The American West Center at the University of Utah is pleased to offer two graduate
student fellowships for research on the American West during the 2024-2025 academic
year. The fellowships honor the late Professor Floyd A. O'Neil (1927 - 2018), Director
Emeritus of the Center and Professor Emeritus of History.
O'Neil fellowships provide up to $2,000 to pursue research on an aspect of the American
West, including the region’s history, politics, environment, society, culture, literature,
geography, or peoples. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to submit applications.
All applicants must be currently enrolled in a graduate program at the University
of Utah and remain so throughout the period of the fellowship.
Students are required to complete a research paper within the academic year. This
paper may also be used as a seminar paper, thesis chapter, journal article, etc. A
copy of the paper must be given to the American West Center, and the student is required
to acknowledge the American West Center’s support in that paper, and all subsequent
research and publications that might result. The recipient will also give a presentation
on their research in Spring 2025. Upon request the recipient may be provided office
space at the Center and may receive individual guidance from the Center's faculty
and staff.
Margaret McGuirk Receives 2022-23 Floyd O'Neil Fellowship
The American West Center awarded Margaret McGuirk (she/her) one of the two Floyd O’Neil Fellowships for 2023-24. Ms. McGuirk’s work examines community-based collaborative conservation as a solution
to socioeconomic changes in the rural West. Her Masters project in the Environmental
Humanities, "Building a Permeable Landscape," will build a case study of ongoing changes
and community collaboration in the remote community of the Centennial Valley, Montana.
Funds awarded by the American West Center, along with the generosity of the Taft-Nicholson
Center and Environmental Humanities Program, supported Margaret's summer-long immersion
in this microcosm of the changing Intermountain West. Using data collected from community
interviews, Margaret will combine ethnography and conflict resolution to explore how
diverse stakeholders in a high-value natural resource area can build a model of cooperation
that sustains culture, livelihood, and environment.
As a Floyd O’Neil Fellow, Ms. McGuirk can seek guidance and additional research support
from the American West Center. In recognition of this support, she will present research
findings at the American West Center during Spring ‘24. Environmental Humanities is
grateful for the support of the American West Center and a proud beneficiary of Floyd O'Neil's legacy.
How to Apply
Deadline: May 31, 2024 | Awardees will be notified via email after July, 1, 2024
To apply, submit the following:
- A completed application form
- A research proposal, including a budget outlining how the research funds will be spent
(up to four pages)
- One letter of recommendation from an academic source
- Current transcript
- CV
Recipients will be selected on the following criteria:
- The applicant demonstrates scholarly potential
- The scholarly significance of the project
- The applicant demonstrates knowledge of source materials related to the proposal
- The applicant clearly states her/his research question
- The American West is a central focus of the research project
Application materials should be submitted to Michelle Judd at michelle.judd@utah.edu or mailing address: Michelle Judd, University of Utah, American West Center, 1995
de Trobriand St., FD618C, Salt Lake City, UT 84113 by May 31st, 2024. If you have any questions, you can email Michelle or call her at 801-581-7611.
