, Rockhold, Lutrey, John Marshall Fellow, the Center for Sustained Engagement with Lancaster and research sponsored by other internal and external faculty grants.

The work presented today expands our perceptions of what constitutes a classroom and what defines "teacher" and "student." The number of interdisciplinary projects also provides evidence of the vibrancy of the research environment at Franklin & Marshall. We invite families, students, faculty, alumni, and all members of our community to share in this exposition of new knowledge.

Cam Wesson

Provost and Dean of the Faculty

Professor of Anthropology