The Gene R. Urey Memorial Scholarship
Established in 1999 by family, friends and former students, this scholarship honors the memory of Gene R. Urey, professor of political science at Susquehanna University from 1965-1999, and awards students who demonstrate superior critical thinking and analysis in the study of constitutional law.
2023 Scholarship Participants

Elizabeth Bumbarger ’23
For the Petitioner, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.
Elizabeth Bumbarger is a senior political science and economics double major with a minor in the honors program. She is a graduate of Big Spring High School in Newville, Pennsylvania. Elizabeth is a sister of Alpha Delta Pi sorority, and on the executive board of Order of Omega. She is also a member of Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society. Elizabeth will attend Lehigh University in the fall to obtain her master’s in public policy.

Anna Leeds ’23
For the Petitioner, Students for Fair Admissions, Inc.
Anna is a senior political science major with a minor in professional and civic writing. She is from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania and graduated from Cedar Cliff High School. Anna is a member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority where she previously served as President and is currently President of Pi Gamma Mu Social Sciences Honors Society. She is also a Writing and Academic Skills tutor and an Intern with the Lewisburg Prison Project. She previously interned with Snyder County District Attorney Michael Piecuch and Union County Public Defender Brian Ulmer. Anna is currently still deciding where she will be attending law school in the fall.

Kaylee Kauffman ’23
For the Respondent, Harvard and UNC
Kaylee is a senior legal studies and psychology double major with a minor in public policy. She is a graduate from Northampton Area High School in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania. Kaylee is a Susquehanna University Service Leader where she partners with the Shikellamy After School Program to volunteer for one hundred hours a semester. Along with that, Kaylee is the social media manager for the School of the Arts, the School of Humanities and Hillel. Kaylee plans on working as a paralegal post-graduation and then attend law school in the future.

Jacob Shaffer ’23
For the Respondent, Harvard and UNC
Jacob is a senior political science major with a legal studies minor. He is a graduate of Montoursville Area School district in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. Jacob is on the SU Political Review Editorial Board, is a teaching assistant for Dr. Merrill’s Law and Politics class and is a member of Theta Chi fraternity where he currently serves as the Standards Chairman. He has previously interned with the Union County Public Defender and the Lewisburg Prison Project. Jacob will attend the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University in the fall.
Scholarship participants are mentored by Bruce Ficken ’70, Ryan Gleason ’04 and Amy Purcell ’02.
Case to be Argued
Students for Fair Admissions, Inc v. President & Fellows of Harvard College
Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), a group that describes its mission as helping to “restore colorblind principles to our nation’s schools, colleges and universities” filed two petitions before the U.S. Supreme Court urging the justices to overrule their landmark 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, holding that the University of Michigan could consider race in its undergraduate admissions process as part of its efforts to obtain a diverse student body.
The first case, filed against Harvard University, contends that the university’s race-conscious admissions policy discriminates against Asian American applicants. According to the group, Asian Americans are significantly less likely to be admitted than similarly qualified white, Black, or Hispanic applicants. Both the district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit upheld Harvard’s policy. In their petition to the Supreme Court, SFFA also asked the justices to weigh in on whether Harvard’s policy violates Title VI of the federal Civil Rights Act, which bans racial discrimination by entities receiving federal funding.
Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina
The second case, filed against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the state’s flagship public university, argues that the university’s consideration of race in its undergraduate admissions process violates both Title VI and the Constitution. (Unlike Harvard, UNC is a public university and is therefore covered by the Fourteenth Amendment’s guarantee of equal protection.) After a federal district court in North Carolina rejected SFFA’s arguments, the group came straight to the Supreme Court, asking the justices to take up the case, alongside the Harvard case, before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit could rule.
Note: the U.S. Supreme Court originally consolidated these cases for review before splitting them up upon the confirmation of Justice Jackson, who recently served on Harvard’s Board of Fellows. We have consolidated them here today.
2023 Scholarship Judges
Shannon Costa ’18
Associate Attorney at Abom & Kutulakis
Brian Ulmer
Chief Public Defender for Union County
Abigail Myers ’01 LeGrow
Judge of the Superior Court for the State of Delaware
James Kleman, Jr. ’98
Senior Deputy Counsel for the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania
Michael Piecuch
District Attorney for Snyder County