The Clinton School of Public Service is proud to announce that seven students have been awarded grants from the Standerfer Travel Reimbursement Fund during the spring 2026 semester.
These grants allowed students to travel across the country to present original research, engage with global experts, and strengthen their professional skills in fields ranging from civic engagement to international development.
Established in honor of Professor Emeritus Christina Standerfer, the fund provides financial support for Clinton School students to attend conferences and workshops essential to their professional growth. The fund is supported entirely by donations from Clinton School faculty, staff, and alumni.
“The Standerfer Travel Fund represents our community’s commitment to the professional trajectory of our students,” said Dr. Lea Metz, Student Success Coordinator. “By removing the financial barriers to travel, we allow our students to take their research out of the classroom and into the global public service arena where it can make a tangible impact.”
Advancing Economic and Social Research
A significant contingent of Clinton School scholars traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, for the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA) Annual Meeting from April 2-4.
Nick Cartwright, a native of Rose Bud, Arkansas, Abby Swartz, from Winchester, Virginia, and Gino Obaseki (Little Rock) presented their collaborative Practicum project research conducted with the Arkansas Office of Outdoor Recreation through their presentation titled, “Land of Opportunity: Exploring Workforce Needs in Arkansas’s Growing Outdoor Recreation Industry.”
The conference served as a platform for the team to engage with social science scholars and contribute to field research in economic development and tourism.
“The Standerfer Travel Fund made attending this conference possible, having limited funds as a graduate student,” Cartwright said. “It allowed us to gain valuable presentation and networking skills, as well as introduced us to how academic conferences operate.”
Also attending the SSSA Annual Meeting was Hannah Stone, of Clarksville, Arkansas, who presented a research paper that examined factors that affect maternal health outcomes in California. The paper was developed in collaboration with Clinton School faculty members Dr. Nichola Driver, Assistant Dean of Impact, and Katie George, Research and Evaluation Manager.
“This conference allowed me to disseminate crucial maternal health findings to a broad research community, as well as make connections with like-minded professionals for future collaborations,” Stone said.
Strengthening Civic Systems and Education
Niki Brunson Saunders, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, utilized the fund to support a multi-part framework of research and engagement. On April 17, she attended the Arkansas Engaged Learning Network (AELN) Conference, where she presented Practicum research into youth voter registration and turnout in Arkansas.
In March, Ashley Delgado (Little Rock) traveled to the Campus Compact Conference to present a project on community organizing conducted with Democracy House. The event provided Delgado with specialized skills-building training to prepare for her post-graduate career.
Exploring Global Goals for Flourishing
Nate Harding, a native of Pasadena, California, who now lives in London, England, traveled to Boston for the Global Flourishing Summit at Harvard University. The summit directly supported Harding’s Capstone research, which analyzes the relationships between global frameworks such as the Gross National Happiness.
Harding, who serves as the Head of Global Engagement at the Government Council for Social Innovation, used the opportunity to conduct primary research interviews with world-renowned experts in human flourishing. The insights gained will help strengthen his capacity to support over 50 member governments in developing integrated approaches to planetary flourishing.
“I am tremendously grateful to have received the Standerfer Travel grant, as it helped make it possible for me to say ‘yes’ to joining this first in-person gathering of the Flourishing Network, critically shifting emerging online relationships I’ve cultivated for years into in-person connections,” Harding said. “This allowed more spacious and engaging conversations that catalyzed new ideas, refined research insights, and informed related collaborations.”