On April 29, the Carnegie Corporation of New York announced their 32 Andrew Carnegie fellows for 2019. Among the recipients were University of Michigan’s Elizabeth A. Armstrong, professor of sociology, women’s studies and organizational studies, and J. Alex Halderman, professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Armstrong and Halderman were selected from among more than 250 nominations and will each receive $200,000 to use toward research in the humanities and social sciences.
Armstrong studies the intersections of gender, class and race on college campuses and how these identities may lead to a hostile sexual environment. She told Michigan News she plans to use the grant to continue a project that looks at how universities respond to sexual assault.
Halderman is an expert on computer privacy and security. In an interview with Michigan News, Halderman said he plans to use the grant toward educating lawmakers and cybersecurity experts as well as the American public about processes to prevent electoral fraud.
“Elizabeth Armstrong and J. Alex Halderman are two of the University of Michigan’s most impactful researchers,” University President Mark Schlissel told the Michigan News. “Dr. Armstrong’s insights into sexual misconduct prevention and Dr. Halderman’s examinations of the risks of election hacking are helping our nation tackle big challenges. I am proud that their contributions to society are being recognized at such a high level.”
There have been three other University recipients of the fellowship since it began in 2015: Yuen Yuen Ang, professor of political science associate, who was awarded the fellowship in 2018, as well as Arthur Lupia, professor of political science, and John Ciorciari, associate professor of public policy, who were both members of the fellowship’s inaugural class of 2015.