University of Dayton Clare Boothe Luce and WISE Ally Scholars Program
Who are the University of Dayton Clare Boothe Luce and WISE Ally Scholars?
The Clare Boothe Luce (CBL) and WISE Ally Program is a new scholarship program designed to advance women in STEM by encouraging an inclusive community where all students, regardless of gender, can participate and feel welcome. This program is run jointly by the University Honors Program (UHP) and the Women in Science and Engineering Living Learning Community (WISE LLC), and is supported by the Women in Engineering Program (WEP). The CBL and WISE Ally Scholar Program supports up to four students annually planning to pursue graduate education or careers in STEM. Each CBL and WISE Ally Scholar will receive two years of full tuition and fees. Students are eligible to apply in their Sophomore year and if selected, will have a number of mentoring, leadership, service, scholarship and summer enrichment opportunities as CBL and WISE Ally Scholars. CBL and WISE Ally scholars will also take part in leading and planning monthly WISE ILLC & mentoring programming or other programming designed to advance women or gender equity in STEM.
All students in eligible STEM fields are encouraged to apply.
Program Overview
- SUMMER PRE-JUNIOR YEAR: Prior to receipt of the scholarship, students will have an opportunity to apply for summer enrichment options to help prepare them for leadership, service and scholarship through the UHP, SOE and WISE program. Each summer enrichment option provides a stipend toward travel and general use, and a stipend for housing & meals.
- JUNIOR YEAR: Scholars will assist in the planning and execution of the monthly WISE programming or other programming designed to advance women or gender equity in STEM.
- SUMMER PRE-SENIOR YEAR: Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in one of a number of high-impact summer research, leadership, and service programs. Each summer enrichment option provides a stipend toward travel and general use, and a stipend for housing & meals.
- SENIOR YEAR: Scholars take a leadership role in planning and execution of the monthly WISE Mentoring program or other programming designed to advance women or gender equity in STEM, and have access to resources with the UHP: i.e. professional development, prestigious fellowship coaching, GRE preparation, continued development of personal statements, grad school application coaching, and a Senior Honors Thesis where additional financial support will be provided for thesis research, academic conference travel, and graduate school applications regardless of their status within the Honors Program.
Benefits
- Mentorship opportunities in STEM fields
- Benefits of the WISE program and Honors Program
- Financial Support for select summer enrichment programs
- Full tuition will be awarded in combination with other university funded scholarships & grants for two years (4 academic semesters)
Program Requirements
To be eligible, students must be:
- Current second year students at the University of Daytonn graduating no later than December 2026.
- Pursuing a degree in an eligible STEM field.
- Eligible majors: physical and life sciences (excluding biomedical and health sciences), mathematics, computer science and all areas of engineering.
- A U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Committed to assisting in the planning and execution of the monthly WISE programming or other programming designed to advance women or gender equity in STEM.
- Currently in the University Honors Program (UHP), or able to qualify and join the UHP with a 3.6 GPA. Students must maintain a 3.6 GPA to remain in the CBLWAP.
In addition to the Google application form, your application requires the following components:
- One letter of recommendation from a faculty/staff member sent to cbl@udayton.edu
- Unofficial Transcript saved as a PDF and uploaded to the application
- 750-1000 word essay: "What have you done in the past and what do you plan to do at UD to expand educational opportunities for more women in STEM to advance America’s leadership in the sciences?" uploaded to the application
Finalists will be required to participate in an interview.
Applications must be submitted by February 1, 2024 at 11:59pm. Students can contact program coordinators, Dr. Dorian Borbonus (dborbonus1@udayton.edu) and Prof. Beth Hart (ehart1@udayton.edu), with any further questions.
Application Information
Be a part of the 2026 Clare Boothe Luce and WISE Ally Scholars cohort. The online application will open November 1 and the deadline to submit is February 1, 2024 at 11:59pm.
Contact Information
Email program coordinators, Dr. Dorian Borbonus and Beth Hart, with any questions or to be added to our mailing list.
Dr. Dorian Borbonus, Associate Director for Undergraduate Research, University Honors Program: dborbonus1@udayton.edu
Beth Hart, Women Engineering Program & WISE ILLC Coordinator: ehart1@udayton.edu