Three women will do their part to expand B-W’s living
learning program when they move into the Research House this
fall. Natalie Hogan, a junior neuroscience major from
Pittsburgh, Sarah Frischman, a senior biology major from Lakewood,
and Ellen Mackall, a junior psychology major from Copley, will be
the first residents of the house, the goal of which is to enhance
scholarship and encourage individual research.
Professors Robert Ebert, economics, who directs the Carmel Living
Learning Center, and Andrew Mickley, neuroscience, director of
Faculty-Student Collaborative, have been instrumental in getting the project off the ground. Like the Summer
Scholars’ House, the Research House will provide the
opportunity for students involved in collaborative research with
faculty to share their ideas, to brainstorm and to experience
enrichment activities.
“We’re starting off small this year given the tight
campus housing situation,” Mickley said, but he expects the
program to grow. Hogan said that the women already have met and
have developed some guidelines for the experience.
“We decided that we would meet with our faculty
collaborators to discuss our projects once a month,” she said. Although
their research projects vary widely, Hogan said it would be very
helpful to discuss their work with others who might help to solve a
particular problem, or suggest a new procedure. Scholarly
discussions such as this have been a valuable part of the Summer
Scholars’ experience for the past few years. The students also have decided to add a volunteer component to
their experience. Currently, they plan to work with another
student, senior biology major Amy Manzo, who goes to Cleveland
schools to assist in high school science classes.
The campus focus on research is evident not only in development of
the Research House, but also in a course called Faculty Student
Collaboration (FSC). Mickley said the experimental course, going
into its second year, provides students with academic credit for
their work and also credits faculty for their work with the
students. The FSC website lists current research projects which
include the sciences as well as psychology, exercise physiology,
economics and history.

