fellowships – Page 2

In the economically disadvantaged Northern Region of Ghana, only 6 of 100 high school students enroll in college, leaving many otherwise bright students trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty. As recipients of the 2019 Davis Projects for Peace Award, four Wesleyan students who make up the Young Achievers Foundation Ghana are helping low-income students in the region access and apply for scholarship programs within Ghana and beyond. The grassroots group is led by Cofounder and Executive Director Ferdinand Quayson '20 and members Afrah Boateng '20, Abdallah Salia '22, and Alvin Kibaara '22. The $10,000 Projects for Peace grant is awarded…

Michelle Personick, assistant professor of chemistry, has been selected by the Leadership Council of the Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists (IONiC) to participate in a National Science Foundation–funded study to develop, test, and refine a flexible, foundation-level inorganic chemistry course. As a Virtual Inorganic Pedagogical Electronic Resource (VIPEr) Fellow, Personick joins 17 other inorganic chemists from across the country in a community of practice dedicated to improving student learning. The 2018 VIPEr Fellows are the first faculty who have been selected for this groundbreaking project. The study, titled “Improving Inorganic Chemistry Education,” is being conducted with support from the National…

Zimbabwe native Keith Mundangepfupfu '19, a College of Social Studies major and African studies minor, is the recipient of a scholarship through the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme. The scholarship will fund full course fees and living costs at St. Antony's College at Oxford. The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarship supports "leaders of tomorrow by providing outstanding university graduates and young professionals from developing countries and emerging economies with the opportunity to pursue fully-funded graduate studies, combined with a specially created program of leadership development, long-term mentoring and networking." At St. Antony's, Mundangepfupfu will pursue a Master of Science in migration studies,…

On May 8, the Office of Student Affairs hosted a reception honoring students who received academic or leadership prizes, fellowships, and scholarships in 2018–19. More than 315 students and recent alumni received one of the University's 180 prizes. (View the list below or on the Student Affairs website.) Scholarships, fellowships, and leadership prizes are granted to students and student organizations based on criteria established for each prize or award. Certain University prizes are administered by the Student Affairs/Deans’ Office, while others are administered by the Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development (SALD). (more…)

Nate Gillman ’20, a computer science and mathematics double major from Maryland, is the recipient of a 2019 Barry Goldwater Scholarship. He's one of 496 college students in the country to receive the award. The Goldwater Scholarship is awarded to sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the next generation of research leaders in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 a year to help cover costs associated with undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board. Gillman knew he wanted to study math—specifically analytic number theory—after enrolling in a calculus…

Ten Wesleyan seniors and recent alumni are the recipients of 2019-20 Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETA) and Fulbright Open Study/Research Awards. The English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Programs place Fulbrighters in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English teachers. ETAs help teach English language while serving as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. The age and academic level of the students varies by country, ranging from kindergarten to university level. Applicants for Open Study/Research Awards design their own projects and will typically work with advisors at foreign universities or other institutes of higher education. The study/research awards are available in approximately…

Two Wesleyan seniors will spend a year abroad working on purposeful international discoveries as 2019 Thomas J. Watson Fellows. Momi Afelin '19 and Justin Kim '19 are among 41 students from 40 partner institutions across the country to receive the prestigious fellowship. The Watson Fellowship is a rare window after college and pre-career for students to engage their deepest interests on a global scale. Fellows conceive original projects, execute them outside of the United States, and gain personal insight, perspective, and confidence. Afelin, a biology and neuroscience and behavior double major, will spend her fellowship year working on a project titled "Island Innovation:…

In this recurring feature in The Wesleyan Connection, we highlight some of the latest news stories about Wesleyan and our alumni. Recent Wesleyan News Forbes: "Three Questions to Ask Yourself at the Beginning of Your Career" Sharon Belden Castonguay, director of the Gordon Career Center, offers career advice for young people just starting out. 2. The Times Literary Supplement: "Multiple Lives" Hirsh Sawhney, assistant professor of English, coordinator of South Asian studies, explores the "complicated existence" of Mahatma Gandhi. 3. The Washington Post: "The Delight of Being Inconspicuous in a World That's Always Watching Us" President Michael Roth reviews a new book, How to Disappear:…

The English Department awards two fellowships that support summer projects or graduate study. The deadline for application is 5 p.m. on April 1. Olin Fellowships are open to first-year students, sophomores, and juniors. Founded in 1854 by the mother of Stephen Olin (Wesleyan president 1839–41 and 1842–51) and later increased by gifts of Stephen Henry Olin (Class of 1866 and acting president 1922–23) and his wife, the Olin Fellowships are awarded in recognition of achievement in English to support independent research or creative writing. The fellowships are to be used for work in English outside the Wesleyan course structure. Such…

Sophie Zinser ’16, deputy director of Syria Direct in Amman, has been selected as a Schwarzman Scholar, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships, located at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in Beijing. This Schwarzman Class of 2020 is only the fourth in the program’s history, with 147 Schwarzman Scholars selected from over 2,800 applicants. The class is comprised of students from 38 countries and 119 universities, with 40 percent originating from the United States, 20 percent from China, and 40 percent from the rest of the world. The Class of 2020 will enroll in August 2019. In a…

(by Christine Foster) James Ricci PhD '14 was awarded a 2018-2019 Congressional Fellowship. The program is administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in conjunction with The American Mathematical Society. During this year-long fellowship, Ricci will be paired with either a member of Congress or a congressional committee. Fellows work as special legislative assistants learning about policy creation and contributing their own technical and academic expertise. “They are looking for people who are able to speak clearly and be advocates for STEM education,” says Ricci, who spoke by phone from a salmon fishing boat in Ketchikan, Alaska, where…

William Tyner ’13 was awarded a Fulbright National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship —one of only five of such grants awarded each year. The fellowship is made possible through a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society and is a component of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. It provides opportunities for U.S. citizens to participate in an academic year of overseas travel and storytelling on a globally significant theme. Tyner, who majored in anthropology at Wesleyan and enjoyed courses in the College of Film and the Moving Image, will be working with Code for Romania. He’ll be creating a…

YAF Ghana Wins 2019 Davis Projects for Peace Award

Personick Selected to Participate in an NSF-Funded Project

Scholarship Supports Graduate Study at Oxford for Mundangepfupfu ’19

Students Celebrate 2018-19 Leadership Prizes, Fellowships, Scholarships at Reception

Gillman ’20 Wins Goldwater Scholarship to Pursue Education in Number Theory

10 Wesleyan Students, Alumni Win Fulbrights

Afelin ’19, Kim ’19 Awarded Watson Fellowships for International Exploration

Wesleyan in the News

Apply for an Olin or Winchester Fellowship

Zinser ’16 Receives Prestigious Schwarzman Scholar Award

Ricci PhD ’14 Awarded Congressional Fellowship

Tyner ’13 Named Fulbright National Geographic Storytelling Fellow