All three professors have elaborate plans for the use of their grant money. Staller will travel throughout Spain in search of what she calls "the Spanish Monster" or the "most terrifying images ever made." She went on to explain that she hopes to understand the roots of evil, punishment and exorcism in Spanish art. "I am trying to understand how evil was imagined," she said.
Staller, who plans to leave sometime during the summer, will visit several areas of Spain because she is interested in topics and trends that transcend geography. "I'm trying to get a mentality that transcends different regions of Spain," she said.
Heim plans to use the grant to pursue her next book on Buddhist theory. "My book project is a philosophical exploration of Buddhist theories of moral agency, specifically on how Pali and Sanskrit texts describe the psychology of moral intentions and motivations," she said. "These early Buddhist texts offered a very subtle and sophisticated account of mental and emotional states and how they lead to action. My work will explore the ethical nuances of these theories."
Heim is glad to be able to combine the money the College has granted her for a semester of research with the Guggenheim grant. "As a junior faculty member I am able to be supported for next year for one semester at full salary from Amherst," she said. "The Guggenheim will support my salary for the second semester, so I will be able to have a full year of no teaching in order to work on my next book project."
The Guggenheim fellowship differs from most grants in its support for travel. All three professors plan to take full advantage of this unique opportunity. "I hope to spend several months in Sri Lanka, where most of my textual research is based," Heim said.
Gloman will travel to New Mexico and possibly Italy to paint. "The rest of the time will be used to support my painting and my studio ... and buy me some time, which is really important," he said.
Gloman was extremely excited to learn he would be receiving the Guggenheim grant. "I was speechless ... as I still am now," he said. "It's really great because it allows me a lot of freedom. So I was really happy."
The process of becoming a final grant recipient can be long and arduous. "[First] I was notified by a preliminary letter saying that I'd been selected by the [committee]," Gloman said. The board of trustees of the Guggenheim Foundation then reviewed his application. After passing through the review process, Gloman had to wait for notification about the amount of money he would receive.
Staller emphasized that the excitement and joy of receiving the award was worth the process. She found out about the award by letter. "I got a letter, then I checked the Web site and was very glad to find out about my cohorts at Amherst," she said.
The Guggenheim Memorial Foundation grants annual fellowships to further the development of scholars and artists by assisting them to engage in research in any field of knowledge and creation in any of the arts, according to its Web site.
"Fellowships are awarded to men and women who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts," according to the site. The amount of the grant is adjusted to the needs of the Fellows, with special consideration for their resources as well as their intended projects and research interests.
In 2004, the Foundation awarded 185 U.S. and Canadian Fellowships for a total of $6,912,00, which made the average grant reward $37,362, according to the site.
In addition to recently receiving the competitive Guggenheim fellowship, Heim has also been selected to give this year's Max and Lazerowitz Lecture. Heim's talk is entitled "Buddhist Ideals of Happiness."
The Lazerowitz Lectureship is awarded each year to support and encourage members of the College faculty in their scholarly work, according to the College's Web site. The Dean of the Faculty, in conjunction with the Lecture Committee, selects the recipient, who must be a member of the faculty below the rank of full professor.
Heim is scheduled to speak tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. in Alumni House.