Gift of Henry and Nancy Schacht

The purpose of the gift of Henry and Nancy Schacht to the Religion Department is to support and encourage projects on “Religion and Civic Responsibility.” Students may submit proposals for individual projects or collaborative ones. 

While research is the primary goal of the ten-week summer projects, we expect there to be an experiential component. We hope to sustain a connection between the research and some concrete expression of the issue. For example, a project on religion and sexual abuse might include some volunteering at a shelter for victims of domestic violence. We believe that critical reflection on experience enhances the quality of learning.

Members of the department of Religion will be supervisors of the research. For projects involving other disciplines, other faculty members also may be involved.

The Woodyard Scholarship supports both individual and collaborative research which is congruent with the theme, “Religion and Civic Responsibility,” for ten weeks during the summer. The scholarship is for a $3,700 stipend plus room. Student proposals will be evaluated by a faculty committee.  The Woodyard Scholars will be housed in a University facility, from about mid-May to about mid-July, along with other students who are doing summer research.