Take on the greatest challenges of our time
The Eisenhower Institute Undergraduate Fellows program offers a select group of Gettysburg College students the chance to develop their leadership skills and grow in their knowledge and understanding of public policy. Under the guidance of Prof. Patturaja Selvaraj, the Harold G. Evans Professor of Eisenhower Leadership Studies, they are responsible for developing and promoting a public policy theme with programming in both Gettysburg and Washington, D.C.
The 2023-24 theme for the Undergraduate Fellows program is The Future of Work: Man vs. Machine. Technology has a profound impact on society and business. Through electronic communications, software/app development, robotics, and more, technological advances have enabled businesses to streamline their processes and practices to provide consumers with quality products at reasonable prices. Technology improves service delivery, increases customer satisfaction, enhances profits – and sometimes threatens jobs. From creating automations that eliminate or decrease the need for workers to surveillance cameras that monitor employees’ daily movements, some may view technological advances with suspicion.
Over the course of the year, the Fellows will study technology’s impact on labor. They will make recommendations on how to leverage technology to build a stronger workforce and a more equitable economy, culminating in a collaborative group project to present their findings.
Opportunities experienced by past Undergraduate Fellows have included:
- Attending a dinner with the White House Fellows
- Meeting with prize-winning authors and journalists, as well as senior executives in the Department of State, Department of Defense, and the National Security Council.
- Hosting a Cabinet Member of the European Union Commissioner for Security Union for a lecture in D.C.
- Moderating an on-campus discussion about environmental justice between an economist at the Environmental Protection Agency and an activist with Greenpeace
Schedule
Undergraduate Fellows will meet weekly on Tuesdays at 11:45am-1pm. An international trip is planned for January 2024. Fellows will also engage in periodic trips locally and to Washington, D.C. This fellowship is a significant commitment during your senior year. Aside from classes, Fellows are expected to make this program a high priority. For more details, review: