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2026 WIRE fellows, mentors, and associate deans and dean.
Empowering Student Innovation
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»Wilkinson Interterm Research Experience (WIRE)
A Paid, Four-Week Research Opportunity in January
The Wilkinson Interterm Research Experience (WIRE) is a paid, four-week program held on campus during the January Interterm. It offers Wilkinson College undergraduate
students (majors and minors) the opportunity to engage in hands-on research or creative activity under the guidance
of a Wilkinson faculty mentor.
Students can:
- Propose and lead their own research or creative project
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a Wilkinson College undergraduate major or minor
- Must be in good academic standing
- No prior research experience required
- Students may propose any project, but priority will be given to projects not directly related to senior thesis/capstones.
- WIRE awards are open to Wilkinson College undergraduates who demonstrate curiosity, creativity, and a desire to challenge the norms traditionally expected of their major through innovative research or creative projects.
Faculty Mentors:
- Must be full-time Chapman faculty with a full or joint appointment in Wilkinson College
- Part-time or adjunct faculty are not eligible to serve as mentors
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Key Dates
- Application Opens: Aug. 24, 2026
- Information Sessions: Sept. 10, 2026, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. and Sept. 12, 2026, 3-4 p.m., Roosevelt Hall 121
- Finding a WIRE Mentor Drop-In: Sept. 17, 2026, 2-4 p.m., Roosevelt Hall
- Grant Writing 101: Oct. 2026
- Application Deadline: Oct. 16, 2026
- Mandatory IRB Training: Nov. 13, 2026, 1-2:30 p.m.
- Mentoring Student Projects (faculty only): Nov. 13, 2026, 2:30-3 p.m.
- Program Dates: Jan. 4–29, 2027
- Orientation: Jan. 4, 2027
- Professional Development Seminars and Field Trip: Jan. 6, 2027, 12-3 p.m.; Jan. 13, 2027, 12-4 p.m.; Jan. 20, 2027, 12-2:30 p.m.; Jan. 27, 2027, 12-4 p.m.
- Bagels and Coffee with the Dean: Jan. 11, 2027, 10-11 a.m.
- WIRE Research Showcase Presentations: January 29, 2027, 12-2:30 p.m.
Application Requirements
Student Submission:
Project Description (3 pages max):
If you are a senior, please explain how this project differs from your senior capstone
or thesis.
- Clearly define the project’s purpose, goals, methodology, and benefits.
- Write for a broad audience outside your field and explain how the project will be completed in four weeks.
- Use 12-point Times or Times New Roman font with 1-inch margins. All proposal elements, including works cited, must fit within the three-page limit.
- The proposal must be authored by the student, though mentors may provide guidance.
- Submit all documents as PDFs.
Faculty Submission:
Letter of Support:
- The faculty mentor must submit a letter detailing the project, their role, and the student’s preparation.
- The letter should focus on the collaboration, providing context for the project’s value and explaining how the mentor will guide the student’s work during the program.
- The letter must be written by the faculty mentor and given to the student to submit with application.
Program Requirements
Student Responsibilities:
- Attend the Welcome Orientation (January 2027)
- Participate in 4 Professional Development meetings
- Dedicate at least 30 hours per week to the project
- Submit a detailed project schedule
- Meet regularly with the faculty mentor
- Submit Weekly Progress Reports documenting research activity
- Cannot enroll in any courses during the program
- Give a brief presentation of the project at the WIRE Research Showcase
- Complete a program assessment survey
- Attend mandatory IRB Training
Faculty Responsibilites:
- Mentor only one project (mentors can have multiple mentees apply, but only one mentee per faculty member will be awarded)
- Can teach Interterm course, but not a travel course
- Attend mandatory meetings including; Welcome Orientation, Faculty Mentor Expectations, IRB Training and Student Presentations
- Meet regularly with the student and verify weekly student progress reports in Canvas
- *Assist student with IRB approvals as necessary
- Meet with mentee at least twice per week
Approval may take up to 2 months. Learn more!
Program Benefits
Student Benefits:
- $2,000 fellowship
- One-on-one mentorship with faculty
- Weekly professional development meetings
- Social events
- Up to $500 in research funds via the Undergraduate Student Research Grant
Faculty Benefits:
- $500 stipend
- Opportunity to mentor a highly motivated student on a research/creative project
Important Information
- Only one application per student
- Projects involving human or animal subjects may require IRB approval before the start of the program
- Late applications will not be considered
- Independent projects will receive priority over those connected to or part of a senior capstone or thesis
FAQs
Can I take a class in Interterm? No – WIRE fellows cannot take any classes during Interterm, even a 1-unit class, and be in the WIRE program.
Do I need a mentor identified before I apply?
Yes – the application requires you to identify your mentor. If you need help finding
a mentor, please complete this form, attend our drop-in session on finding a WIRE mentor, or visit the CUE Undergraduate Faculty Mentor Directory for a partial list of potential mentors.
My project has material expenses. Am I able to request reimbursement?
Yes – WIRE fellows can apply for up to $500 in research funds via the Undergraduate Student Research Grant
Can I apply for a project connected to my capstone or thesis?
Yes, but independent projects will receive priority over those connected to or part
of a senior capstone or thesis. Seniors should explain how this project differs from
the senior capstone or thesis in the project description.
Maddi Andrews
(‘28 History, Political Science; Anthropology)
My research focused on depictions of bog bodies across different media and how
these depictions differ from the original messages that scholars who study them sought
to convey. Bog bodies are human remains that have been found in bogs, mostly across
Northern Europe, in extremely well-preserved conditions. I analyzed movies, documentaries,
museum exhibits, music, and more as part of my quest to understand how society understands
bog bodies and why they are so sensationalized. I also interviewed three scholars
who have worked extensively with bog bodies to understand their perspectives and how
they combat overdramatized interpretations of their work. My work brings up broader
questions about ethics, societal perceptions of death, and the power of archaeology.
Gabi Fischthal
(‘26 Writing for Film and Television; History minor)
I researched the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an American organization committed
to combating antisemitism. Under the guidance of my faculty mentor, Dr. Shira Klein
(History), I tracked the historical trajectory of the ADL from their founding to the
early twenty-first century– from the first World War, through the McCarthyist era,
and the fallout from the World Trade Center attacks. Through my research, I found
three central themes: the ADL’s work fighting antisemitism, the organization’s collaboration
and alliance with the American government, and support for Zionism and the colonization
of Palestine.
Piper Hanson
(‘26 History; Creative and Cultural Industries Minor)
Have you ever visited an aviation museum and been in awe of the technology on
display? Or, have you ever wondered why we display that technology the way we do?
As an emerging museum professional, I am always looking for opportunities to learn
more about museums. When the opportunity arose to conduct research through the Wilkinson
Interterm Research Experience (WIRE), I immediately proposed a project on museums.
Drew Longley
(‘27 Political Science, Psychology)
As a junior political science and psychology major, conducting experiments like
these was a dream of mine since high school. Throughout college, I was worried that
my scholarly creativity would be limited in my undergraduate studies; however, through
the WIRE, I had the great pleasure to design, conduct, and present my own research
under the guidance of Dr. Lewis Laurtz and Wilkinson College mentors.
Coco Ridge
(’26, Sociology, Leadership and Philosophy minors)
I never expected I would have the opportunity to direct my own research project
as an undergraduate in the humanities. The Wilkinson Interterm Research Experience
(WIRE) provided the freedom and resources necessary to curate my abilities as a researcher.
I had the privilege to work with Dr. Pete Simi (Sociology) as my faculty mentor for
direct expertise in my field. Along with the other faculty who assisted the program,
I felt thoroughly guided through the process.
Amala Rajagopal
Amala Rajagopal (‘25 History and Philosophy, Women’s and Gender Studies minor)
One of my biggest goals for my years in college was to conduct my own research.
Over January’s Interterm, I participated in the inaugural Wilkinson Interterm Research
Experience (WIRE), a 4-week research project alongside 10 other students.
Emily McEachin
Emily McEachin (‘25 English and Environmental Studies minor)
Over the January Interterm, I had the rare luxury of devoting 30 hours a week entirely to my research project, “Analyzing and Applying Shared Elements of Climate Fiction" ...
- WIRE Application
- Read about the 2025 WIRE program fellows!
- Read about the 2026 WIRE program fellows!
Need a faculty mentor?
2026 WIRE faculty mentor Shyh-Wei Yang (Sociology) with WIRE Student Fellow Aleks Lam ('27 Cultural Anthropology major, Chinese minor)