The Lilley Fellows for 2020-2021 have been announced.
After several months of review by the selection committee, five EA juniors have been selected. Each student will focus on a specific area of research and study during the school year and summer, and then present their findings in the fall.
"We are excited to have these five students as Lilley Fellows as we begin the third year of the program," said Lilley Fellow Program Director Max Kelly '06. "Each student reflects our student community's diverse academic interests and intellectual curiosity. The Lilley Fellowship committee had tough decisions to make this year based on the high number of applications and the quality of students' proposals. The process is rigorous and intense."
Erica Feehery '21 will work on an application to help teach math to children with autism spectrum disorder. She plans to create a mobile application designed for the use in Individual Education Plans, which will leverage applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapy to help students learn mathematics skills. Matt Memmo, Hon. will be Erica's faculty mentor.
Kat Harrar '21 was a 2019 fellow and will continue her farm-to-feed project by working more closely with the Edible School Yard to develop a larger curriculum with teachers in EA's Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Kat plans to also expand the footprint of EA's Sid Buck Community Garden. John Dilworth will continue to serve at Kat's mentor.
Mary Cipperman '21 will examine voter registration fraud and restrictions in the United States and Pennsylvania. She will study current policies and their effects on minority turnout and develop an academic paper. She hopes to work toward building a youth advocacy organization that encourages political activism for teenagers. Mary will work with Alex Jimenez.
Krissie Essilfie '21 plans to study the effectiveness of international Peace Support Operations (PSOs) in resolving and aiding crises. She will conduct a case study with a focus on the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) in Western Africa. Through her studies, Krissie hopes to determine which areas are overlooked by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Krissie's faculty mentor is Steve Schuh.
Vince Vento '21 will delve deeper into his interest about wrongful convictions in America. He plans to investigate real-life examples of innocent Americans who have been exonerated after serving time in prison. His final product will be a draft of a biographical book that details the impact of wrongful convictions in America and includes real stories of those who have been wrongly convicted. Kalil Oldham is Vince's mentor.
Established in 2018 through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. William Lilley III '55, the Lilley Fellowship Fund awards research fellowships to students who exemplify academic curiosity, intellectual rigor, and scholarly passion. The Lilley Fellows pursue an independent study to create a capstone product while working in a professional setting to develop their expertise and interests.
"The selected students not only have different types of projects, but they also have different academic passions," said Mr. Kelly. "This combination, and their demonstrated work ethic, will make for an exciting year in the Lilley program. We look forward to seeing how each Fellow develops as a scholar and in character throughout the year."
The latest group of Lilley Fellows were announced during Chapel on Friday, Jan. 17.
Beginning in 2020-2021, students will have an opportunity to collaborate with an Upper School faculty member to create an advanced independent study. "The Lilley Fund for Advanced Independent Study provides an incredible opportunity for students to engage in the in-depth study of an academic passion that extends beyond EA's curriculum," said Mr. Kelly. Students will work closely with an EA Upper School teacher to explore and master one or more advanced topics in their chosen discipline.