Weinberg sophomore Carolina Débora Stutz conducts historical research on religious toleration
Weinberg sophomore Carolina Débora Stutz. She described her summer research project in the fourth part of a series of student features.
August 11, 2020
This article is the fourth in a series featuring Northwestern students and their research projects during the summer of 2020.
As a recipient of the Leopold Fellowship in the Chabraja Center for Historical Studies, Weinberg sophomore Carolina Débora Stutz is assisting history Prof. Scott Sowerby with his research on the toleration of Irish Catholics in the British army during the Anglo-French wars.
Originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but raised in Evanston, Stutz is studying history, Spanish, and Portuguese language and Lusophone cultures. During her freshman year, she participated in the Kaplan Humanities Scholars Program.
After her summer study abroad plans were cancelled due to COVID-19, she reached out to the Office of Fellowships in search for opportunities. The staff at the office suggested that she apply for a Leopold Fellowship, based on her interests.
“(The Office of Fellowships) had all kinds of resources and knowledge about what would fit me, specifically,” Stutz said.
Her role in the project consists of analyzing public opinion regarding the controversial participation of Irish Catholics in the British military during the late 1770s by researching Irish newspaper archives. Through her work, Stutz has acquired familiarity with handling primary sources and discovered the importance of organizational techniques in historical research.
“It’s great to learn directly from a historian who has built experience on methodologies of research. The field is so large, so it’s very practical for me to learn one approach,” Stutz said, describing the benefits of working with Sowerby.
Stutz is interested in attending graduate school, and possibly pursuing a career in academia. Through her Leopold Fellowship, she said she encountered an opportunity to explore her interests in the field and to discover what it means to be an active historian.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @lauraisp405
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