Dr. Jane Harbaugh Research Experience Award
About the Award
The Harbaugh award is funded by UTC Academic Affairs, the Office for URaCE, the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the UTC Division of Diversity & Engagement. The award was established in 2021 to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad and research experiences at UTC.
Please contact the Office for URaCE for summer 2023 location, and application information.
About Dr. Jane Worth Harbaugh
Credit: Chattanooga Times Free Press
Harbaugh joined the faculty at the University of Chattanooga (UC) in 1957. She then completed a post-doctorate program at Harvard University in East Asian Studies from 1961–1962, and by 1965 was named head of the history department at UC.
She became the first woman appointed as a dean at UC, was later named vice chancellor for academic affairs, and ultimately served as UTC's associate provost for undergraduate and special programs until she retired in 2001.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Harbaugh earned her A.B. degree at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and then her A.M. and Ph.D., specializing in diplomatic history, Europe, and the Middle East, from Tufts's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. In 1956, Harbaugh was awarded a grant by the Rockefeller Foundation for post-doctorate studies at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies.
Jane Harbaugh’s 43-year career made her one of the longest-serving faculty members and administrators at UTC.
Credit: UTC News Releases
Harbaugh’s career was an impressive one, too. She served as Guerry Professor of history and chairman of the department (1958-1969); dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (1969-1975); vice chancellor for academic affairs (1975-1982); and associate provost (1982-2001). In addition to her work at UTC, Harbaugh served as a postdoctoral fellow in East Asian studies at Harvard University and was the recipient of a Rockefeller Research Grant at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London. Here she is pictured in an issue of the University Echo from 1962.
2022 Harbaugh Awardees
Breanna Evans
Breanna Evans is a sophomore at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in exercise science and psychology. She is the Peer Mentor for the Health Residential Living Community on campus. She has also been involved with research in the Undergraduate Research Program (UTROPS). She has experience with coding information within interviews and conducting a secondary analysis. These skills have been applied to a recent study concerning food insecurity and its perception in parents who live in rural Southern Ethiopia. Over the past year she has incorporated a discourse analysis of the interviews that were conducted and transcribed from the participants and parents alike in this secondary analysis study. Breanna plans to attend graduate school for Occupational Therapy to help patients return back to their lives as they lived before injuries or procedures by using adequate rehabilitation methods.
Alexis Nelson
Alexis Nelson is a Junior at UTC studying political science and economics. She has competed in two economics competitions for her research paper analyzing the effects of women's empowerment on infant mortality. She found success in winning one of the competitions, but this gave her an opportunity to hone her presenting skills. She’s completed research on various topics like infant mortality, cryptocurrency, and the war on drugs, along with others. Her current focus is researching how redlining affects generational wealth, this ties in her interests with the inequalities minorities face. Following graduation, Alexis plans to attend law school or complete a JD in law and economics. She plans to pursue a career in civil rights and wants to dedicate her career to serving minorities and giving them a voice.
Luke Wiley
Luke Wiley is a Brock Scholar in the Honors College at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in psychology. Currently, he is the Managing Editor for UReCA: the NCHC Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities. He has also been involved with research in multiple fields of psychology, including research into episodic future thinking and prospective memory, character development and intergenerational dialogue, surveying bias in dating apps, and stress and burnout within the legal profession. A fourth-generation union member, he has also begun working in collaboration with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) on his thesis that will examine whether feeling supported by one’s labor union can help buffer against the negative impacts of job demands (e.g., stress and burnout). Luke plans to attend graduate school for Industrial-Organizational psychology or industrial relations to help workers lead happier and healthier lives while also having more power within their workplaces.