Mission Statement
The Dana Program offers outstanding, intellectually versatile students an opportunity to belong to a community of scholars that promotes engaged citizenship and leadership, fosters conversations across disciplines and pursues rigorous academic inquiry. Each Dana scholar can major in any academic department or program. Over the course of four years, Dana scholars participate in shared seminars, independent research projects and unique internship experiences. All Dana seniors engage in collaborative research projects on issues of public concern and interest.
"Being a Dana Scholar has been an instrumental component of my time here at Muhlenberg as it has allowed me to broaden my horizons past the realm of scientific inquiry and interact with peers from across the multitude of disciplines. To me, a distinction such as this one signifies an important aspect of the liberal arts philosophy in which students are urged not just to think of how issues and debates affect them personally, but what their influence is on the world at large. Throughout the seminars I have had as a Dana, I have really seen this at play and have been able to better understand what it means to not only gain knowledge in a certain sphere but also how that information can be viewed through a broader lens."
Betty Ben Dor '22
"Being a Dana Scholar has encouraged me to think deliberately about the relationships between my majors and social justice. The program reminds me to think critically not just within my majors, but about how the skills and sensibilities I am cultivating can be employed in the context of citizenship. Thus, as I pursued my summer research on the intersections between writing and critical thinking, the intellectual spirit of the Dana program was always in the back of my mind - how can my work be leveraged to help others? How will the language I am accumulating for talking about writing stake its relevance in real-world issues and applications? I am grateful for the frequent reminders that accompany the Dana ethos, to think expansively, and to always consider how my work matters (or should matter) beyond the institution."
Andrew Leahy '21
"My favorite part of being in the Dana program was the opportunity to work with professors outside of my discipline who I would not have otherwise had the chance to meet. It truly speaks to the interdisciplinary nature of the program, and I feel that my education has been more well-rounded as a result. Additionally, having the chance to do two independent studies was meaningful as it allowed me to further explore areas of interest beyond the traditional classroom. My first mentorship was on Blackness in France and my professor, Professor Ioanna Chatzidimitriou and I focused on literature and philosophy on race in the United States and in France as a way to further our understanding of race in France. My second mentorship led me to Muhlenberg's archives, where I worked with a memoir written by Muhlenberg graduate of 1914, Martin Fetherolf. My work with Professor Grant Scott and archival librarian Susan Falciani-Maldonado ultimately led to the creation of a digital map that tracked Fetherolf's service in World War I."
Jona Lieberman '20
