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In
the end, this extention of research beyond the PWR classroom is
what makes the IRAs so exciting and essential to the role PWR
plays in students’ lives. Of the four students awarded IRAs
in November, two are applying for grants to continue their research,
one will continue research as she studies abroad, and the final
author is considering turning his topic into a book proposal.
Specifically, Andrea Fuller is applying for a Chappell Lounge
grant and is looking to start a discussion group for first-generation
students with the help of Clyde Moneyhun in the Writing Center.
Wendy Goldberg
only sees possibility for growth of the IRAs and personal student
research. In response to how student work has matured during her
time at Stanford, Goldberg reflected, “the resources afforded
by new technologies have laid the groundwork for inexhaustible
creativity with respect to research methodologies and project
delivery. Given the prodigious research of the World Wide Web,
students can now aspire to previously unimaginable kinds of exploration
of the world with a stunning immediacy.” In other words,
as access to information and resources continues to evolve, PWR
plays a larger role in facilitating student inquiry and innovation
in their written projects.
The IRAs are
new, but clearly forming their own tradition as prestigious student
awards. Likewise, the newly formed OPRAs (PWR’s Oral Presentaiton
of Research Awards) will look to recognize outstanding work done
by students in PWR 2 courses in the coming quarter. While both
awards, in addition to the Boothe Prizes, offer tangible rewards
for students to engage in demanding research, the sweetest satisfaction
may come from a mutual respect of student and teacher. As Goldberg
mentions in a quote from The Stanford Daily, “There’s
great satisfaction for student and teacher alike when the student
succeeds in negotiating the various and often substantial challenges
that emerge along the way.” The IRAs will continue to celebrate
this journey that begins in the PWR classroom, but extends far
beyond the green pastures of The Farm.
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