The Eileen T. Bender Scholarship was established to honor the memory of IU South Bend English Professor Eileen Bender, who made immense contributions to both women’s studies and the scholarship of teaching and learning. It awards $500-$2,000 to a graduate student in the English M.A. Program or MLS Program who works in the area of women’s/feminist issues and plans to teach at the college level. This student will be known as the “Bender Fellow” for the term of the scholarship.
Eligibility
- A minimum grade point average of 3.3
- Prior work in the area of women’s studies
- A record of community service
Application Requirements
- A cover page with the following information: full name, university ID, mailing address, email, degree program (English), credit hours completed as of application deadline, grade-point-average, and expected graduation date.
- A personal statement not to exceed 1,000 words that describes the work that the student has completed in the area of women’s studies and addresses the student’s plans to teach at the college level.
- A curriculum vitae that includes the student’s contributions to community service.
- A letter of recommendation from an English faculty member.
Application Deadline
The application deadline for the Eileen T. Bender scholarship is 5pm on March 1. Applications and letters of recommendation should be emailed as Microsoft Word or PDF attachments to the Director of the MLS Program,
April Lidinsky: alidinsk@iusb.edu.
Award winners will be determined by a committee comprised of English and MLS faculty and will be announced by the end of the spring semester.
Bender Fellow Responsibilities
To retain the scholarship, the Bender Fellow must:
- Maintain at least a 3.3 GPA.
- Continue involvement in community service.
- Attend at least one workshop provided by the University Center for Excellence in Teaching (UCET).
