Sophomore Scholarships

Two Sophomore Scholarships are awarded each year to enable WISP interns to continue their research with the same faculty mentor for an additional term during sophomore year. The awards are made on a rolling basis and, once they are awarded, are not available again until the following year.

To be eligible for consideration, students must successfully complete both terms of the WISP internship program during their first year and then apply for the Undergraduate Research Assistantship at Dartmouth (URAD) program to continue that research during sophomore year. Selected students will be those who were fully engaged in the first year WISP program and who have demonstrated commitment to the goals and ideals of Barbara Crute and Carol Folt, for whom these awards are named.

Students who meet these criteria and who apply for URAD in the summer to engage in research during fall term will be considered for these awards. If one or both of the Sophomore Scholarships is not awarded in that cycle, then students who submit URAD applications in the fall for winter term research will be considered.

The Barbara E. Crute Memorial Internship honors the memory of biologist Barbara E. Crute, Ph.D. Dr. Crute epitomized an ideal research scientist. Noted for her generosity, cooperative spirit, academic aptitude, and strong work ethic, she improved every laboratory in which she worked. She mentored WISP interns and guided numerous other undergraduates, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows throughout her Dartmouth research career.

Hailing from Mount Vernon, New York, she earned her undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a master's degree in biology with a specialization in biochemistry at the State University of New York at Binghamton. She earned her doctoral degree in Biochemistry from the Dartmouth Geisel Medical School in 1997 and remained in the department as a postdoctoral fellow and then a research associate.  

In addition to being a talented and dedicated scientist, she found much in life to enjoy outside of science. She was a gifted flutist and enjoyed baking, crafts, photography, crocheting, knitting, science fiction, music, art, travel, and collecting antiques. She built her own cabin from the ground up and spent the seasons hiking, jogging, cross-country skiing or just walking in the woods or gardening. She hiked and backpacked with family and friends throughout the continental U.S. as well as in Alaska, Scotland, England, Germany, and Switzerland. On September 14, 1999, Dr. Crute unexpectedly collapsed and died as she reached the summit of Killington Mountain in Vermont. She was just thirty-five years old. 

The Carol Folt Research Scholarship Award honors the dedication and significant contributions of Carol Folt, Ph.D., to WISP at Dartmouth. She was one of the original faculty mentors in the WISP Research Internship Program as well as a member of WISP's Faculty Advisory Committee. Carol has been a steadfast supporter of the program and a dedicated mentor to students in the sciences throughout her years at Dartmouth. She is an environmental scientist and award-winning educator, known for her research in salmon conservation, metal toxicity, and effects of dietary mercury and arsenic on human and ecosystem health. In addition to her role as a scholar and educator, she served as Dean of Graduate Studies, Dean of Faculty, Provost, and Interim President at Dartmouth. In 2010, she was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her scientific work and academic leadership.