Thirteen students from the class of 2015 have received fellowships this year from prestigious programs such as the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the National Science Foundation, Dr. Jeffrey Thibert said.
“This success is a testament to the outstanding undergraduate education that our students receive, not only in terms of their academic work but also in terms of the scholarly engagement activities that they pursue beyond the classroom both in the U.S. and abroad,” said Thibert, the assistant director of national fellowships for the Center for Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement (CUSE).
“CUSE looks forward to continuing to work with the Class of 2015 as they become alumni — it's never too late to apply for some of these fellowships, and every year, alumni receive major awards like the Rhodes Scholarship, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship or the Fulbright.”
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for international research or study projects and English teaching assistant programs, according to the program’s website. Nine seniors received Fulbright grants this year, and Notre Dame had 17 recipients as an institution, the most the University has ever had, Thibert said.
Claire Donovan will travel to Togo in West Africa to research “Micronutrient Fortification and Maternal Health in Togo: A Model for Sustainable Aid” on a fellowship.
Christina Gutierrez received the Fulbright/Casten Family Foundation Award to study at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Italy. Gutierrez is a Hesburgh-Yusko Scholar, as well as a Kellogg Institute International Scholar.
(Editor's note: Gutierrez is the business manager for The Observer.)
A Kellog Institute International Scholar, Alexis Palá will be studying in Chile on a Fulbright.
Three students earned English Teaching Assistantship grants from the Fulbright program: Leila Green, Kendra Reiser and Ryan Schultheis. Green will be teaching in South Africa, Reiser in Indonesia and Schultheis in Mexico.
The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships provide funding for research-based study leading to a master’s or doctoral degree in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math), according to the Fellowships’ website.
The program receives more than 16,000 applications for 2015 and awarded 2,000 fellowships.
The three recipients of the fellowship were Ashley Armstrong, a mechanical engineer; Patrick Marino, a physics and mechanical engineering double major; and Annie Stephenson, a physics major.
Tyler Barron, a sociology and American Studies double major, was awarded the Udall Native American Congressional internship. The internship provides American Indian and Alaska Native students an opportunity to understand the government-to-government relationship between Native Tribes and the federal government, the program’s website said. Barron is the first recipient from Notre Dame in the school’s history, Thibert said.
Two students received the Austrian Teaching Assistantship, which provides graduates with an interest in Austrian students to work at secondary schools throughout Austria, the website said. Eric Donahue and Rachel Ruddick, both majors in biological sciences with minors in German, both declined for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Eric Donahue also was awarded the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst, German for ‘German Academic Exchange System’) Study Scholarship.
CUSE encourages the class of 2015 to continue to apply for fellowships; alumni are eligible to apply for scholarships such as the Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, Thibert said.
“These fellowship opportunities can significantly enhance a recipient’s profile while advancing their academic and professional trajectories in unique ways and connecting them to future leaders in a variety of fields,” Thibert said.
To learn more about these opportunities, visit http://fellows.nd.edu/fellowships.
