SwatTalk: Ben Geller ’01

Over the past 20 years, Swarthmore has significantly expanded access for first-generation and low-income students;  nearly 25 percent of the student body are now Pell Grant recipients. For the past 11 years, the Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program (S3P) has supported many of these students as they transition to life at Swarthmore.

Since its founding in 2015, S3P has welcomed 16 incoming first-year students each summer to spend a month preparing for their first Swarthmore semester. The Summer Scholars — who are the first in their families to attend college or come from low-income backgrounds and share an interest in STEM fields — are provided a full academic immersion experience. The program includes coursework in math, lab science, and writing; mentorship from faculty, staff, and students; exposure to the many campus resources that are designed to support their academic and personal well-being; and community-building with fellow scholars — which is perhaps most important of all.

Associate Professor of Physics Ben Geller ’01 is the director of the Swarthmore Summer Scholars Program. Please join Ben for a conversation about the program's history, future, and goals.