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Jessica Simes '09 Named Galbraith Scholar

It was one of the best experiences of my undergraduate career,” Simes said of the week-long program in June. “Not only did I get to meet scholars in my field of study, I met some of the most interesting, brilliant students from all over the country. I was challenged in my own ideas and had the opportunity to voice my perspective on issues of policy and inequality. I learned very critical perspectives on how to go about creating and inspiring social change, and made lasting friendships with my fellow Galbraith Scholars.”

The Galbraith program aims to illuminate graduate school and career options for talented undergraduates who aspire to apply themselves to important social problems. Students selected for the program win full scholarships to attend a five-day session led by Harvard faculty, doctoral fellows, and social policy practitioners that explores social policy issues through graduate-style seminars, panel discussions, workshops, off-site field trips, and collaborative activities. Topics covered this summer included mass incarceration, immigration, urban poverty, and organizing, Simes said.

Simes plans to apply to doctoral programs in sociology this fall and for a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Japan.

Named in honor of Harvard economist John Kenneth Galbraith (1908-2006), the Galbraith Scholars program honors Professor Galbraith's lifelong commitment to illuminating the economic ills of material hardship and inequality. It seeks students “of exceptional promise and uncommon perspective who have demonstrated interests in issues of inequality and social policy.” College sophomores, juniors, and seniors enrolled in any U.S. college or university are eligible to apply.

For more information, go to. http://www.hks.harvard.edu/inequality/Summer/Galbraith.htm