Article by Nanette Wiser
Carley Going, a senior human development student from St. Petersburg, Florida, and Ford Scholar, has been named the first recipient of the Dr. April Allen Buck Endowed Research Scholarship.
Buck, who passed away following a battle with cancer in 2017, was a human development professor who “believed strongly in education, and one of her biggest wishes was to have an impact on students and, through them, the world. She believed that engaging students in research at the undergraduate level developed the talents and skills that would enhance their future impact,” said Assistant Professor of Human Development Tamar Shovali.
The award provides funding for research expenses to Eckerd College students engaged in human development research. Carley said she’ll use the $1,452 award to supplement research costs and fund conference trips to present her research on a growing interest area. America’s opioid epidemic is causing a rise in another phenomenon—grandparents raising grandchildren or grandfamilies, Carley explained.
She began her research during the summer with the help of Shovali to study the educational outcomes of students in grandparent guardian homes. “Specifically, I am looking at the implications of grandfamilies within school systems in relation to the modern technology advancement in academia that has added to the generational tech divide,” Carley added.
“I want to see how people will perceive the outcomes for both grandparents and grandchildren in these family dynamics that have to navigate the school system.” The senior hopes to present her completed research at the Student Mentoring Conference in Gerontology and Geriatrics and at Eckerd’s annual Research Symposium.