Meet UConn’s 2017-18 nominees for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Scholarships.

Megan Handau (CLAS ’18) is a senior Honors student and Babbidge Scholar from New Fairfield Connecticut, majoring in political science and women’s, gender, and sexualities studies. She was nominated for the Mitchell Scholarship.  In her time at UConn, Megan has interned with Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty in her Washington, D.C. and district offices, the Office of the Public Defender in Hartford, and the Right2Know Campaign in Cape Town, South Africa. During the spring of her senior year, she served as campaign manager for Amanda Webster, a progressive Democrat running for the Connecticut State House of Representatives. Megan’s passion for intersectional feminism and government drives her research for her senior Honors thesis, entitled “I’m Not Supposed to Be Here: A Race-Gendering of the Public Identity of the First Lady.” Dedicated to effective leadership and student political involvement, Megan has served president of UConn College Democrats, president of UConn Ready For Hillary, president of Alpha Epsilon Phi, and vice president of Student Coalition for Social Justice. Megan has also been the recipient of the Fannie Dixon Welch Scholarship, awarded for active citizenship and promise of leadership in government, the 100 Years of Women Scholarship, awarded for advancing the role of women in society, and the Augusta Gerberich Scholarship. Megan’s commitment to public service and amplifying the agency of others resulted in her being offered the chance to serve with the Peace Corps after graduation as a Community Development Volunteer in Moldova. Her future plans include law school.

Rebecca Kaufman (CLAS ’18), from Mansfield, CT, is an Honors student double majoring in political science and human rights, and minoring in public policy.  She aspires to pursue a career in sustainable development and work on issues around the right to water.  She was nominated for the Marshall Scholarship.  An avid runner, Rebecca has worked as Program Design Fellow for Net Impact in Oakland, CA, interned for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, worked with local leaders in rural Guatemala through the Social Entrepreneurship Corps, and studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she interned at the Economic Justice Network. As a spring 2016 IDEA Grant recipient, Rebecca used her funding to analyze the policy outcomes and increased female empowerment promulgated by women in local government in the Asia-Pacific region. She is now finishing her senior thesis, working to construct a more intersectional and comprehensive indicator for women’s empowerment. In spring 2017, she was awarded the Augusta H. Gerberich Scholarship, which is given annually to a junior or senior majoring in political science whose special field of interest is international relations.  She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, a New England Scholar, a Human Rights Institute Oxford Fellow, and received an Alan R. Bennett Research Assistantship in fall 2014.  In the spring of 2016, Rebecca and three other students co-founded the Student Coalition for Social Justice, which conducts sustained, intersectional social justice campaigns in order to incite positive social change on the UConn campus and beyond. Rebecca will be serving as a Water Sanitation and Hygiene Peace Corps Volunteer in Panama from July 2018 to October 2020.

Elizabeth Charash (CLAS ’18) is a history major who was nominated for the Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Scholarships. She is an avid reader, consumer of political satire and tea connoisseur. She is from Newtown, CT, where she is involved with gun violence prevention advocacy following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary her junior year. She has studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa where she worked with community members in an area with high levels of gun violence. Her time in Cape Town in combination with her high school activism have shaped the research she is currently conducting on the differences in urban and suburban gun violence prevention policy and activism. Elizabeth has interned in the offices of Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty and Senator Chris Murphy, as well as the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. She is also founder and president of UConn Against Gun Violence, where she seeks to inform her community about the complexities of gun violence.  Winner of the 2016 Newman Civic Fellowship and a 2017 Finalist for the Marshall, Mitchell and Truman Scholarships, Elizabeth is also the recipient of an IDEA grant to continue her ongoing research on the “Faces of the Gun Violence Prevention Movement in Connecticut” with Sociology Professor Mary Bernstein.  Upon graduation, she will be pursuing a MA in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice at Queens University Belfast, with later plans to pursue a joint JD and PhD continuing her work to inform and take action to mitigate gun violence.

 

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully funded summer overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. The CLS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State.

2017 CLS Winners:

Akshayaa Chittibabu (CLAS ’19) is a STEM Scholar majoring in physiology and neurobiology with aspirations to attend medical school and specialize as an OB/GYN.  As a 2016 Holster Scholar, her Holster research project was inspired by her volunteer work in Tamil Nadu, India, where she encountered rural South Indians with low access to health care. Her research, “Assessing the Influence of Select Sociodemographic and Socioeconomic Factors on Non-Compliance to Follow-Up Cervical Cancer Care in Rural Women: A Study in Rural South India” was presented at the Holster Scholars reception in Fall 2016.  On campus, Akshayaa is part of the Writing Center tutoring staff and is an active slam poet and board member of UC Poetic Release and Performance Crew, the UConn spoken word collective and slam poetry team. She will study Korean at the Chonnam National University in Gwangju, Korea.

Moira Lewerk (CAHNR, ’18) is an Honors student majoring in Allied Health Sciences with an interest in languages and culture. As a RISE Scholar, she participated in an intensive summer research experience in a laboratory affiliated with the Cognitive Science Program and the Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Sciences.  As a representative for the Pan-Asian Council, Moira also seeks to engage with others in a wide-ranging exploration of cultural differences and similarities. A musician, amateur film-maker and avid traveler, she hopes to return to Korea after graduation to teach English and continue her Korean language learning. Her ultimate goal is to continue her education in both the sciences and communication. She will study Korean at the Chonnam National University in Gwangju, Korea.

 

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.

 2017-18 Fulbright Award Recipients are:

Margo Bailey (BUSN, ’17) recipient of the Instituto de Empresa (IE)MA International Management in Spain. Margo is a Marketing major with a minor in Spanish, interested in a career in international corporate social responsibility. Following her studies at IE, she plans to work for a non-profit like the LEGO Foundation or an international company that focuses on bilingual educational services.

 

Sylvia Cunningham (CLAS, ’15) recipient of the Young Professional Journalist grant to Germany. Graduating with a double major in Journalism and Political Science, Sylvia took her experiences working at WHUS and The Daily Campus to the NBC Universal Page Program. She ultimately landed a job as Desk Assistant to the NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt during the 2016 presidential campaign season. Her goal is to become a political reporter for a new outlet after gaining experience with news organizations in Germany.

 

Catherine Han (CLAS, ’17) recipient of English Teaching Assistant grant to Mexico. Catherine is a double major in Biology and English, drawing on her experience as a tutor in the UConn Writing Center to engage with students in an English-language learning classroom in Mexico.  She plans to apply to medical school and upon completion, work in a medically underserved urban area in public health.

 

Lara Hawley (NEAG, ’17) recipient of English Teaching Assistant grant to South Africa. With a BA in English, Lara will earn her Master’s in Curriculum & Instruction from NEAG this year and utilize her classroom teaching experiences to assist an English-language learning instructor in South Africa. Having earlier volunteered in several locations there, she is eager to learn more about society and culture in that country.

 

Tiffany Murphy (CLAS, ’12) recipient of an English Teaching Assistant grant to Morocco. A 2012 graduate in political science, Tiffany has worked for United Way, AmeriCorps and most recently the New Haven Board of Education as a literacy and ESL tutor. Having traveled to Morocco in 2015 to learn Arabic, she will return there to work in an English-language learning classroom. Her goal is to earn an MSW and work in immigration and refugee services.

 

Marissa Piccolo (CLAS, ’17) recipient of a study grant to Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, MA program in Legislative Studies and Practice. Graduating with a double major in Political Science and Economics, and a Mount Vernon Leadership Fellow and Truman nominee, Marissa will take her research and public service experience to Belfast to study politics in Northern Ireland.  Her goal is to return to the US to attend law school and ultimately run for public office.

Paulina Rowe (CLAS, ’17) recipient of an English Teaching Assistant grant to Colombia. A double major in Psychology and Spanish, Paulina will bring her experience as a camp counselor, writing tutor and in public service to her role as a teaching assistant in an English-language learning classroom in Colombia. Upon her return, she will join Teach for America or work with a non-profit organization centered on youth development.

Ten Students, Alums Win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Caitlin Briody (CLAS ’17) from Storrs, CT is an Honors student, 2014 New England Scholar and two times Babbidge Scholar (2015, 2016) with a double major in Political Science and Sociology and a minor in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies. A Writing Center tutor and Orientation Leader, Caitlin was an intern in the Washington DC office of Sen. Chris Murphy in the summer of 2016 in addition to interning with the Treatment Action Campaign in Cape Town, South Africa.  Her research interests range across several topics, including judicial selection, gender based violence, the Shelby v. Holder decision and her thesis project is researching the gender gap in political participation. As a Carnegie Junior Fellows nominee, Caitlin aspires to work with a Senior Fellow in the Democracy and Rule of Law Program.

 

Jacob Burte (CLAS ’17) from Andover, MA is an Honors student and three-time New England Scholar with an Individualized major in International Relations, Middle East concentration and minors in History and Political Science. The B-side captain for the Men’s Rugby team, he is also a member of the Huskies for Israel and co-founder of the Syrian Resettlement Project at UCONN, which allows him to pursue his interests in the politics of the Middle East.  His senior thesis will focus on Washington’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy with regard to Israeli nuclear research and development during the 1950’s and ‘60’s. As a Carnegie Junior Fellows nominee, Peter aspires to work with a Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program.

UConn Student Navigates New Role in Years After Sandy Hook

“The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Program operates in over 160 countries worldwide.” The Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships is pleased to announce that the following University of Connecticut students have been notified of their selection as either a Semi-Finalist or Finalist in the 2016-17 round of competition.  [The status of “Fulbright Semi-Finalist” means that the applicant was recommended by the National Screening Committee to the Fulbright Commission in-country. The status of “Fulbright Finalist” means that the applicant has been notified that they’ve been offered a grant to the country but have not yet completed official paperwork.]

Carmen Britton (Ph.D. Human Development & Family Studies, CLAS) Finalist for a research grant to Sri Lanka. Her project seeks to document the dynamics of people’s experiences within community-based rehabilitation programs in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Meghan Brown (M.A. Curriculum & Instruction, NEAG) Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Mexico. As an aspiring ELL instructor, her future plans have her working with the immigrant population in southern California.

Ryan Hatcher (M.A. Educational Psychology, NEAG) Semi-Finalist for a research grant to Poland. His project will examine the relationship between teacher and student creative self-beliefs utilizing the resources at the Academy of Special Education in Warsaw.

Jia Li Liu (Ph.D. Human Development & Family Studies, CLAS) Finalist for a research grant to Hong Kong. Her research project will examine mother and teacher perceptions of Chinese immigrant children’s shyness in Hong Kong.

Cecilia Menendez (’15 French & Spanish, CLAS) Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Andorra. Her future plans include earning a master’s degree in foreign language or bilingual education.

Iva Petkova (’16 Political Science & Human Rights, CLAS) Semi-Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Korea. With a passion for teaching English and learning about politics and culture, she plans to attend law school to focus on international human rights law.

Francine Quintino (’16 Political Science, CLAS) Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Colombia. Her future plans include graduate study in higher education and student affairs with a focus on first-generation college students.

Mary (Molly) Rockett (’15 Political Science, CLAS) Semi-Finalist for a study grant to Royal Holloway College, UK. She plans to earn an MSc in elections, parties and public opinion and return to the U.S. to run for higher office.

Michelle San Pedro (Ph.D. Anthropology, CLAS) Finalist for a research grant to Nicaragua. Her research project aims to investigate the relationship between midwives and pregnant women during prenatal visits in Esteli, Nicaragua.

 Dominick Sansone (’15 Exercise Science, CAHNR) Finalist for an English Teaching Assistant grant to Bulgaria. Drawing upon his experience in Macedonia, he aspires to a career in international public service with a concentration in the Balkan region.

http://today.uconn.edu/2016/04/two-uconn-students-named-goldwater-scholars/

http://today.uconn.edu/2016/05/uconn-sophomore-wins-udall-scholarship/

 

Sara Ailshire (Ph.D. candidate, Anthropology) is a 2016 recipient of a Critical Language Scholarship to study Hindi in Jaipur, India. As a doctoral student in medical anthropology, Sara has traveled to the state of Bihar to conduct research on public health communication and community attitudes toward development. While there, she collaborated with the Population Council, an international health research NGO, gathering data on public health message diffusion and attitudes towards development.

Sara plans to apply for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the Fulbright Critical Language Enhancement Award to further her study of Hindi and enable her to conduct interviews for her dissertation research in the area of reproductive health policy, health and development, and patient experience.