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Students who applied for nationally competitive fellowships this past academic year were recognized for their intellectual curiosity and global engagement at a recent celebration in the Ho Science Center.

Nearly 30 of the 59 students and alumni who sought fellowships in the 2010-2011 academic year gathered with their mentors on April 27.

“You are poised to make the most of what you have learned here at ������ and to maximize your intellectual potential,” said Provost and Dean of the Faculty Lyle Roelofs. “We, as faculty, are eager to see the interesting and important things we know you will accomplish out in the world.”

Ann Landstrom, assistant dean and director of the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships, also spoke to the group.

“Each applicant is a very special and unique person with passion, determination, and intellectual curiosity,” said Landstrom. “I am very fortunate to work with these amazing students and alumni who are an inspiration to each other and the students who follow in their footsteps.”

The following seniors and alumna have been accepted into the U.S. Student Fulbright Program and the French Ministry of Education Teaching Program, which offer invaluable opportunities to meet and work with people of the host country, sharing daily life as well as professional and creative insights.

• Michael Abrahamson ’11 will serve as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Slovakia, where he will also teach American studies in culture, history and literature. He said he would use technology for pen-pal exchanges and small-group discussion to engage students in their learning. Abrahamson, an English major from Oak Park, Ill., will explore the Slovak culture through literature and museums, along with joining a sports club at his school placement or within the community.

• Emily Casey MAT ’11 plans to teach English and American culture as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Bulgaria. She said she is eager to learn more about the Bulgarian school system and work with students and community members outside of the classroom through extracurricular activities and local celebrations. Casey will receive her master’s degree in teaching from ������. She earned a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from Miami University in 2007.

• Paige Cross ’11, an educational studies and Spanish double major from Marathon, N.Y., will complete her Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Ecuador. She will serve as an ambassador of American culture along with teaching English to future ESL instructors through critical discussion and cross-cultural exchange. As a supplementary research project she will study the intercultural bilingual education of the people of Ecuador.

• Andrew Giandomenico ’11 also will be a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Slovakia. He said he would utilize his love for literature, theater, and film in the classroom to instill in the young students the same passion for language learning he acquired as a child. He also plans to enroll in Slovak language classes and play ice hockey to engage with the community. Giandomenico is an English major and film and media studies minor from Walpole, Mass.

• Lauren Graves ’11 will travel to Taiwan for her Fulbright English teaching assistantship. As a double major in Chinese and French, she said she relates to the challenge and also the reward of learning another language. Graves, from San Ramon, Calif., anticipates continuing her study of Mandarin while also engaging within her placement community through cooking and athletics.

• Ashley Hill ’11 will conduct her Fulbright research/study project in Japan on the topic “Article 9 and the Future of the U.S.-Japan Alliance in the 21st Century.” Through a framework of study, research, interviews, and discussion, she will focus on the question of if and how the security concerns of the 21st century offer new ways to ameliorate internal alliance problems as well as increase the allied countries’ contributions to international security. Hill is an international relations and Japanese double major from Guilford, Conn.

• Sarah Hilzinger ’09 will conduct her Fulbright research/study project in Israel on the topic “Israeli Innovation and Green-Technology Transfer to China.” Hilzinger will enroll in classes at Tel Aviv University’s Porter School of Environmental Studies alongside completing her project investigating the driving factors behind Israel’s innovation in the realm of environmentally sustainable technologies, and the role that the export of these technologies plays in China-Israel relations. Hilzinger, from Chester, NJ, had graduated with an art history major from ������.

• Alexandra Pons ’11, a geography major and sociology and anthropology minor from Houston, is eager to begin her Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Spain. She will teach U.S. culture and English language studies along with explore the cultural and historical aspects of Spanish life. Pons plans to volunteer with community organizations that promote educational awareness.

• Eugene Riordan ’11 will serve as a Fulbright English teaching assistant in Thailand. He said he wants to engage in cross-cultural dialogue with his students and the community in which he is placed. He sees his students obtaining a basic framework of English language skills and advancing to conversational practice through class initiatives. Riordan is a double major in peace and conflict studies and international relations from Butte, Mont.

• Jane Scheinman ’11, a French major from Hamilton, N.Y., will take her passion for language and culture to France through the French Ministry of Education English teaching assistant program. She plans to engage students through small-group discussion, media, and performance. Scheinman said she hopes to participate in or start a theater program at the school in which she is placed, along with having cross-cultural exchanges through traditional foods from France and the United States.

In recognition of their outstanding potential and intention to pursue a career in science, Karen Alley ’12 and Weston Testo ’12 were awarded honorable mention by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship program.

Alley, a geology major and geography minor from State College, Penn., plans to pursue a doctorate in geology to conduct research in paleoclimatology and to eventually teach at the university level. Testo, a biology major and writing and rhetoric minor from Westerlo, N.Y., plans to obtain a doctorate in biology to eventually teach at the university level and to conduct research in the fields of conservation biology and plant ecology.

Students and alumni interested in applying for nationally competitive fellowships, scholarships, and grants can make an appointment with Landstrom by calling 315-228-6224. More information is available .