We will describe each of these new programs briefly in the paragraphs that follow. Each year, twenty Haas Scholars are selected. The first cohort of Haas Scholars was selected in the spring semester, 1998. A five-day campus retreat for the scholars, filled with workshops, presentations and activities in which their faculty mentors also participated, was held in June. This retreat gave them a head start on their individual projects and ensured that the cohort would become a tightly knit intellectual community.
Projects range throughout the disciplines.
For example, one student has travelled to the Panamanian mangrove forests to collect fungi, which she is examining using modern DNA analysis techniques. Another student used her summer to conduct an on-site field study of the minority indigenous people of Taiwan, focusing specifically on their attitudes toward education, and their difficulties in the educational system. A third student project combines both scholarly and creative work. The Miller Scholars Program was designed for outstanding Bay Area Community College students who have demonstrated academic excellence, leadership potential and a commitment to community service. The first cohort of Miller Scholars was formed in fall 1997.