Are you a senior student working on a research project utilizing Falvey Library’s resources? Or are you a faculty mentor to a senior student or group of students who are working on a research project? Please read on to learn about the Falvey Scholars Program!

The Falvey Scholars award is an annual program established by Falvey Memorial Library and the Center for Research and Fellowships (CRF) to recognize exceptional undergraduate research by senior-level students at Villanova.

To be considered for the Falvey Scholars award, the process is two-fold. First, faculty mentors are invited to nominate individual or group projects of senior students who have completed exemplary (and publicly presentable) scholarship or research. Then, students who are nominated by faculty mentors must also formally apply to be considered for the award.

In applying for the award, students are asked to share information about their overall research process, provide a detailed abstract of their project, as well as a comprehensive bibliography. The awards traditionally have an emphasis on work that has required substantial use of library resources. Students who are applying are asked to include information about library resources and services utilized including librarian assistance, databases, journals, books, Interlibrary Loan, etc. Students may also discuss how the library building aided in their research—from late night study sessions to a welcoming place to meet with professors, co-researchers and scholars.

A committee consisting of representatives from Falvey Memorial Library and CRF typically meets in mid-April to review nominations and applications and to select award winners. 5-7 students are annually granted Falvey Scholars awards.

Towards the end of the spring semester, Falvey Scholars award winners are recognized at a virtual presentation and reception ceremony event. This event includes presentations by each of the award recipients on their winning project and overall research process. Presentations highlight the use of Library resources.

In addition to being honored at the awards presentation event, Falvey Scholars will be interviewed and featured individually in our Library blog during the week leading up to Commencement and will be included in the Library’s newsletter, Mosaic. Digital copies of the winning papers are also maintained in the Digital Library.

Falvey Scholars is one of the keynote events of the annual Villanova Spring Research Exposition, or EXPO Week. EXPO is week-long series of events that celebrates the scholarly achievements of Villanova’s researchers—undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty. The Expo showcases a year’s worth of undergraduate research and student accomplishment in innovation and creativity as well as research done by our graduate students and faculty.

View the 2020 Falvey Scholars Awards virtual booklet here.

2021 Falvey Scholars Deadlines

Faculty: You can nominate students until Saturday, April 3 at 11:59 pm. Once nominated, students will be asked to apply in order to be considered for the award. Faculty mentors who plan to nominate should encourage students to apply. Please consider nominating a student who exemplifies the awards criteria.

Seniors: If you haven’t been nominated yet, ask your faculty mentor to nominate you for the award by Saturday, April 3 at 11:59 pm. Once nominated by your faculty mentor, you will be asked to formally apply for the award by Friday, April 9 at 11:59 pm.

Nomination/application forms as well as additional information about Falvey Scholars can be found here.

If you have questions, please contact: libraryevents@villanova.edu

Regina Duffy is a Communication and Marketing Program Manager at Falvey Memorial Library.