HTC Honors College members earn awards

Jennifer Mokos

Madison Earl

Jennifer Mokos, Ph.D., an HTC Honors College assistant professor, was named a 2022 Mellon Emerging Faculty Leader (MEFL), while Madison Earl, an HTC Honors College student from Annapolis, Md., was awarded a David L. Boren Scholarship to study Portuguese at Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Mokos is one of 10 scholars to receive the national award, which is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Scholars chosen as MEFL awardees have a strong desire to create an inclusive environment locally, which they exemplify through their research and community involvement. Recipients receive a 12-month, $17,500 stipend to support their research as they work toward tenure.

In 2018, Mokos cofounded Horry County Rising, a community advocacy group that developed after the devastating flooding that resulted from Hurricane Florence. Her research project, titled “Flooded Afterlives,” combines faculty and student research, co-curricular activities, and community partnerships to document the long-term impacts of flooding on the well-being of people and communities.

Mokos and her students interview community members, administer surveys, and conduct housing assessments. Community members can then use the data that Mokos and her students collect to advocate for sustainable solutions for the future.

Earl is majoring in political science with minors in international political economy, marketing, and women’s and gender studies. She is the first CCU student to earn a Boren Scholarship. Earl competed with 458 applicants for the Boren Scholarship, and is

one of seven students in the United States selected to study in Latin America.

The Boren Scholarship, an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office, helps U.S. students acquire language skills and experience in countries critical to the security and stability of the United States. In exchange for funding, Boren award recipients agree to work in the federal government for at least one year.

Earl said, “My parents have always encouraged me to travel. I chose to come to CCU for its study abroad programs and have had the opportunity to participate in two exchanges. My experiences, appreciation for new cultures, and passion for gender equality drove me to apply for the Boren Scholarship. Studying and learning Portuguese in Brazil will further the research and activism that I have done as an undergraduate student.”