Mae Nelson Scholarship
The Mae Nelson Scholarship is awarded to a full-time female student who has demonstrated an interest in public affairs and public service and has achieved at least a 3.0 GPA. Please refer to the College of Liberal Arts for further information.
Current Scholarship Awardee:
Amanda Gomes Leppert was awarded the Mae Nelson Memorial Scholarship in 2019. Amanda is from Marseilles, Illinois, and is officially majoring in Anthropology and minoring in Chemistry, although she is planning to add a Latino Studies minor next Fall. Although critical medical anthropology was what brought Amanda into the field, she is currently interested in structural violence, the Anthropology of Development, and the discourses behind mega-development projects, as their teleological agendas often marginalize local communities as they are implemented. And their insufficient analyses of sociocultural and biosocial effects allow this marginalization to occur without recognition by the political entities implementing them. Amanda is interested in continuing onto graduate school and studying medical anthropology. Her current goal is to get an MD. PhD. so that she can work for an NGO focusing in Global Health and critically analyze the programs she takes part in. Along with the Outstanding Junior Award, Amanda also received this year the Mae Nelson Memorial Award in the College of Liberal Arts, and the first annual Anthropology Undergraduate Research Award for her planned study of a wind farm development project in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Previous Scholarship Awardees:
Rebecca Vaughn, from Herrin, IL is majoring in anthropology with a minor in sociology and received the 2015 Mae Nelson Scholarship. She’s most interested in, and hopes to one day study, various internet subcultures and how they interact with and change society. After graduating, she plans on joining the AmeriCorps and then continuing on to graduate school while dedicating some small time to traveling. This photo is from her Spring Break backpacking trip to Athens.