Turning Passion into Perspective

The Signature Scholars Research Program

The Class of 2022 saw the first students graduate as Signature Scholars. The Signature Scholars Research Program (SSRP), designed by John Elmore and Dr. Nicole Camastra, is a two-year intensive research study designed to challenge students beyond the normal college preparatory or Advanced Placement program and to establish a wellearned perspective on a topic about which the student is passionate.

Cohorts are not to exceed more than 10% of any class. As sophomores, students apply for the program in the spring. Those who are accepted take the Research Methodology and Philosophy class taught by Dr. Camastra in their junior year. By the end of the course, students have written their annotated bibliography and research proposal unique to each student’s scholarly interests. The second year of the program, their senior year, each SSRP student works with a faculty mentor who has knowlege of the reserach area. Each student will produce a paper of approximately 10,000 words or equivalent work and present the research results at a public symposium. Successful completion of the program will have SSRP students receiving a diploma with distinction from the School.

The program debuted last year and Emily Wacker-Puleo, Stephanie Dücker, and Vicky Mills compiled two years of work into one year.

In an interview with The Pilot newspaper, Vicky Mills ’22 stated, “Agriculture sits at this fascinating intersection of anthropology and geological sciences that I just find so intriguing, and the idea of getting to dedicate time to that interest in my school day was tempting.”

Dr. Camastra recalled lecturing at the University of Georgia. “Students rarely knew what they were interested in,” she said in an interview with The Pilot. "You can blame any number of things for that, but it’s a fact that students really have a hard time saying, ‘This is what drives me’”. The SSRP program allows students the opportunity to find their passion and earn a perspective.

Senior Max Esptein presents his research to different audiences adjusting, the presentation to the interest and level of each audience. The difficult topic of the future of space travel, its feasibility and engineering concerns was shared with O'Neal's kindergarten students.

Vicky Smith presented "Adaptations for the United States Agronomy: Applications of Traditional Agricultural Methods in the Face of a Changing Climate” at the SSRP Symposium. Vicky is attending Smith College.

For more information about the Signature Scholars

Program, please visit our webpage.