Faculty-student research leads to new book on the Declaration of Independence
By Heather Schnese S’12
April 17, 2026 | 10:30 a.m.
Political science professor Lynn Uzzell partnered with students Julia Van Geest ’25 and T.C. Le ’25 through Bethel’s Edgren Scholars program.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the ideas behind the Declaration of Independence continue to shape public life and civic understanding. At Bethel, that milestone helped spark a faculty-student research project that is now becoming a published book—demonstrating how collaborative scholarship can engage enduring questions while preparing students for what’s next.
Political science professor Lynn Uzzell partnered with students T.C. Le ’25 and Julia Van Geest ’25 through Bethel’s Edgren Scholars program, which supports faculty-student research partnerships. What began as a focused summer research project in 2025 grew into a full manuscript, now set for publication in August.
The project, titled Locke-ing and Un-Locke-ing the Declaration of Independence, examines the intellectual roots of the declaration, looking closely at the influence of Enlightenment philosopher John Locke. In her classes, Uzzell regularly guides students through a comparison of Locke and Thomas Jefferson.
“Students read selections from Locke’s Second Treatise, and then we examine the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence clause by clause. For each one I ask: ‘Locke, or not-Locke?’” explains Uzzell. “The primary purpose of this exercise is to show how much Jefferson was indebted to this particular philosopher when he wrote the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.”
Through the exercise, Uzzell began to see the structure of a book: instead of a short discussion of each clause, each clause could form the basis of a chapter. With a tight timeline ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Edgren Scholars program—and Le and Van Geest—made it possible to move the idea forward.
Bethel’s Edgren Scholars program has supported 48 faculty-student partnerships since 2008, producing meaningful and lasting academic work, while providing students with hands-on experience. For Le and Van Geest, both of whom graduated in December 2025, the opportunity extended beyond a typical research experience. Le majored in political science with minors in pre-law and biblical and theological studies, and she now works part time as a legal secretary while preparing for the LSAT. Through the project, both students contributed directly to the writing, revision, and development of the book.
— T.C. Le ’25
“Writing a college paper and producing a college textbook are quite different experiences,” Le says. “Working with a professor who maintains high standards and also has so much experience with higher-level writing pushed me to adjust my writing style to meet the quality expected of this kind of work.”
Uzzell said the project was essentially an intensive writing workshop, helping Le and Van Geest develop critical skills for future careers. “I believe one of the most important skills I'm able to teach students is the ability to communicate their ideas in a clear, compelling, and cogent manner,” she says.
Professor Lynn Uzzell, Julia Van Geest ’25, and T.C. Le ’25 were interviewed about their research and book for the "Consider the Constitution" podcast from the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier.
Le also appreciated Uzzell’s mentorship. “Dr. Uzzell showed me that the path of academia rarely ends with total self-satisfaction,” Le says. “It is a lifelong process of continuously honing your skills, raising your standards, and improving every aspect of what you do.”
At the center of the book is a question that remains 250 years later: What does the Declaration of Independence mean today? Le believes the research has practical implications for both individuals and society. “I think all Americans can benefit from a better understanding of the philosophy behind the revolution and our country’s founding,” she says. “Knowing more about the intentions behind the declaration has helped me discern my own political views in our contemporary context.”
In the book, Uzzell says they try to show that the United States is singular in its choice to found a government based on eternal principles—precepts that never change. “These principles hold every generation accountable to certain standards of justice and good government,” she says. “The Declaration of Independence is still relevant today because, if these self-evident truths are really truths, they are relevant to every time and place.”
The book Locke-ing and Un-Locke-ing the Declaration of Independence: An Introduction to Jefferson’s Philosophy of Revolution is set to publish in August 2026.
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