Betty Jeanne Root Fellowship

About Betty Jeanne Root: Dr. Betty Jeanne Root (1926-2010), Omicron Kappa. Betty Jeanne Sundling was born in Raymond, Washington on September 30, 1926. Her father, Ernest Sundling, Sr., came from Sweden, and her mother, Olga Kanerva Sundling, came from Finland. Betty Jeanne graduated from Raymond High School in 1944. She continued her education at State College of Washington for a B.A. in Home Economics, Iowa State University for an M.S., and Michigan State University for a Ph.D. in Family Ecology. Betty Jeanne held teaching positions in California and Washington. She was also State Extension Specialist for the State of Arkansas. After retirement, she cared lovingly for her mother until her death in 1990. She married Robert Root in 1993 and was able to enjoy the companionship of a husband with whom she traveled extensively. She lived in the Olympia area before moving to California for medical reasons in 2008 She passed away in 2010 in Rocklin, California from complications related to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Her career, her family, and her heritage were all important to her.

About the Fellowship: The Betty Jeanne Root Fellowship supports KON member doctoral students who are conducting research related to the human sciences. A fellowship of $2,000 will be granted competitively. Dr. Root’s interests related to home and family, and research is encouraged in these areas.

To apply, submit the following three items:

1. Student Information Form
2. A one- or two-page summary of that includes the following information about the research study. An abstract may cover many of these topics.
• A succinct definition of the research topic
• Study objectives
• Significance of study, its contribution to knowledge and application to the field
• Relevance to significant concerns related to home and family
• Description of design and methodology including sample
3. Two letters of recommendation. It is suggested to have a KON chapter adviser as one letter, and a second as possibly a doctoral committee chair. If these individuals are the same person, then another faculty member might be used for a second letter of recommendation.

To submit, email all parts to [email protected] at one time. Note that letters of recommendation will be gathered by the student and submitted as a package together with the application. Incomplete applications will be denied. KON will review the package and confirm all pieces have been received, but will not follow up to ask for missing pieces.