Laura Lemna: CBC Spouses Visual Arts ScholarshipHollings Scholarship winnersGoldwater Scholarship honorable mentionsUdall Scholarship winner and honorable mentionSkylar Chew: NCAA Postgraduate ScholarshipJoel "Eric" Erickson: Critical Language ScholarshipBall State student named Truman finalist Eleven students named Fulbright finalistsFour students win Gilman for spring abroadThomas Friddle: Phi Kappa Phi FellowshipBriggs Orsbon: Bob James Memorial AwardHannah Strayhorn: Sigma Alpha Iota Jazz Scholarship Three students win Gilman for study in Japan Four students and alumni win Fulbright grants Three UK Fulbright Summer Institute scholarship recipients
April 2013: Two Honors College students – Kacie Shourd and Amy “Aj” Wardle, both of whom are majoring in meteorology in the Geography Department – have become Ball State’s first students ever to win the prestigious Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship.
An initiative of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Hollings Scholarship is awarded to students who intend to pursue careers in oceanic and atmospheric science. The scholarship awards $8,000 per year during recipients’ junior and senior years, as well as a paid 10-week summer internship at a NOAA facility.
Kacie Shourd, a sophomore from Westfield, Ind., has a minor in astrophysics and is currently assistant director of Ball State’s Storm Chase Team.
As an undergraduate research assistant, she has helped investigate the relationships between bad weather and multi-car accidents. She has also participated in a weather balloon launch and hopes to revive the National Weather Service observation station that once existed at Ball State.
After completing her undergraduate degree, Kacie intends to pursue a Ph.D. in meteorology, focusing her research on tornado-producing storms and improved forecasting models.
Eventually combining that expertise with a graduate degree in astrophysics/astronomy, Kacie wants to study how factors outside the Earth’s atmosphere, such as solar weather, affect our weather.
Aj Wardle, a sophomore from Pittsboro, Ind., is complementing her meteorology major with minors in geographical information science and natural resources.
Active in Ball State’s Storm Chase Team, she plans to pursue a career with NOAA or Homeland Security as a weather forecaster. Outside of Ball State, she has been active as a referee for U.S. Soccer at various age levels.
After gaining some professional work experience, Aj plans to pursue a graduate degree in meteorology, with the goal of developing more accurate models for forecasting severe weather.
Her ultimate goal is to establish a career with the National Weather Service, ideally at the Storm Prediction Center, or with Homeland Security, perhaps in FEMA or the Coast Guard.
Kacie and Aj are among 126 sophomores to receive the Hollings Scholarship this year. For more information, visit the NOAA website.
April 2013: Two Ball State juniors have been awarded Honorable Mention in the 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship competition, which recognizes sophomores and juniors who plan to enter careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Hunter Gibbons, from Toledo, Ohio, is majoring in biology, with a concentration in genetics and a certification in biotechnology. As an undergraduate, Hunter has gained extensive experience in genetics research at Ball State and the University of Toledo. This summer he will participate in rheumatology research at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
After graduating from Ball State, Hunter intends to pursue a Ph.D. in human genetics, with a focus on rheumatoid arthritis.
Anna Salvati, a chemistry major from Goshen, Ind., likewise has an extensive research record, beginning with chemistry research in the summers of 2010 and 2011 at Depuy Orthopedics in Warsaw, Ind.
At Ball State Anna participated in the summer 2012 CRISP (Chemistry Research Immersion Summer Program) and continues ongoing research in synthetic organic chemistry. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in that same field, with the goal of improving chemical dispersants in industry.
In the last decade, eight Ball State students have been named Goldwater Scholars, and five have received Honorable Mention.
April 2013: Kevin Williams, a junior majoring in natural resources and environmental management, has received a 2013 Udall Scholarship. He is one of 50 students nationwide to receive the $5,000 scholarship, which recognizes his commitment to a career in the environment, his leadership potential, and his academic achievement.
He is the seventh Ball State student to win a Udall Scholarship since 2005.
A resident of Indianapolis, Kevin intends to pursue a career in water quality management and public education, with a special focus on runoff and drinking water supplies for urban areas.
During summer 2012 he interned with the U.S. Department of the Interior in both Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.
Kevin is spending spring semester 2013 at Ball State’s Cost Rica Center, where he is studying and gaining hands-on experience at Tirimbina Biological Reserve. In December he received another national award, the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship, to support his studies in Costa Rica.
From August 7-11, Kevin and the other 2013 Udall Scholars will assemble in Tucson, Ariz., to receive their awards and meet policymakers and leaders in environmental fields and tribal healthcare and governance.
“I am now a part of a special group of students and alumni across the country who are challenged to think creatively about how to improve the state of our environment,” Kevin said. “The Udall legacy has blazed the trail for many environmental efforts in this country, so being a recipient of the scholarship is incredible.”
Another student majoring in natural resources and environmental management, Alyssa Hartman, was one of 50 students to receive Honorable Mention in the Udall Scholarship competition. A junior from Van Wert, Ohio, Alyssa is also studying at the Tirimbina Biological Reserve in Costa Rica.
With plans to pursue a career in global food security, focusing on sustainable farming practices, Alyssa has been president of Ball State’s Oxfam chapter and a participant in Oxfam’s CHANGE Initiative leadership program in Boston. In 2011 she received a scholarship to participate in the UK Fulbright Summer Institute in Wales.
The Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency that supports sophomores and juniors committed to careers that protect or serve the environment or tribal policy and healthcare. This year the Foundation received 488 scholarship nominations from 230 colleges and universities.
March 2013: Recent graduate and soccer player Skylar Chew, from Mason, Ohio, has received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, recognizing her excellence in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and community service.
Skylar, who majored in psychology (with a minor in interpersonal relations), will use the $7,500 scholarship to help fund her future studies in counseling and counselor education at Indiana University, where she will study after spending much of 2013 teaching psychology and English in Honduras. She plans to become a mental health counselor.
With a 4.0 GPA, Skylar graduated summa cum laude in December 2012. Her athletic honors include being a first-team Capital One Academic All-American, while earning ESPN Academic All-District second team and Academic All-MAC (Mid-American Conference) honors.
"It means a great deal for me to receive this honor," said Skylar. "The mental health field has such a large need right now, so I feel really blessed for the opportunity to continue my education so that I can be of greater help in this area and to other people in this world."
A total of 174 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded each year, with 29 male and 29 female athletes selected for each sports season.
March 2013: Joel “Eric” Erickson, from Muncie, has received a Critical Language Scholarship to study Turkish this summer. He will be taking beginner level Turkish in either Ankara or Bursa, Turkey, and his stay is fully funded by the US Department of State. Eric is currently in Shumen, Bulgaria, carrying out a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship.
As an undergraduate at Ball State, Eric majored in classical languages and classical culture. As a graduate student, he taught in the Intensive English Institute and pursued his love of languages, especially Indo-European languages.
After completing his master’s degree in TESOL and linguistics in 2013, along with his summer in Turkey, Eric intends to teach English in Eastern Europe or Central Asia.
Eric is one of approximately 600 recipients of the Critical Language Scholarship with 4,900 students applying. The Critical Language Scholarship is a program that promotes the study of languages that are critical to US security.
February 2013: Chris Kozak, a junior majoring in legal studies from Auburn Hills, Mich., has been named a finalist for the Truman Scholarship! The Truman Scholarship is for juniors who will pursue carreers in public service. He will be interviewing in Chicago with all of the other Illinois and Michigan finalists in late March, and winners will be announced in April.
January 2013: Eleven Ball State students have been named finalists for Fulbright Scholarships! Below it is indicated whether they are being considered for a Full Grant or English Teaching Assistantship (ETA).
Carly Bacurin- Germany ETA Kevin Bergen- Spain, ETA Jeffrey Dick- South Korea, ETA Cynthia Goosby- Germany, ETA Jeff Lauer- India Katie Poznanski- Poland, ETA Abby Savage- Germany, ETA Lisa Scott- Swaziland Lauren Siefert- Indonesia, ETA Cynthia Smith- Switzerland Bethany Stewart- Spain, ETA
Final selections will trickle in during March and April, as each country makes its choices.
December 2012: Four Ball State juniors have received Benjamin Gilman Scholarships to help support their spring semester study abroad experiences. Kourtney Dillavou, from Schaumburg, Ill., will study in Brazil with the support of a Gilman Scholarship. A fourth-year student in BSU’s five-year landscape architecture program, Kourtney is participating in the US-Brazil Sustainability Consortium at Pontifícia Universidade do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre. In addition to taking classes in sustainability and landscape architecture, Kourtney will intern with the Iracambi Rainforest Preserve, helping develop a plan to restore the Atlantic rainforest and design a visitors center. Thanks to the Gilman Scholarship, Kourtney said, “I will be able to experience as much of Brazil as possible during my semester there.”
Chidochashe (“Chido”) Moyo, an urban planning major from Indianapolis, will use her $3,500 Gilman Scholarship to support 10 weeks of field study in India and Nepal with CAP Asia. CAP Asia, sponsored by the College of Architecture and Planning, provides participants with a meaningful cross-section of world architecture, urbanism, and planning. Students focus on collaborative design and planning projects in South Asian cities, typically hand in hand with local schools, professionals, and educators. “Studying abroad was the last thing I ever thought I would ever do, especially because of monetary constraints,” said Chido, “but receiving this scholarship has proven me wrong. It is really a great honor.” A telecommunications major from Wabash, Ind., Kayla Sprayue has been awarded $3,000 to participate in Ball State’s London Centre during spring semester. There she’ll study art history, theatre, British life and culture, and global diversity, and she’ll also have the opportunity to travel in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in Europe. “The Gilman Scholarship is such an honor and blessing,” said Kayla. “I have always dreamed of traveling abroad, and the Gilman Scholarship will help me achieve my dreams. I am very grateful for the opportunity to learn about culture, art, and filmmaking in the United Kingdom.” Kevin Williams, an Indianapolis native who is majoring in natural resources and environmental management, has received $4,500 to participate in Ball State’s Costa Rica Center. At the Tirimbina Biological Reserve in La Virgen de Sarapiqui, Heredia, he will study environmental and conservation topics while working with local organizations that are focused on the protection of natural resources. “This prestigious award is allowing me to make my aspirations a reality,” said Kevin. “I am ready for this engaging and stimulating program that will challenge me in the areas of environmental science, sustainable community development, natural resource management, and the Spanish culture.” The federally-funded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students pursuing academic studies abroad, in order to better prepare them to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. Up to $3,000 of additional funding is available to students to pursue study of certain languages. All scholarships recipients are required to carry out a follow-up project upon their return to the U.S. that helps promote international education and understanding.-------------------------------------------------------
November 2012: Thomas Friddle, a recent Ball State alumnus from Warsaw, Ind., has received a Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship to support his graduate studies at Yale University. He is one of 51 recent graduates across the country to win the $5,000 fellowship, in addition to six students who received $15,000 fellowships.
Thomas graduated in May 2012 from with a B.Arch degree and is currently pursuing an M.Arch at the Yale University School of Architecture. He intends to become a registered architect and open his own practice or partnership.
While on Ball State's campus, Thomas was president of Emerging Green Builders, student representative to the Council on the Environment, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi.
"Receiving the Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship was an outstanding honor and was the perfect culmination to four years of hard work at Ball State University," said Thomas.
Phi Kappa Phi is the nation's oldest, largest, and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Ball State has had a campus chapter since 2003.
September 2012: Laura Lemna, a junior Honors College student from Noblesville, has received a $3,000 CBC (Congressional Black Caucus) Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship.
With a major in painting and a minor in art history, Laura intends to specialize in the field of religious art, working in either a museum or university setting. After completing her BFA degree in May 2014, Laura plans to study for an MFA in the US or UK.
At Ball State, Laura is an active leader in the St. Francis Newman Center, FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), and the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. “Service is a big part of my life and how I feel I am called to live my life,” Laura said.
The CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship awards up to $3,000 to undergraduate students pursuing a career in the visual arts who also excel in academics, leadership, and community service.
August 2012: Recent graduate and football player Briggs Orsbon was named the male recipient of the Bob James Memorial Award by the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Each year the award is given to one male and one female student-athlete who have demonstrated excellence in academics, character, leadership, and citizenship. Originally from Convoy, Ohio, but now living in Carmel, Indiana, Briggs was a risk management and finance major who will use the $5,000 scholarship to help fund his future MBA studies before entering a career in finance and insurance. Briggs graduated summa cum laude in May 2012 with a 3.992 GPA. His athletic honors included being a two-time Capital One Academic All-District selection and a three-time All-Mid-American Conference choice, while earning All-MAC Second Team honors in 2011. In 2011, he became only the second player in Ball State history to tally 200 or more receptions, and he ranks fifth all-time at Ball State for receiving yards. He received Ball State’s John Magnabosco MVP Award that same year. Earlier in 2012, Briggs also received an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, recognizing his excellence in academics, athletics, extracurricular activities, and community service.Read the full Ball State Sports story online. ----------------------------------------------------------
July 2012: Hannah Strayhorn, a junior in the Honors College, received a $1,500 Jazz Studies Scholarship for Undergraduate Students from Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. With an integrated major in musical theatre directing, as well as a minor in jazz/commercial music, Hannah intends to pursue a career as a music director for professional theatre. A native of St. Joseph, Mich., Hannah is active in Ball State’s chapter of Sigma Alpha, serving on several committees, as well as Kappa Delta sorority, the campus orchestra, and other organizations in music and theatre. --------------------------------------------------------
May 2012: Three BSU undergraduates were awarded Gilman Scholarships for study in Japan. Kellie Suttle, a junior from Leopold, Ind., received $3,500 for study in Japan during the summer with KIIS (Kentucky Institute of International Studies). The month-long study tour included visits to five major cities, where she and fellow students explored Japan’s cultural past. An Honors College student with majors in Japanese and creative writing and a minor in German, Kellie aspires to pursue a career as a novelist. A blog of her experiences in Germany is found at http://bsugermany.wordpress.com/. Gaoly Thao, of Hoschton, Ga., received $8,000 to support her studies at Sapporo University in Japan during the summer and fall semesters. A private institution in Hokkaido, Sapporo University is a sister school of Ball State University’s Japanese language program. Gaoly, a junior majoring in Japanese and creative writing, with a minor in drawing, plans to become a translator of Japanese literature. Anthony Perrin, an Honors College student from Highland, Ind., received $5,000 to support his fall and spring semesters of study at Aichi University of Education in Japan. At Ball State, Tony – who has a major in Japanese and a minor in history – started the Japanese Conversation Club. After completing his degree in December 2013, he will pursue a career in translation of Japanese literature. The federally-funded Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program provides up to $5,000 to U.S. undergraduate students pursuing academic studies abroad, in order to better prepare them to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world. Up to $3,000 of additional funding is available to students to pursue study of certain languages. All scholarships recipients are required to carry out a follow-up project upon their return to the U.S. that helps promote international education and understanding.
May 2012 : Four Ball State students and alumni received Fulbright US Student Grants, to support teaching and research opportunities abroad during the 2012-13 academic year. A fifth Fulbright finalist was awarded a French Government English Teaching Assistantship.
The Fulbright program is sponsored by the US State Department and is intended to increase mutual understanding between the people of the US and those of more than 155 countries. In 2012 the department awarded approximately 1,700 grants to US students and recent graduates
Tiffany Ellis, a 2012 graduate of Ball State’s MA program in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and linguistics, received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Macedonia, where she is teaching conversation classes at the University Goce Delcev.
The Mitchell, S.D., native is also volunteering at a local NGO for crisis pregnancy and has begun tutoring at the recently opened Lidija Center, in addition to her own language studies in Macedonian.
Tiffany earned a bachelor’s degree in TESOL from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2009, and while studying at Ball State she also taught in the Intensive English Institute. Following her Fulbright year, she intends to continue teaching English to non-native speakers at the university level, while also gaining more administrative experience.
“It's a privilege and honor to be in Macedonia with Fulbright, and I'm excited to see how this year unfolds," Tiffany said. Her blog is online at www.trackingtiffsfootprints.wordpress.com
Joel “Eric” Erickson, from Muncie, is carrying out an English Teaching Assistantship in Shumen, Bulgaria, at the Nikola Vapzarov Foreign Language High School . “My goal in teaching is to de-mystify as much of English for my students as possible,” Eric said.
As an undergraduate at Ball State, Eric majored in classical languages and classical culture. As a graduate student, he taught in the Intensive English Institute and pursued his love of languages, especially Indo-European languages.
Outside of classroom teaching in Bulgaria, Eric is involved in a variety of projects, including an English movie club and art blog with his students, as well as volunteer activities in Shumen.
After completing his master’s degree in TESOL and linguistics in 2013, Eric intends to teach English in Eastern Europe or Central Asia.
Psychology major Ky`Lea Wright, of Westfield, Ind., will begin her English Teaching Assistantship in Malaysia in January. For her out-of-class project, she hopes to start a debate club at her school, building upon her experience with Ball State’s Debate Team.
At Ball State, Ky`Lea was involved with Amnesty International’s campus chapter (serving as president her senior year), the Peer Health Mentor program, and other organizations focused on education and human rights. She also interned at Genocide Watch in Washington, DC.
After returning from Malaysia, Ky`Lea will pursue graduate studies in international development, with a focus on global health.
Mona Luxion, a 2008 graduate of Ball State’s architecture program, received a Fulbright-Nehru grant to India to pursue research for her doctoral dissertation, focusing on urban governance relative to water and sanitation services in small- and medium-sized Indian cities.
After completing a master’s degree in Development and Emergency Practice at Oxford Brookes University (England), Mona entered the PhD program in Urban Planning, Policy, and Design at McGill University (Canada).
“I am particularly interested in how well the needs and priorities of the urban poor are being served,” Mona said o f her Fulbright research. She added, “ As India becomes a leading trading partner for Canada and the United States, I imagine my research will also have implications for foreign policy at various levels.”
A Chicago native, Mona hopes to continue working in India and looks forward to a career that blends research, advocacy and teaching with opportunities for cross-cultural collaboration.
Courtney Bettner, a Fulbright finalist from Columbus, Ind., was awarded a French Government Teaching Assistantship, a program closely associated with the Fulbright program. A May 2012 graduate of Ball State’s MA program in history, she also holds a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Anderson University.
After her year in France, Courtney plans on entering a career in education, perhaps working with international students or immigrants, and eventually pursuing a doctorate in history.
Her blog is found at courtneybettner.blogspot.com.
May 2012: Three Honors College students were selected to participate in the 2012 UK Fulbright Summer Institute program.
They were among 43 freshmen and sophomores chosen nationwide for seven summer institutes.
Victoria Ison , a Bloomington resident and Spanish major, participated in the King’s College institute in London, where she studied the history, politics, and impacts of the Olympics and also took part in a range of cultural and social activities around London, including the summer Olympics.
"Three weeks in London with this course gave me enough to think about to keep me busy for years,” said Victoria of her experience. “From the highest dome of St. Paul's Cathedral to Wembley at the women's gold medal soccer match, I have seen more of London than I could have imagined would have been possible. It was enthralling, every minute of the trip, and the memories made are not the kind I'll ever let fade."
A blog kept by Victoria and her fellow King’s College Summer Institute participants is available at kingsfulbright2012.wordpress.com.
Tara Olivero , an English major from Fort Wayne, participated in the Fulbright AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study) Summer Institute at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London.
There she studied Shakespeare’s plays and the Globe Theatre itself, worked with Globe professionals, watched performances, studied acting through movement and voice workshops, and acted in an abridged version of The Taming of the Shrew.
“Those were the best three weeks of my life,” said Tara. “I experienced what it's like to be completely thrown into a culture that's both similar and yet still very different from my own; I had the chance to explore the museums, art galleries, and famous landmarks of one of the most beautiful cities in the world; and I made life-long friends, all while studying one of my favorite subjects at Shakespeare's Globe.”
Art major and Centerville, Ind., resident Rachel Yoder participated in the Fulbright Summer Institute at Nottingham Trent University.
During her four weeks there, Rachel and seven other participants took several art courses, created and presented art pieces in a final exhibition, and participated in various history and culture lectures, shows, and activities to gain a better understanding of the UK, past and present.
“This opportunity to live and study in England for a month was a priceless experience,” said Rachel. “I learned about how the British live in a way that I never could have understood through films or stories, and I was able to visit old architecture and art museums that affected me in a way I never would have anticipated.”
One of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating world-wide, the UK Fulbright Summer Institute is program of the US-UK Fulbright.
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