ELI Projects

A group of eight Freed-Hardeman University Communication Sciences and Disorders majors had the opportunity to travel to New Orleans, Louisiana to attend the National American-Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Conference. While at the conference, the students were exposed to various ASHA speakers, exhibits, and discussion that highlighted recent advancements in the field to which they are studying to practice. The students participated in session debriefs, in which critical analysis of how early exposure to careers, graduate education, and research at the undergraduate level influences their program of study.

In the summer of 2022, Dr. Margaret Payne, Molly Clemons, and Rose Duke explored the literature, landscape and architecture of Romantic England. Their adventures were in connection with Dr. John Mclaughlin's Spring 2022 Romantic Poetry and Pose class. The group of 22 spent two weeks exploring England through hikes and various tours through famous writers' homes. 

Student Rose Duke prepared for the trip through extensive readings surrounding the foundational Gothic novels written during the romantic period. Her focus was to explore ways that the Romantics’ use of the Neo-Gothic intersected with theories of ecocriticism to further expand on how writers such as Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, Austen, and the Shelleys used their surroundings to fortify the works they created. While visiting England, she captured a visual rendering of Neo-gothic architecture and its ties to literature by documenting the experience through a reflective and descriptive photo journal.

English major Molly Clemons embarked on the journey to examine the unique relationship between the writings of William and Dorothy Wordsworth and the nature of William's poems in relation to Dorothy's journal entries. Following this experience, Molly further her studies by completing an independent studies on Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth. 

Dr. Payne's embarked on this adventure with her students to continue her extensive research into women authors on ritual in women's literature.

In the fall 2022 semester, FHU students had the opportunity to interact with the celebrated author and poet Aimee Nezhukumatathil who gave an evening talk to the campus and community and provided a poetry workshop for English majors and poetry contest winners in the afternoon. There were several goals of this project, the first being the exposure of FHU students to a nationally acclaimed author. Other goals included the formation cross-disciplinary discussion of the themes and issues connected to the poet’s work, to provide writing students with a poetry workshop with a renowned poet, to shape discussions in Comp I and Comp II classes, and to provide a focus on the wonders of God’s creation and an attention to our responsibilities to the environment. As a result, this project had a direct connection to at least 300 FHU students (including students in ENG 101 and 102—on campus and dual enrollment students, students in Creative Writing, honors students, and those from a number of science classes. Ayers auditorium was filled for the evening session, 17 students attended the poetry workshop, and roughly 150 students engaged in discussions and writing projects in ENG 101 and 102. Two Professors on Poetry sessions were conducted in connection with this project including one that featured interplay between English and science faculty members; that event was attended by roughly 25 students.

In January 2023, a group of fine art majors had the opportunity to spent time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania exploring some of our nation’s finest museums and art collections, viewing masterpieces from art history to find inspiration that will influence their own creative works. The student photographers in the group also spent time creating a personal series, shooting stranger portraits, street photography, and self-portraits.

People often describe baseball as a game of inches. It is described this way due to the propensity of a game to change drastically on one close play. Because of the nature of a baseball game, baseball coaches are always looking for any way to get an advantage over their opponents in hopes of swinging close games in their favor. The use of technology in baseball has exploded over the past five to seven years, with pitchers and hitters using all kinds of equipment to improve their skills and ability to play at a high level. This project allowed the team use a laser timing system to test our coaches’ baserunning theory and determine if our method is the best way to teach baserunning to our baseball players at Freed-Hardeman.

This ELI grant provided funds for students to exercise their desire to serve others through remote medical care. Students were able to get involved with helping others in a very personal way through Remote Area Medical clinics (RAM). RAM is a nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics whose mission is to provide quality healthcare to underserved and uninsured individuals. This ELI project permitted eight FHU students the opportunity to travel to Mayfield, KY and Springfield, TN to work with RAM to serve those in need through volunteer service. Through the Remote Area Medical clinics, it was also FHU's desire that the students would be able to gain a new perspective on the disparities existing within communities across the country.