Fresno State claims predoctoral scholarships

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Professor of music and faculty mentor Dr. Kathryn Bumpass (right) attends the Pre-Doctoral Program orientation session with scholar Nancy Lindsay.

Dr. Vivian Vidoli (right) talks with predoctoral scholars Justin Bain and Lacee O'Brien.

by April Schulthies

This July the CSU Chancellor's Office announced 81 recipients of the 1999-2000 Sally Casanova Pre-Doctoral Program scholarships. Seven are Fresno State students.

Over the last decade, Fresno State has held a competitive position in this systemwide and highly selective program funded through the California State Lottery.

Designed to increase the pool of potential faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of CSU students, the Pre-Doctoral Program helps students match their research interests with an institution of higher learning.

Dean Vivian Vidoli of the Division of Graduate Studies administers the Pre-Doctoral Program on the Fresno State campus.

Eleven years ago Vidoli met with Janice Erskine and the late Sally Casanova (then in the Chancellor's Office) to construct the guidelines for the award. "I contributed the notion of having a mentor experience and providing funds for the mentor to travel with the student," said Vidoli. "Sally made sure resources were available. She found the mechanism to support the program."

Vidoli said the faculty mentor provides a crucial part of the program's success. With the assistance of a faculty mentor, predoctoral scholars establish contacts with professors at the university of their choice and often receive tuition waivers and stipends.

The program's awards are in the amount of $3,000 each, $1,000 of which is allocated for faculty mentor travel. Award applicants must submit a plan for scholarship expenditure. The plan may include travel to doctoral granting institutions and attendance at professional meetings. It may also include funds for related activities, such as subscriptions to journals and payment of graduate school application fees, as well as payment of minor research material costs. In addition, scholars are eligible to apply for a summer research internship at a doctoral institution.

The seven Fresno State scholars and their mentors are Justin Bain with faculty mentor Dr. Scott Stephens (English); Jason Federmeyer with faculty mentor Dr. Jack Fortner (Music); Nancy Lindsay with faculty mentor Dr. Kathryn Bumpass (Music); Ruemruk Malasarn with faculty mentor Dr. Rebecca Crumpton (Kinesiology); Lacee O'Brien and Beatrice Valenzuela with faculty mentor Dr. Lillian Faderman (English); and Matilda Soria with faculty mentor Dr. Lynnette Zelezny (Psychology).

Kennard Nears (Psychology), Arrie Rose-Smith (Psychology), and Yacinta Thomas (English) were among the 23 students who received honorable mention.

"What the program really promotes is encouragement to pursue a doctorate," said Carol Bradshaw, special projects assistant for the Division of Graduate Studies. "It takes the student to an entirely new professional level."

Bradshaw added that studies have shown that CSU students who earn doctorates often return to the CSU as professors.