Congratulations to Kharimah Dessow and Paige Fennell for receiving a Spring 2009 Magellan Scholar Fellowship. The award, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, provides each scholar a $3000 grant to facilitate their research project.

Ms. Dessow's project, "The Mind and Mission of Dr. Andrew Billinglsey," provides an in-depth investigation of the academic career of one of USC's most distinguished faculty members. Drawing upon several oral interviews, publications, and manuscript collections, Ms. Dessow's project traces Billingsley's intellectual journey from an Alabama coal mining village to the presidency of Morgan State University and then to his present appointment at the University.

Ms. Fennell's project, "Condemned: African American Neighborhoods in Downtown Columbia, SC," delves into the controversial urban renewal campaigns of the 1960s that displaced hundreds of African Americans from communities near the University. Bolstered by oral interviews, newspaper articles, and archival material, Fennell's research sheds much needed light on a largely overlooked chapter in Columbia history.

Both students will work in collaboration with Dr. Bobby Donaldson