Whitman College has selected student Olivia Ware, of Kirkland, to receive a Spring 2011 Abshire Award, which will support her research in the field of history.

Whitman alumnus Alfred D. Abshire first established the award in 1981, in memory of his wife Sally Ann. Given each semester, the awards provide students the opportunity to work in collaboration with professors on academic research.

Ware, class of 2013, and Nina Lerman, associate professor of history, will research “Technological and Cultural ‘Progress’ in African American Newspapers, 1890–1925.” As they research the implications of technological change, as interpreted by the African American press, they will have access to restrictive databases of historical merit for analysis and comparison to predominantly white portrayals of these themes. The goal is to explore events such as America’s electrification in the late 19th century and the African American response, in their own and oft-overlooked words.

Reflective of Whitman’s focus on collaborative academic excellence, eight faculty-student teams were chosen to receive the research grants this semester, allowing the students, under the guidance of faculty, to conduct extensive research in their undergraduate years. The areas of research extend to a variety of disciplines from all across campus, including geology, sociology and chemistry. Abshire scholars assist their professors for up to eight hours per week and may earn up to $800 for the semester.