The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations are making a $200,000 grant to Denison University for endowed Summer Scholars positions. The Summer Scholars program pairs current students with Denison faculty for intensive research projects during the summer, when classes are not in session. Last year, 82 students were involved as Summer Scholars.

This type of arrangement puts increased emphasis on collaborative partnerships in a hands-on learning environment. Denison surveys of graduating seniors indicate this kind of experience has a powerful impact on participants.

Denison has offered summer programs for student scholars since the mid-1980s. Initially, the experiences were limited to the sciences, but now there are programs in the humanities and the arts as well. Students apply for competitive Summer Scholar grants. Research must culminate in a writing or artistic project, to be completed by the end of the summer.

"There is nothing more important among Denison's objectives than building on our success in bringing students and faculty mentors together in scholarly investigation," said Denison President Dale T. Knobel. "The quality of the student-faculty relationship defines us as an institution and is what people remember years after they have graduated. We are extremely grateful that the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations have agreed with us and made such a generous contribution to our work."

Last year, Denison committed a total of $312,200 to student summer research. Some funding came from endowments, with the rest being picked up by operating-fund grants and discretionary funds. The grant from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations will increase the permanent endowment that supports Summer Scholars.

The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, actually two foundations functioning as a single philanthropic institution, are headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla. They are named after the late Arthur Vining Davis, businessman and developer.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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