Dr. Bernard J. Firestone Endowed Fellowship in Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Annual Summer Program

Application Form

1.  Program Description:
In 2014, a member of the Hofstra College Advisory Board generously endowed an annual summer research fellowship in the humanities and social sciences in honor of Dean Bernard J. Firestone.  Firestone Fellows conduct research during the summer months under the direction of a faculty mentor in an area of mutual interest.   Fellows are chosen on the basis of academic achievement, research potential, and upon the recommendation of their proposed faculty mentor.  The program provides fellows a stipend in the amount of $2500.

2.  Eligibility and Requirements:
Eligibility is limited to current sophomores and juniors.  Faculty may wish to nominate students who are preparing to write honors theses in the following year.  Applications should be submitted as a pdf and should include a brief (not more than 500 word) statement of proposed research from the student and a nominating cover letter from the sponsoring faculty member.  In the cover letter the faculty member should, 1) indicate willingness and availability during the summer to supervise the proposed research and, 2) make clear the connection between their own research interests and the student's proposal.  At the completion of the program, Firestone Fellows must produce a brief written report of their research.

3. Selection Criteria:
Firestone Fellows will be selected from among the pool of applicants each year. Applicants will complete the application form and provide a proposed plan of research, and a signed nominating letter from the proposed faculty mentor. The research plan should be no longer than 500 words and must be approved by the proposed faculty mentor. The number of awards each year will vary depending on the quality of the applications and the research capacity of the faculty.

4. Selection Committee:
A committee of three humanities and social science faculty will review the applications and identify candidates to participate in the program. The committee will recommend candidates and alternates to the dean of HCLAS, who will make the final designations of Firestone Fellows. Membership of the selection committee will rotate periodically.

5. Dates and Deadlines:

First day of Classes, Spring Semester: Click here for application form
March 1: Applications due: application form, 1-page research proposal, official transcript(s).
March 30: Award offers announced

Recent News About Firestone Fellows

Former Firestone Fellows

2023 Abigail Anderson Class of 2024 Hofstra Religious Mapping Project
Molly Botros Class of 2024 The Consequences of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Latin America on the Liberal International Order and American Hegemony
2022 Evan Lopes Class of 2024 The Limitations of Theory
Julian Rocha Class of 2024 Analysis of the Good Friday Agreement on its 25th anniversary
2021 Ryan Fallert Class of 2022 Impact of the exclusively remote, online nature of Writing Center peer tutor interactions
Alexa Paturzo Class of 2022 Connection between the rise of populist candidates and social media during election cycles, from the Obama campaign and administration through the January 6th, 2021 insurrection
2020 Simon Ignat Class of 2023 Nietzsche and World Well Lost
Rocco DiStefano Class of 2021 History of Race Relations on Long Island
2019 Alexandra Radeva Class of 2019 Efficacy of Bulgarian Policies on Roma Social Issues
Allie Richardson Class of 2020 Transnational Administration and Cultural History of Strasbourg, and its strategic location in Europe
2018 Cem Gokhan Class of 2019 Inclusion of Marginalized Peoples in a Post-peace Colombia
Eiryn Sheades Class of 2020 North Amityville: How integration or segregation is a factor in life and possibly death
2017 Pricilla Garcia Pumarol Class of 2019 Evaluating subconscious profiling of victims and perpetrators of sexual assault on college campuses
Alexander Hayes Class of 2018 Refugee crises in the European Union with a focus on Germany and Austria
2016 Francine Chirico Class of 2017 The emerging field of neuroscience and the criminal justice system
Carmen Pestano Class of 2017 The Cayuco Migrant Crisis in the Canary Islands and the Europeanization of Migration Policy
2015 Sage Davino Class of 2016 Status of local sex trafficking on Long Island
Tara Hamilton Class of 2016 The History of Breezy Point
2014 Marissa Espinoza Class of 2015 Federal Reserve Response to the financial Crises of 2008
Julie Raftapanah Class of 2015 Federal Anti-trust Prosecution of De Beers