This spring, several Scripps students and alumnae earned prestigious awards and fellowships that will provide them with opportunities to further their global engagement through projects, research, and education.
Fulbright Award
Scripps was once again named a top producer of Fulbright students for the 2021–22 academic year, with seven awards offered. US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken noted that “Scripps College’s place among the Fulbright Program’s 2021–2022 Top Producing Institutions clearly demonstrates your dedication to preparing Americans to thrive in the global economy and serve as engaged citizens.”
The Fulbright US Student Program, sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs across the globe. During their grants, Fulbright students will meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of their host countries. The following students and alumnae were named Fulbright finalists and will conduct their research and teaching in the following countries:
- Viviana Sandoval ’21, Spain
- Anna Burns ’22, Germany
- Priya Canzius ’20, Morocco
- Nikita Chinamanthur ’22, North Macedonia
- Javanna Young ’21, Brazil
- Kathryn Tuemmler ’21, Spain
- Chantal Balta ’20, Armenia
Projects for Peace
Sarah Meadows ’22 received a Projects for Peace award for the project “Creating Greater Opportunities for Accessibility, Teamwork, and Sustainability (GOATS) In a Rural Northern California Community.” Projects for Peace is a global program that encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues. Along the way, these student leaders increase their knowledge, improve skills, and establish identities as peacebuilders and changemakers.
Napier Award
Claremont’s Pilgrim Place community awards $15,000 Napier Awards annually for creative leadership to graduating seniors who demonstrate outstanding leadership promise in the areas of social justice, peace, and environmental sustainability at The Claremont Colleges.
Anna Burns ’22 was selected as a Napier Fellow and will research peatland rewetting restoration processes at the University of Greifswald, Germany, in conjunction with the Greifswald Mire Centre. Burns, who was also a Fulbright finalist, previously conducted research that used drone technology to measure air quality in rural California. Abigal Power ’22 was named a Scripps Napier Fellow for her project focused on addressing the effects of climate change on agricultural sustainability in Tangting, Nepal.
Thomas J. Watson Fellowship
Sylvie Alexander ’22 received a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship for her project “Seaweed, Society, and Climate Solutions,” which will explore seaweed cultivation’s role in fighting climate change in Norway, France, Chile, Tanzania, and Japan. A Watson Fellowship provides students with the opportunity to test their aspirations and abilities through a personal project experienced on an international scale.
Barry Goldwater Scholarship
The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation provides scholarships to foster and encourage outstanding sophomore and junior students to pursue research careers in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics.
Daisy Achiriloaie ’24 received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship for her proposal, “Experimental Characterization of Cytoskeleton-Based Active Systems.” Collaborating with Assistant Professor of Physics Janet Sheung during her first year at Scripps, Achiriloaie was a co-author on a published paper and, as a sophomore, is a first author on a submitted manuscript.
Critical Language Scholarship
Anna Cohen ’24 received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Swahili. CLS is a competitive summer language program funded by the Department of State. It supports American college and university students while they study abroad and learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Tsion Mamo ’23 was awarded a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship from the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Gilman Scholarships provides financial support to undergraduates studying abroad and encourages students to study critical need languages.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Foundation Fellowship
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Foundation (MMUF) is the centerpiece of the Mellon Foundation’s initiative to increase diversity in higher education faculty. MMUF fellowships provide rising juniors with two years of mentoring and financial support as they prepare to enter PhD programs after graduation. Destiny Rivera-Gomez ’24, Anais Martinez ’24, Blessing Roland-Magaji ’24, and Scotland Carter ’24 were selected as this year’s MMUF fellows.
National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship
Haena Lee ’19 and Maureen Cowhey ’19 each received National Science Foundation (NSF) Postdoctoral Fellowships for their research in genetics and sociology, respectively.