In 2017, a visionary $15 million gift from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation to Vanderbilt University established the A. James Clark Scholars Program at the School of Engineering. The Clark Scholars Program is a selective program which enables talented undergraduate students to become engineering pioneers who reflect the character, passion, and vision of the program's namesake.
It emphasizes three key components -- engineering excellence, business acumen and service learning -- characteristics the late A. James Clark embodied and wished to cultivate in others.
Why Become a Vanderbilt University Clark Scholar?
Academic Excellence
As a Vanderbilt University Clark Scholar, you gain access to one of the nation’s leading engineering programs. Located in the vibrant city of Nashville, TN the School of Engineering combines the resources of a major university with the benefits of a city campus, giving students the tools needed to succeed.
A Supportive Community
You and your fellow scholars will form a cohort, working together with your mentor to navigate life at Vanderbilt University. You will help each other to achieve your goals, while developing life-long friendships along the way.
Career Launch Pad
During your four years as a Clark Scholar, you will receive educational and developmental opportunities with financial support to explore research and business on and off Vanderbilt’s campus. Vanderbilt and the surrounding area are home to some of the most cutting-edge research in engineering and science, along with a strong culture of entrepreneurship and business partnership. Whether you want to be a research engineer in R&D, or create your own startup, Vanderbilt sets you up for career success. Scholars must remain active participants in Clark Scholars programming throughout their undergraduate experience.
1st Year Summer FEST
The Clark Scholar’s experience at Vanderbilt begins prior to the fall semester on campus with a required 4-week summer program in July. This program, supported by the Scholarship, enables entering 1st year students to prepare for the courses which they will be taking in the fall, familiarize themselves with the Vanderbilt campus and City of Nashville and most importantly get to know their fellow 1st year Clark Scholars.
For more information about FEST, go here.
Four-Year Plan
The structure envisioned for the Clark Scholars Program balances individualized mentoring and the support of a cohort community to achieve three learning outcomes:
- Cultivate creativity
- Generate intellectual curiosity
- Spark a passion for diversity of thought
The program is not intended to oversubscribe students to a list of requirements that places burden on them, but to accomplish the program’s objectives through a unified approach to the many options available for student development. We aim to administer this program while addressing the unique needs of first-generation college students, women, and underrepresented minorities in engineering.
Clark Scholars will attend regular meetings, participate in at least one service learning project, complete coursework, and pursue optional research or design projects during the summer. Some of the meetings will attract all cohorts, others will be tailored specifically to the student’s academic class as outlined in the following four-year plan, and some will address concerns common to first-generation students.
External speakers and campus leaders will frequently enrich the programming for the Clark Scholars. The dean of the School of Engineering will attend at least one event per semester as appropriate based on the topic. As a first-generation college student himself, the dean is particularly motivated to host informal conversations with all Clark Scholars at least once per year in order to understand student perspectives and provide guidance to encourage academic and professional development.
Students will also participate in an experiential learning program, part of the cross-campus DIVE program being developed to guide immersive experiences using the theme of human-centered design. Global experiences, either study abroad or service learning, will be encouraged and fit comfortably in the School of Engineering’s existing culture.