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Joshua Sanborn, associate professor of history, has one very specific requirement of his student research assistants: they need to be able to read Russian. He found the perfect assistant in Diana Galperin ’08 (Warminster, Pa.). Galperin, a Marquis Scholar and a native Russian speaker, more than fits the bill.
Through EXCEL, Galperin is assisting Sanborn with the research and organization for his forthcoming book, “Life on the Frontier of Death: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Ecosystem of War,” a scholarly monograph about the relationships between soldiers and civilians on the western front in World War I. Since much of the source material for the book comes from historical Russian texts, Galperin has also had many opportunities to perfect her Russian reading skills.
In Lafayette’s distinctive EXCEL Scholars program, students conduct research with faculty while earning a stipend. The program has helped to make Lafayette a national leader in undergraduate research. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year share their work through articles in academic journals and/or conference presentations.
Galperin also compiled the bibliography for a book Sanborn co-authored with Annette Timm, “Gender, Sex, and the Shaping of Modern Europe,” which will be released in February.
“I like working with the plethora of sources that Professor Sanborn uses,” says Galperin, a double major in French and international affairs. “He really looks at all aspects of a situation and, due to my interest in Russian history, the subject matter really interests me as well.”
Galperin’s research, under Sanborn’s direction, has covered a wide range of subjects. “For his upcoming book on gender in Europe, [Sanborn] not only had me looking up statistics on present day issues ranging from births to violence against women to education, but he also had me looking up statistics for marriages and literacy rates in the 1700’s and 1800’s,” Galperin explained.
Sanborn believes that Galperin’s experience with EXCEL this summer gives her an advantage that undergraduates at many other schools do not have.
“She’s getting more familiar with the resources historians use,” he says. “One thing every EXCEL student gets to do is learn how scholars do research.”
Galperin says her research experiences have played a key role in her college decision-making process.
“I have not heard of many other undergraduate schools with such an emphasis on research. I think it benefits the students tremendously because it really gives students a hands-on look at how research is actually done,” she says. “No matter what career or post-graduate work I choose, good research skills will be necessary. This project certainly provides the means for me to hone those skills.
“I really wanted a well-rounded education and I have always been interested in a variety of different subject areas. I have also always had an interest in international relations, and the international affairs programs at other schools seemed too narrowly focused for me. When I saw that Lafayette’s international affairs program allowed me to take classes in economics, history, government/law, and languages, it just seemed to be a good fit.”
Galperin is co-president of the Model United Nations Club and a member of both the International Students Association and Amnesty International. She is on the club tennis team and plays in the orchestra. She is also an America Reads tutor and a volunteer at the Shawnee Success Academy.
Sanborn regularly includes students in his projects, including research for Drafting the Russian Nation, his groundbreaking book on modern Russian and military-social history. He provided his insights as a Russian history expert during an appearance on History Channel International’s “Global View” program. He is also the recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and fellowships from the Social Science Research Council, the Council for Advanced Studies in Peace and International Cooperation Fellowship, and the Mellon Foundation.
Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars, like Galperin, receive a special academic scholarship and distinctive educational experiences and benefits. This includes a three-week, Lafayette-funded course abroad or in the United States during January’s interim session between semesters or the summer break. Marquis Scholars also participate in mentoring programs with Lafayette faculty and cultural activities in major cities and on campus.