The 2024 James Madison Summer fellows attended a dinner April 22 with their faculty sponsors, the outgoing 2023 fellows, and members of the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization Forums and External Advisory Board. Photo by Andy Daddio.
On April 22, 2024, the Center celebrated the 2024 recipients of the James Madison Summer Fellowship over a lively dinner at the 敁珗腦瞳 Inn. The selected students and faculty advisers enjoyed the opportunity to learn about each project, and to meet Brian Horey 82, the generous sponsor of the fellowships. The James Madison Summer Fellows program has expanded and grown more competitive in recent years, and is a cornerstone of the Centers activities.
Successful recipients devote three months in the summer to intensive research on their chosen topic, meeting weekly with their faculty advisers, and producing a formal 35-page paper that demonstrates their arguments and outcomes. Topics are broad-ranging and students from all disciplines are eligible to apply, with the criterion for submission being that the topic should connect to the study of freedom and Western civilization.
2024 James Madison Summer Research Fellows
Alec Bresler, 24
Freedom and Safety of the Press in Reporting on Russia and Dangerous Regimes
Faculty Sponsor: Jessica Graybill, professor of Russian & Eurasian Studies
Jane Garrity, 25
Debates about Economic Policies at the American Founding and Their Relevance Today
Faculty Sponsor: Fred Chernoff, professor of political science
Michael Jones, 26
Great Power Conflict Between China and the US in Africa
Faculty Sponsor: Dominika Koter, associate professor of political science
Thomas Nemec, 26
The Reception of Suetonius and Roman Historians in Eighteenth Century Political Thought
Faculty Sponsor: Daniel Tober, assistant professor of the Classics
Robert (Jerry) Pfeifer, 25
Free Speech and Hate Speech at the European Court of Human Rights
Faculty Sponsor: Ed Fogarty, associate professor of political science
Ciara Sanders, 26
The Politics of Clean Water: Policies, Institutional Structures, and Human Rights
Faculty Sponsor: Sam Rosenfeld, associate professor of political science
Steven Torre, 25
Rhetorical Strategies of US Presidents in State of the Union Addresses
Faculty Sponsor: Alexander Karn, associate professor of history
Talia Troy, 25
Just War Theory and Practice in Eastern Orthodox Christianity
Faculty Sponsor: Valerie Morkeviius, associate professor of political science
Sarah van Dyke, 25
Developments in US National Security Policies in the South China Sea
Faculty Sponsor: Frances Wang, assistant professor of political science
Alexa Watson, 26
The Challenge of AI to the US Judiciary and Legal Profession
Faculty Sponsor: Hibi Pendleton, senior lecturer in philosophy
George Wilson, 25
Secularism in the French Republic
Faculty Sponsor: Jill Harsin, professor of history
James Madison Summer Fellows pursue faculty-mentored summer research projects focused on themes related to the Western heritage of freedom and civilization, and all first-year, sophomore, junior, and senior students may apply. James Madison Fellows receive a stipend of $6,000 for the summer. More information on the James Madison Summer Fellowships and how to apply is available here.