Seven Richard Frank Grant applicants are moving ahead with their projects after finding out Saturday that they had received part of the $7,500 annual allotment.

The grant, which commemorates the late assistant professor and chairman of the department of modern foreign languages Richard Frank, is offered to Loyola students who are interested in performing scholarly research in the areas of natural sciences, social sciences or communications.

The recipients are psychology senior Nicholas Holtzman, graduate music senior Jason Bongard and chemistry pre-med junior Katherine Vaden, criminal justice/sociology junior Kerry Deichmann and communications junior Regina Rivard, classical studies junior Katherine Jones and communications senior Melissa Guidry.

The grant’s criteria are that the recipients receive approval and project supervision by a faculty member, and that the recipients use the funds as designated by the Student Government Association’s academic affairs committee. Students also are to perform their scholarly research for academic credit hours. Thirteen applicants applied for the Richard Frank Grant since mid-January. They submitted a two-part information packet that consisted of a qualitative response with a recommendation letter from a faculty member and a financial request for the collection of original data costs, travel costs, and rental or purchase of equipment costs.

The academic affairs committee categorized the applications into piles A, B and C based on the strength of the application in the relation to other applications. Accordingly, pile A represented that the applicant deserved priority funding while piles B and C were still considered.

Psychology sophomore and head of the academic affairs committee Matthew Kropp said that the application pool this semester was very competitive.

“Many of the projects shed light on new ideas and on unexplored areas, which is great to see,” he said.

Holtzman, the priority recipient, said that he is thrilled to receive the Richard Frank Grant. Holtzman was awarded about $1,110, and said that he will use the grant money to conduct a psychological experiment regarding personality. His experiment is titled, “Differences in Self-Report Accuracy Between Continuous Emotional Expression Feedback, Self-Focused, and Non-Mirrored Participants.”

“I imagine that this experience will prepare me to do research in psychological science at the graduate level, and I hope that it will increase my chances of entering a Ph.D. program in social psychology,” Holtzman said.

He expressed his gratitude towards the people who supported him, namely Robert Bell and Melanie McKay, directors of the WAC lab, associate professor of psychology Elizabeth Hammer, professor of psychology Evan Zucker and his research group.

Bongard and Vaden will use their grant money to design an artificial endonuclease, a chemical compound that cuts DNA to target human diseases such as SARS, anthrax and smallpox.

“Loyola’s funding for the sciences are adequate for our university size,” said Bongard, “For high-level, specific projects such as ours, outside funding is needed.”

In addition to the Richard Frank grant that will allot their research about $2,400, Bongard and Vaden will receive funding from the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington D.C.

Bongard, who is a two-time recipient of the Richard Frank Grant, hopes to present the research findings to the American Chemistry Society in Anaheim, Cal., this March.

“I’m pleased and relieved that we were funded because it was critical to the progress of our research,” Bongard said.

Deichmann and Rivard will use their grant money to produce a documentary on Central American gang violence that they believe stems from the United States. They also want to analyze how U.S. policies negatively affect the economic conditions in El Salvador, which may cause adolescents and young adults to join gangs.

Having taught English in an El Salvadorian prison last summer, Deichmann said that the grant will help further her research experience in Central America.

“I’m appreciative that through the Richard Frank Grant, Loyola has put as much attention in our project as we have,” Rivard said.

After their project’s completion in March of 2005, Deichmann and Rivard plan to have a campus film screening and discussion session. They will also make the documentary available to teachers who want to use it as a teaching tool.

Jones said that she is excited to receive the Richard Frank Grant of about $718. Her senior thesis, “That’s the mentality here, that’s the reality here: Eminem and Juvenal rap Detroit and Rome,” was qualified to be presented at the Classical Association of the Middle West and South’s 100th Annual convention in late April. Her presentation will describe the comparison between rap singer Eminem and Roman satirical poet Juvenal.

“Both Eminem and Juvenal write biting social commentary and I think there is a lot to be learned about both Rome and modern America through their words,” Jones said. “The Richard Frank Grant as well as speaking at a professional conference really helps build my resume.”

Jones plans to use the grant money to fund her trip.

William Cotton, associate professor in English, director of the Honors program and once a colleague of the late Frank, encourages his students to apply for the grant. Cotton said that academic awards like the Richard Frank Grant commemorate significant teachers who want to help students succeed.

A plaque on the third floor of Bobet Hall expresses Frank’s “…dedication to Loyola and devotion to his students.”