Students, faculty win eight elite scholarships, including Watson

As of mid April, Wheaton students and one faculty member won eight major international scholarships for continued study next year, including a Watson Fellowship, a Truman Scholarship, two Udall Scholarships and four Fulbright awards. Several other students are awaiting word on their applications.

%%Adar Cohen '04, Thomas J. Watson Fellowship%%
Wheaton senior Adar Cohen was one of 50 college students nationwide selected to receive a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship this year. The $22,000 award will support a year of travel and research in Tibet, Turkey and India, where Cohen will examine expressions of national, ethnic and religious identity within the cultural history of Oriental rug making.

Cohen, a native of Peterborough, New Hampshire, designed an independent major in conflict resolution, an approach to learning grounded in anthropology, political science, religion and history. He is also the recipient of a 2003 Truman Scholarship in public service.

%%Jared Duval '05, Truman Scholarship; Udall Award%%
Jared Duval '05, recipient of a 2003 Morris K. Udall Scholarship for environmental leadership, won a 2004 Udall award as well as the prestigious 2004 Truman Scholarship. The Truman supports the senior year at $2,000 and graduate study at $24,000 for future ''agents of change'' in public service.

The Fairlee, Vt., student has a long history of community service at Wheaton and nationally. He holds a number of leadership positions in campus organizations, such as Student Government Association, Students for Economic Justice, College Democrats and Wheaton for [Howard] Dean, and has exercised his political interests with the Sierra Club, Amnesty International, the Howard Dean presidential campaign and others.

''I want my graduate studies program to give me the policy and administrative understanding necessary to put my passion for social and environmental change into practice for regular people,'' Duval wrote in his application, adding that he'd like to run for state or federal office.

%%Alex Dewar '06, Udall Award%%
Alex Dewar, a Portland sophomore majoring in political science, will represent the state of Oregon as a Udall Scholar. The recently elected Student Government Association (SGA) president, Dewar aspires to earn a graduate degree in environmental law and eventually run for office in his home state.

''My commitment to the environment stems from my experiences in the natural lands that remain in Oregon,'' he wrote in his Udall proposal. ''My experiences have allowed me to see how environmental advocates can approach an issue from many perspectives, as well as holistically. These groups emphasize obtaining results through consensus...rather than fighting costly battles,'' reaffirming Dewar's commitment to the environment.

Dewar, a Balfour Scholar and recipient of Wheaton's Presidential Award, is a longtime campus leader. He's been active in many organizations, including SGA, WCCS radio, College Democrats, Students for Economic Justice, and the debate and sailing teams.

%%Anna Kratky '04, Fulbright Scholarship to South Korea%%
Anna Kratky, a senior history major and women's studies minor, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to South Korea. She will teach English and research Korean women's educational opportunities and academic choices.

''I am thrilled to have the opportunity to teach English to middle school students,'' said the St. Louis native. ''I have been fortunate enough to work at the Robert College English Language Summer Camp in Istanbul, Turkey, with the HERO (Higher Educational Readiness Opportunity) Program in Brockton, Mass., and to volunteer for Orphanage Outreach in the Dominican Republic. I see this Fulbright Scholarship as a continuation of these experiences.''

A scholar-athlete recognized by NEWMAC with its All-Academic Scholar Athlete Award, Kratky is a four-year member of the college's volleyball team.

%%Stefanie Olsen '04, Fulbright Scholarship to Iceland%%
Stefanie Olsen '04, an English major from San Francisco, won a Fulbright award to study Icelandic literature at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik. She has been studying and translating Icelandic sagas with English Professor Michael Drout for three semesters.

''Studying at the University of Iceland will bring me into contact with the world's leading saga specialists,'' said Olsen, who is president of the Wheatones and an editorial assistant for the Tolkien Studies Journal. ''I'm also hoping to get a glimpse of some of the original manuscripts!''

%%Erin Tapley '04, Fulbright Teaching Award to Germany%%
Erin Tapley '04 won a Fulbright award to teach English language and American studies to German high school students. The double major (German and international relations) from Auburn, Maine, hopes to be a ''cultural translator'' for German students.

''Not only will I teach English, but I will also be a representative for American culture,'' Tapley explained. ''I look forward to using my Fulbright experience as a stepping stone to learning more about German culture with the hopes of applying this experience to graduate study in European Studies.''

A Trustee Scholar and a Charles A. Dana Scholarship recipient, Tapley won the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany Prize in 2002. She has been active in student government and was a delegate in the Harvard National Model United Nations.

%%Professor Eric Denton, Faculty Fulbright to Germany%%
Eric Denton, assistant professor of German, also won a Fulbright for study of visual culture and new media in Germany this summer. In a month-long seminar, Denton will travel with 24 other scholars to Berlin, Cologne, Karlsruhe and Munich to meet with media professionals and artists from film and television studios and in academic and workplace settings.

Although Denton is looking forward to the opportunity this summer, he's even more excited about the success of his students. ''Much more important than my award is Erin Tapley's Fulbright, our second in two years,'' Denton said. ''Anna Venishnick '03 won one last year and is presently in Germany. It's becoming a tradition in the department.''