Associate Professor Caroline Schauer is the recipient of the Drexel Fellowships Office 2016 Faculty Mentor Award. This award recognizes the efforts and critical role of faculty members who consistently go the extra mile to cultivate, prepare, and guide students in their applications to nationally-competitive fellowships. Dr. Schauer received this award in recognition of her sincere and active interest in supporting student achievement and helping foster a broader culture of fellowships at Drexel.
The Fellowships Office noted Schauer’s participation in campus-wide activities that directly and indirectly promote the broader cause of fellowships, and her deep commitment to mentoring the student in their pursuit of fellowships. She not only encourages students to apply for fellowship opportunities, but provides crucial feedback and support to help applicants persist through to the end of the process. As a result, students she has mentored have gone on to win some of the most prestigious awards including the Goldwater Scholarship, Fulbright Student Grants, NDSEG and NSF Graduate Research Fellowships.
Schauer sees faculty as playing a crucial role in the review process – helping students understand “what does or doesn’t resonate with reviewers” so they can benefit from new and different perspectives on their work. She received additional praise for her belief that applying for – and receiving – fellowships is an important aspect of professional development.