Zosia Greer ’27 Earns Goldwater Scholarship for Neuroscience Research</h1> <article> <h1>Zosia Greer ’27 Earns Goldwater Scholarship for Neuroscience Research</h1> <p>kviancou — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:44:44 +0000</p> <span>Zosia Greer ’27 Earns Goldwater Scholarship for Neuroscience Research</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-15T15:44:44-04:00" title="Wednesday, April 15, 2026 - 15:44">Wed, 04/15/2026 - 15:44</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Zosia Greer ’27</strong> has been named a Goldwater Scholar, considered one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for undergraduates studying math, natural sciences, and engineering. </p><p>A <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience">neuroscience</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/biology">biology</a> major from Grosse Pointe, Michigan, with minors in chemistry and Spanish, Greer has already built an impressive research portfolio focused on the neurobiology of disease. On campus, she’s been involved with WOBC radio and the Committee for Neuroscience-Interested Students.</p><p>Greer answered these questions about her scholarship:</p><p><strong>What are your academic and research interests?</strong><br>I am interested in neuroscience, specifically research on the neurobiology of diseases. I have spent most of my time researching Parkinson’s disease treatments, however, I began my research career in a project about the structure and function of the dopamine system. I've also been involved in research on the role of plasticity in amphetamine addiction. </p><p>I'm starting a new project investigating a novel drug in a genetic Parkinson’s mouse model. This drug has been tested in a pesticide-induced mouse model of Parkinson’s disease and showed very robust improvements in both motor and molecular symptomology.</p><p><strong>Why did you apply for this scholarship?</strong><br>I have such a strong passion for research and academia, so I’m always looking for more communities to join and opportunities to increase my involvement both inside and outside of 91ֱ��. 91ֱ�� offers so many incredible opportunities for students in research—it would be a waste not to utilize my resources here.</p><p><strong>How does this scholarship support your career goals?</strong><br>I plan on becoming a professor someday, so the scholarship supports those goals perfectly. I’m excited to be able to connect with a network of people who can mentor and guide me to successfully achieve my goals.</p><p><strong>How has 91ֱ�� shaped or influenced you as an academic, thinker, and person?</strong><br>I have always loved learning; however, 91ֱ�� really sparked my interest in science and academia. 91ֱ�� also provides such a unique sense of community that you can’t find in many other places. This community has taught me the vitality of collaboration in research and how to think outside the box.</p><p><strong>What’s the best advice you received at 91ֱ��?</strong><br>Get obsessed with whatever you’re doing.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Junior neuroscience and biology major honored for her extensive research into Parkinson’s disease treatments and the dopamine system.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-15T12:00:00Z">Wed, 04/15/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4075">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4265">Biochemistry</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/chemistry-biochemistry" hreflang="und">Chemistry and Biochemistry</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Zosia Greer '27</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Abe Frato</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Leah Yonemoto-Weston ’24 Named NYC Urban Fellow</h1> <p>kviancou — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:56:42 +0000</p> <span>Leah Yonemoto-Weston ’24 Named NYC Urban Fellow</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-14T14:56:42-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 14, 2026 - 14:56">Tue, 04/14/2026 - 14:56</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Leah Yonemoto-Weston ’24, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies">comparative American studies </a>major while at 91ֱ��, has been selected for the NYC Urban Fellows Program, a highly selective, nine-month public service fellowship that places recent graduates in full-time roles within New York City government agencies. She answered these questions about her fellowship:</p><p><strong>Describe what you will be doing as an NYC Urban Fellow.</strong><br>I’ll work in a New York government agency, helping develop and implement public programs and policies that address urban challenges. I’ll also participate in a series of seminars designed to deepen my understanding of how cities function. Through this combination of hands-on work and structured learning, I hope to gain insight into how local government operates and how policy decisions impact communities on the ground.</p><p><strong>What made you want to apply?</strong><br>I was drawn to this fellowship because it offers a unique opportunity to work directly within the policy systems that shape communities. Over the past several years, I’ve worked in client-facing roles focused on housing justice and eviction prevention, where I’ve seen firsthand how policy decisions impact individuals and families. That experience motivated me to apply those on-the-ground insights to broader, systems-level change. I hope to deepen my understanding of city-level policymaking while building the skills needed to contribute to more equitable and effective communities.</p><p><strong>How does this align with your career goals?</strong><br>It aligns closely with my goal of working on urban issues at the local level, particularly in housing justice and community development. I’m interested in bridging direct service and policy to advance more equitable systems, and I believe the NYC Urban Fellows Program will help me build the skills and knowledge to do so. It will also serve as strong preparation for future graduate study in urban planning, social work, and/or public policy.</p><p><strong>How does this fellowship build on your previous studies and activities at 91ֱ��?</strong><br>It builds on my comparative American studies work at 91ֱ��, where I explored how community, policy, and social justice intersect. Courses such as Latinx Oral Histories, where I interviewed Latinx veterans in partnership with the Lorain Historical Society, as well as Asian American History, and Medical Anthropology taught me to analyze identity, power, and community in nuanced ways, skills I will bring to the Urban Fellows Program.</p><p>The fellowship will also allow me to build on the teamwork and justice-oriented skills I developed through 91ֱ��’s extracurriculars. In OSCA’s Third World Co-op, I learned how to organize a community and build support networks. My work on the Resource Conservation Team taught me how to collaborate creatively and engage with local stakeholders, and my work at the Sexual Information Center emphasized public health, mutual aid, and managing complex budgets.</p><p><strong>How did 91ֱ�� shape or influence you as an academic, thinker, and person?</strong><br>My classes were really interdisciplinary, and I learned how to approach questions from multiple angles rather than staying in one lane. 91ֱ��’s culture of collaboration also stayed with me. Through group projects, research partnerships, and extracurriculars, there was a real expectation that you would contribute to something larger than yourself. That environment helped build my academic instincts and fostered a genuine sense of responsibility to engage thoughtfully with communities and consider the broader impact of my work.</p><p><strong>What’s the best advice you received while you were at 91ֱ��?</strong><br>Wendy Kozol, my former advisor and CAST faculty member, told me during my first year that the most important thing in both school and the working world is finding your own reason to return to the work, even when it gets hard. You have to find motivation from within, rather than from outside pressure. In any meaningful work, you need to know what keeps you grounded, engaged, aligned with your values, and excited!</p><hr><p><a href="/fellowships" target="_blank"><em>Connect with Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about opportunities for 91ֱ�� students.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The Boulder, Colorado, native will work on urban policy issues during a nine-month fellowship.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-14T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/14/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4065">Comparative American Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Leah Yonemoto-Weston</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Nuclear Policy, Combat Sports, and Rock and Roll: Lucas Daley ’26 Forges His Own Path</h1> <p>kviancou — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 14:07:14 +0000</p> <span>Nuclear Policy, Combat Sports, and Rock and Roll: Lucas Daley ’26 Forges His Own Path</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-07T10:07:14-04:00" title="Tuesday, April 7, 2026 - 10:07">Tue, 04/07/2026 - 10:07</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Depending on the day, <strong>Lucas Daley '26</strong> is a nuclear policy researcher, a student of Russian and Hindi, a guitarist in a band called Sloth, and a devotee of combat sports. The <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/politics">politics</a>, <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics">economics</a>, and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian">Russian</a> triple major has interned with the U.S. State and Defense departments, is completing an honors thesis on Russian nuclear energy diplomacy, and is the recipient of two major post-graduation honors.</p><p>What connects all these threads for Daley?</p><p>“That question gets at what drew me to 91ֱ�� in the first place: the ability to pursue different fields of study in depth, simultaneously,” Daley says. “At most schools you’d have to choose. To me, they’re deeply connected.”</p><p>Daley received a <a href="https://clscholarship.org/">Critical Language Scholarship</a>, which is a U.S. State Department program supporting intensive language study, and will study Hindi in Jaipur, India, this summer.</p><p>Then, in the fall, Daley will join the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a <a href="https://carnegieendowment.org/james-c-gaither-junior-fellows-program">James C. Gaither Junior Fellow</a>, working on the Return of Global Russia initiative at Carnegie’s Russia and Eurasia Center. Daley was one of 18 students selected nationwide. </p><p>Daley recently spoke about their approach to learning languages (an MMA gym plays a role), the value of diverse internship experiences, and much more.</p><p><em>This Q&A was edited for length and clarity.</em><br><br><strong>How did you find out about Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), and what made you want to apply?</strong></p><p>I first learned about CLS in the fall of my sophomore year. I was studying Russian, and I applied for Russian that year but wasn’t selected. That summer, I interned at a think tank in New Delhi, where it quickly became clear that communicating beyond the classroom—talking to rickshaw drivers and the guy selling mangoes next to my apartment—requires more than English. </p><p>I’d lived in India in first grade, so I had some background, but I could bargain for mangoes and not much more. Last fall, going into senior year, I applied again, this time for Hindi, and here we are.</p><p><strong>What will your summer in India look like?</strong></p><p>I’ll be in a language program with at least four hours of classes every morning, followed by practice with assigned conversation partners, while living with a Hindi-speaking host family. Essentially, it’s Hindi 24/7. </p><p><strong>What do you remember from living in India as a child?</strong></p><p>The relationships. For example, when I was back in India for the internship, I tracked down someone who had cared for my family when I was a child and spent time in her village. She still remembered all my favorite foods, and even named her daughter after my sister. </p><p><strong>How has your interest in languages evolved over the years?</strong></p><p>I learned Hindi as a kid but lost it quickly after returning to the U.S. I took Russian 101 my first semester at 91ֱ��, pretty much by accident. I needed a class to fill my schedule and it was at a convenient time. I figured I’d do one semester, but I really enjoyed it, so I kept going. Studying Russian taught me how to learn a language: what strategies are effective, what timelines are realistic and how you can pursue immersion in a non-immersive environment. </p><p>Studying abroad in Kazakhstan, I found the easiest way to avoid mistakes when learning a new language is to stay inside and not engage with the host community—but that's also the easiest way to avoid learning the language. Asking questions and following curiosity into niches within the host community—music, sports, the outdoors, whatever resonates—makes all the difference. </p><p>When I was in Kazakhstan, training with local boxers helped my Russian enormously and gave me friendships and a depth of understanding I wouldn’t have had otherwise.</p><p>At 91ֱ��, Senior Lecturer in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Maia Solovieva also taught me a lot about language learning beyond just Russian—the theory behind it, how to approach skill gaps and how to keep progressing past the intermediate plateau. </p><p><strong>You’ve had an impressive run of internships. What have they taught you? </strong></p><p>At the State Department, I focused on social media analysis in one Pakistani province. In India, the work was much more macro, on great power competition and strategic framing. The practical skills were different too: how to write for policy outlets, how to get published in newspapers. </p><p>At the Department of Defense last summer, the focus was strengthening relations with security partners in the Middle East. I interfaced directly with senior military leaders from across the region, hearing their perspectives on events in their own countries.</p><p><strong>Your honors thesis is on Russian nuclear energy diplomacy in the Global South. How does it all connect: the thesis, India, Hindi, and where you see yourself heading?</strong></p><div class="image_resized align-left media-embed-resized" style="width:247px;"> </div> <p>The project grew out of research I started two summers ago in India. I co-authored a report and op-ed with Constantino Xavier, a senior fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress in New Delhi, that examined Russian and Indian cooperation in India’s “Neighbourhood First Policy.”</p><p>In that work, I came across the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh: a 2,400-megawatt facility being built by Russia with Indian assistance. This raised a question: Why did Bangladesh choose Russia over other countries with equal capabilities? As countries across the Global South expand their clean energy infrastructure, understanding why certain partnerships are chosen over others matters enormously for U.S. economic statecraft.</p><p><strong>You were named a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. What can you share about the work you’ll do there?</strong></p><p>I've been following Carnegie's work for years and relied heavily on the Russia and Eurasia program's reports for my honors thesis research on nuclear reactor exports. When applying to the Gaither Fellows program, I had a hard decision to make regarding which program to apply for, as my research interests span Russia, South Asia, and non-proliferation issues. Eventually, I settled on the Russia program, as I can connect my interest in other regions through analyzing Moscow's international engagement.</p><p><strong>Anything else you want people to know?</strong></p><p>I’m also a musician. I play lead guitar in a band at 91ֱ��—Sloth—and I’ve been doing combat sports my whole life. I want to study Indian classical string instruments and join an MMA gym. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The triple major in politics, economics, and Russian earned a Critical Language Scholarship and James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-07T12:00:00Z">Tue, 04/07/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Elizabeth Weinstein ’02</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/russian" hreflang="und">Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Lucas Daley</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Where Land Meets Art: Maya Miller ’26 Awarded a 2026 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship</h1> <p>kviancou — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 20:35:12 +0000</p> <span>Where Land Meets Art: Maya Miller ’26 Awarded a 2026 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-04-06T16:35:12-04:00" title="Monday, April 6, 2026 - 16:35">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 16:35</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p><strong>Maya Miller ’26 has been awarded a 2026 Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, a one-year grant that supports purposeful, independent exploration outside the United States. </strong></p><p>A double major in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs">gender, sexuality, and feminist studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing">creative writing</a>, with minors in studio art and comparative American studies, Miller will travel to New Zealand, Australia, Costa Rica, Iceland, Japan, China, and the United Kingdom. </p><p>Along the way, Miller will work with farmers, ceramicists, and artists whose practices engage both land and material, as part of a project that explores “the intersection of agriculture and art, and how clay, soil, and ceramics preserve cultural traditions.” </p><p>Miller answered these questions about the Watson project:</p><p><strong>Can you describe what your Watson work will entail?</strong></p><div class="image_resized align-left media-embed-resized" style="width:314px;"> </div> <p>My Watson starts with an admittedly broad question: How can art-making reflect, repair, and reimagine our relationship with the natural world? Clay, soil, and earth are inextricably linked. For millennia, humans have harvested, cured, and shaped earth into vessels essential to daily life. While ceramic and agricultural technologies share origins, they have grown into more disparate practices in the United States.</p><p>During my Watson year, I want to explore how the intersections of ceramic and land-based work might offer frameworks, rituals, and methodologies for regenerating our ecological and social soils. I’ll spend time with farmers, ceramicists, and artists working at these intersections, learning from their practices, ecologies, and communities.</p><p><strong>In what ways does what you’ll be doing build on your existing work—and in what ways does it open new pathways for you?</strong><br><br>I’ve been working on farms on and off since graduating from high school. It’s actually what first brought me to the Midwest—to a farm in rural Illinois. Farming opened up a new sensorial language for me, one rooted in relationships with the nonhuman and the material, and one that challenged my preexisting ideas of personhood and agency.</p><p>I love the care work of tending to plants and animals. It can be meditative and is similar to clay work—both invite collaboration with materials that are agentive and demanding of care.</p><p>This past summer, I worked as a farmer at an artist residency in the Adirondacks. I spent much of my day digging in the soil, running after sheep, carrying water to the chickens, or repairing pig fencing. In the evenings, I was in the clay studio, writing, or just talking, laughing, and cooking with the artists in residence. </p><p>I started to ruminate on the parallels that typically get drawn: Pottery makes dishes, farming makes food; potters and farmers alike work with their hands. And true, there is also something deeper.</p><p>My honors thesis in GSFS explores clay as a material with epistemological agency. In its way of being, clay can act as a kind of ontological mirror and a creative methodological tool for queer and disability theory. It shows how slowness, decomposition, and bodily negotiation can be generative conditions, foregrounding interdependence and undoing myths of autonomy and control. </p><p>This work is rooted in my own experience and thus somewhat autoethnographic. The Watson year will allow me to expand my thinking outward—to learn from other people, practices, and cultural relationships to land and material.</p><p>There is a pathway at the intersection of land and ceramics that I’ve only just begun to glimpse. We are all of this earth, whether our connections feel deep or tenuous. I’m interested in living into that idea and seeing where it leads.</p><p><strong>How did 91ֱ�� shape or influence you to pursue this fellowship? </strong><br><br>The Watson was suggested to me while I was trying to narrow the focus of my honors research. Rather than dismissing my too-big set of questions, I was encouraged to consider the fellowship as a way to explore them. </p><p>More broadly, I’ve been lucky to study with professors who encouraged me to think creatively and across disciplines. In a GSFS class with Thao Nguyen, I was encouraged to pursue a project on disability studies and ceramics practice, even when I couldn’t find existing scholarship at that intersection. That work became the seed of my honors thesis. </p><p>My thesis advisor, <a href="/kj-cerankowski">KJ Cerankowski</a>, has encouraged me to push against [conventional] academic writing and explore connections that might not seem obvious at first. I love the GSFS department and how it encourages and teaches us to think in expansive and experimental ways.</p><p>I’ve also taken <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/art">studio art</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing">creative writing</a> classes with amazing professors such as Amanda Hodes, Sam Cohen, Katherine Berta, and Abby Sherrill. They have encouraged me to see art as a space of inquiry—of searching, becoming, and imagining. </p><p>I also spent three winter terms working with 91ֱ�� alumnus Theo Helmstadter in his pottery studio in Santa Fe. A lifelong potter who harvests his own clays, Theo has been an incredible mentor. I’m grateful for the broader 91ֱ�� community and these kinds of connections.</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:533px;"> </div> <p><strong>How does pursuing the Watson align with your career goals and trajectory?</strong><br><br>I am interested in many things—perhaps too many. I want to work in the arts, work with my hands, write, and create. A year spent exploring both art and land with artists and makers is a great gift. I also imagine some version of my future self tending to a flock of sheep, so I do intend to spend time in the hills with sheep along the way.</p><p>More abstractly, this fellowship comes at a liminal moment between student life and whatever comes next. The Watson gives me the chance to stay in that in-between a little longer—to live inside the question of trajectory, rather than trying to resolve it too quickly. </p><p>It’s a privilege, and I hope it helps me find ways of living with the kind of curiosity, care, and attention that the world, like clay, continually asks of us. </p><hr><p><a href="/fellowships" target="_blank"><em>Connect with Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about opportunities for 91ֱ�� students.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Miller will travel to five countries to explore how ceramics and agriculture can repair our connection to the land.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-04-06T12:00:00Z">Mon, 04/06/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4148">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4269">Studio Art</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25361">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25326">Creative Writing</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/creative-writing" hreflang="und">Creative Writing</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/gsfs" hreflang="und">Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">courtesy of Maya Miller</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Five Faculty Honored for Excellence in Teaching</h1> <p>eburnett — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:15:56 +0000</p> <span>Five Faculty Honored for Excellence in Teaching</span> <span><span>eburnett</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-24T11:15:56-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 24, 2026 - 11:15">Tue, 03/24/2026 - 11:15</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Five 91ֱ�� faculty members have been recognized with Excellence in Teaching Awards for the 2024-25 academic year.</p><p>Presented annually, the awards recognize faculty across the college and conservatory who have demonstrated sustained and distinctive excellence in the classroom and beyond.</p><p>"The awardees represent the very best of undergraduate teaching and are deeply admired by colleagues and students alike for their mastery as pedagogues and their dedication to the learning and growth of their students,” says<a href="/node/4921"> David Kamitsuka</a>, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Their insights and mentoring will be a lifelong inspiration for their students."</p><p>Three college faculty and two conservatory faculty earn the honor each year.</p><p>“In their steadfast commitment to their students—and to all of our students—and their transformative work in and beyond the classroom and studio, these five individuals represent the highest ideals of the institution,” says Dean of the Conservatory <a href="/william-quillen" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ae2f8811-f23e-458f-87e3-6d455d557536" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="William Quillen">William Quillen</a>. “We are grateful to them for their extraordinary work and fortunate to count them as colleagues.”</p><p>A dinner reception was held March 19 at the home of President Carmen Twillie Ambar. The honorees are as follows:</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/grace-an" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3b336afb-7a55-45fc-9ebc-8a894957b3c7" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Grace An"><strong>Grace An</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of French and Cinema and Media</strong><br>“Grace An is a brilliant innovator in immersive pedagogies, leading our students on transformative experiences in France,” Kamitsuka says of An, a driving force behind the popular 91ֱ�� in Paris study-away program, which launched in fall 2025. “Students literally hear, see, touch, smell, and taste French culture through her multidisciplinary advanced courses.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/paul-brehm" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="0b425ae3-159b-4795-8db5-22eeb3e6864e" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Paul Brehm"><strong>Paul Brehm</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies</strong><br>“Paul Brehm is masterful in cultivating the virtuous educational circle of celebrated lectures and super-popular individual office hours,” says Kamitsuka. “He makes the study of economics into an adventure of discovery.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b85376d2-ae5a-4e3d-abad-9f105194fa92" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Dmitry Kouzov"><strong>Dmitry Kouzov</strong></a><br><strong>Associate Professor of Cello</strong><br>“Dmitry Kouzov is one of the great cello pedagogues at work in the country today,” says Quillen. “In his time at 91ֱ��, he has not only cultivated an extraordinary studio; he's helped support the flourishing—artistically, personally, and more—of so many of our students through his engaging, inspiring work as a teacher and chamber music coach.” </p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/gunnar-kwakye" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="a4ff3436-3ac9-4e9b-968d-9dad71694d40" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Gunnar Kwakye"><strong>Gunnar Kwakye</strong></a><br><strong>Robert W. & Eleanor H. Biggs Associate Professor of Neuroscience</strong><br>Kamitsuka notes that an incredible 33 91ֱ�� students have served as co-authors with Gunnar Kwakye on peer-reviewed scientific publications. “And that is just the tip of the iceberg regarding his integral role in the success of his students,” the dean says. “Professor Kwakye is a living legend as a mentor for our neuroscience students.”</p><div class="image_resized media-embed-resized" style="width:200px;"> </div> <p><a href="/james-oleary"><strong>James O’Leary</strong></a><br><strong>Frederick R. Selch Associate Professor of Musicology</strong><br>“Jamie O’Learly is not only one of the most respected musicologists of his generation,” says Quillen; “he's also an extraordinary pedagogue, consistently transforming students' lives through his extraordinary classroom teaching, his mentorship work directing individualized research, and more.”</p><hr><p>About the Excellence in Teaching Awards: Each year, College of Arts and Sciences faculty are selected for consideration through nominations presented to the College Faculty Council, which are then reviewed by a faculty committee. An award is presented in each division of the college: arts and humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and natural sciences and mathematics. The conservatory dean recommends a number of conservatory faculty to the Conservatory Faculty Council for consideration, and together they review and narrow the recommendations to two recipients.</p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Annual awards celebrate distinguished and sustained leadership across the college and conservatory.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-24T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/24/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4303">A&S Faculty</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3341">Conservatory Faculty</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=35261">Cello</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25356">French</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25351">Environmental Studies and Sciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=4861">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25256">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=28856">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/grace-an" hreflang="und">Grace An</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/dmitry-kouzov" hreflang="und">Dmitry Kouzov</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/james-oleary" hreflang="und">James O’Leary</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/gunnar-kwakye" hreflang="und">Gunnar Kwakye</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/paul-brehm" hreflang="und">Paul Brehm</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/french-and-italian" hreflang="und">French and Italian</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/cinema-studies" hreflang="und">Cinema and Media</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/neuroscience" hreflang="und">Neuroscience</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/strings" hreflang="und">Strings</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/musicology" hreflang="und">Musicology</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Honorees were celebrated at a March 19 dinner hosted by President Carmen Twillie Ambar. Pictured from left are Dean of the Conservatory William Quillen, Paul Brehm, James O'Leary, Gunnar Kwakye, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences David Kamitsuka, and President Ambar. Not pictured: Grace An, Dmitry Kouzov.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Tanya Rosen-Jones '97</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Faculty Earn Ohio Arts Council Excellence Awards</h1> <p>kviancou — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 20:58:59 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Faculty Earn Ohio Arts Council Excellence Awards</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-10T16:58:59-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 10, 2026 - 16:58">Tue, 03/10/2026 - 16:58</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Six faculty members representing 91ֱ��’s creative writing, theater, and music composition programs are among 77 Ohio artists honored by the Ohio Arts Council. Each received a 2026 Individual Excellence Award—a $5,000 grant that recognizes outstanding artistic achievement across a range of disciplines. </p><p>The awards provide artists with the resources to experiment and explore their art forms, develop skills, advance their careers, and receive affirmation and recognition for their outstanding work. The winners were selected through an anonymous, open-panel review process that focused solely on exceptional artistic achievement. </p><p>This year, the Ohio Arts Council received 469 applications from artists across the state. 91ֱ��’s recipients, and their respective award categories, are:</p><ul><li data-list-item-id="ec38c8ef0a8a0430492fc4ed4caa44b0c"><a href="/kari-barclay">Assistant Professor of Theater Kari Barclay</a> (playwriting)</li><li data-list-item-id="e90907cd44b649ee1b7a681dc4a831519"><a href="/emily-barton">Associate Professor and Chair of Creative Writing Emily Barton</a> (arts criticism)</li><li data-list-item-id="e8d07e609b4e48901b60e68684b5c3679"><a href="/amanda-hodes">Lecturer of Creative Writing Amanda Hodes</a> (poetry)</li><li data-list-item-id="ec167f1a6f5fad04510b1f24128792813"><a href="/elizabeth-rogers">Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers</a> (poetry)</li><li data-list-item-id="eb0508d81f54009c8d1b16275a243038b"><a href="/ghassan-abou-zeineddine">Assistant Professor of Creative Writing Ghassan Zeineddine</a> (fiction)</li><li data-list-item-id="e25973b4d95c16047973c18972652909c"><a href="/jesse-jones">Associate Professor of Composition Jesse Jones</a> (music composition)</li></ul><p>“Our communities are full of artists who make their livelihoods, hone their crafts, start their businesses, and share their talents right here in the Buckeye State,” says Donna S. Collins, executive director of the Ohio Arts Council. “By supporting outstanding artists, we recognize the value of individual creativity and the essential role that arts and culture play in our lives.”</p><p><a href="https://oac.ohio.gov/home/news-and-events/all-news/iea-fy-2026?fbclid=IwY2xjawPon8ZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEegu5JkMqtuBfAbHyscwLhqmMR7aBtnKjUuLKwA-PQT0XdQnsDOQaAWunQrxQ_aem_7SDIbHZs_kPlM1UJwCTqcQ">Learn more about the awards on the Ohio Arts Council website.</a></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Highly competitive program awards $5,000 grants recognizing outstanding artistic achievement.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-10T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/10/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4290">BA/BFA</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2356">Conservatory</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=33331">Composition</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-faculty field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/emily-barton" hreflang="und">Emily Barton</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/jesse-jones" hreflang="und">Jesse Jones</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/kari-barclay" hreflang="und">Kari Barclay</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/amanda-hodes" hreflang="und">Amanda Hodes</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/elizabeth-rogers" hreflang="und">Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers ’07</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/ghassan-abou-zeineddine" hreflang="und">Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/conservatory/divisions/contemporary-music" hreflang="und">Contemporary Music</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">91ֱ��'s Ohio Arts Council honorees for 2026 (clockwise from top left): Kari Barclay, Emily Barton, Amanda Hodes, Jesse Jones, Ghassan Zeineddine, and Elizabeth Lindsey Rogers.<br> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 Earns Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship</h1> <p>azaleski — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:42:49 +0000</p> <span>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 Earns Prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-19T10:42:49-05:00" title="Thursday, February 19, 2026 - 10:42">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 10:42</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Chudi Martin Jr. ’24 was teaching in his second-grade classroom at a Detroit public school when he saw the email notification.</p><p>The subject line read: “Gates Cambridge Offer.” He opened it.</p><p>“I read, ‘We are pleased…’ and I’m like, no, there’s no way this is happening right now,” he said.</p><p>Martin learned he was one of 26 people awarded the highly competitive <a href="https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/2026-us-scholars-announced/">Gates Cambridge Scholarship</a>—an honor reserved for the most academically brilliant social leaders in the U.S. The scholarship funds full postgraduate study at the University of Cambridge and recognizes exceptional academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to improving the lives of others.</p><p>Martin texted his work group chat and asked if someone could take over his class for a few minutes. Then he stepped out and called his mom from the bathroom.</p><p>“She was driving. I showed her the email. She’s crying. I’m trying not to cry. She’s like, ‘I have to pull over.’ She just stopped to absorb it. I couldn’t believe I actually got it.”</p><p>Martin is only the third 91ֱ�� graduate to earn the honor, following Daniel Walden ’12 and <a href="/news/stephen-lezak-15-awarded-gates-cambridge-scholarship">Stephen Lezak ’15</a>. At 91ֱ��, he double-majored in <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies">Africana studies</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies">environmental studies</a>, with a minor in <a href="/musical-pathways/african-american-music-minor">African American music</a>, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. </p><p>A Chicago native and Posse Scholar, he conducted mentored undergraduate research through the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Research Fellowship. His project, “<a href="/undergraduate-research/student-projects/466166">The Standing History of Afro-Diasporic Traditions in Trinidad & Tobago</a>,” combined textual, musicological, and ethnographic analysis of Afro-Trinidadian cultural traditions.</p><p>Outside the classroom, Martin immersed himself in Afro-diasporic performance traditions, playing steelpan with 91ֱ�� Steel and serving as a teaching assistant for the Djembe Orchestra, while also leading Steel Pan and Capoeira Angola ExCo courses.</p><p>He hadn’t played an instrument before college, but found himself drawn to the vibrant and diverse music scene on campus. “91ֱ�� gave me the ability to dive deeper into the practice of these Afro-diasporic art forms that I didn’t necessarily have access to beforehand,” he says, adding that he continues to play music.</p><p>Those combined experiences, he said, sharpened both his academic focus and his sense of leadership—foundations he will build on at Cambridge, where he will pursue a Master of Philosophy in social anthropology, continuing his research on the evolution of Afro-diasporic traditions and the power of music, movement, and dance in Trinidad and Tobago’s history.</p><p>“As a pannist of Trinidadian descent, I aim to bridge gaps between practitioners, scholars, and intellectuals outside of the academy and explore Caribbean narratives through a more nuanced perspective,” he says of his <a href="/undergraduate-research/student-projects/466166">research interests</a>.</p><p>For Martin, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship represents more than an academic milestone. He credits his family, faculty mentors, and the networks he built through Posse and Mellon Mays with helping him prepare—including months of interview practice and many pages of handwritten notes. “I really called on my support network for this opportunity,” he says. “Even if I didn’t get it, I wanted to walk out knowing I did my best.”</p><p>The award also carries significance beyond his own journey. “This is a moment for us to really take and be proud of,” he says, reflecting on the power of representation and what the scholarship means for Black students pursuing international academic opportunities. “For my Black boys, my Black girls—anything is possible. You have to put in the time and the work.”</p><p>Professor of Africana Studies <a href="/charles-peterson">Charles Peterson</a>, who was one of Martin’s mentors at 91ֱ��, likewise expresses his admiration for Martin’s “commitment to community.” </p><p>“Chudi’s accomplishments are always tied to the benefit of others, and I am sure his experience at Cambridge will be no different,” he says. “It has been an honor and pleasure to work with him and I have no doubt about the great things he will achieve going forward.”</p><p>Long term, Martin hopes to earn a doctorate and return to the classroom as a professor, and said his ultimate goal would be to teach in 91ֱ��’s Africana studies department—creating more space in academia for Afrocentric scholarship and Caribbean narratives that have historically been underrepresented. </p><p>“This is not a Chudi-wins-the-Gates-Cambridge-Scholarship moment,” he said. “This is the support and the community that brought me here.</p><p>"Being a teacher, you learn something from your students all the time. Kids have such a ‘You can do it’ attitude. You might feel like you're struggling, but there's always one kid who's like, ‘You're the best teacher ever!’”</p><p>One of his students—“the best reader in my classroom,” Martin says—is on the autism spectrum. “Never lose your love for reading. You’re going to go far in life,” he tells him. It’s the kind of encouragement Martin recognizes from his own journey and hopes to pass forward.</p><hr><p><em>Elizabeth Weinstein ’02 is a freelance writer and editor based in Columbus, Ohio.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The 91ֱ�� alum will continue his research on Afro-diasporic traditions in music, movement, and dance at St. John's College in Cambridge.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-19T12:00:00Z">Thu, 02/19/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Elizabeth Weinstein '02</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/africana-studies" hreflang="und">Africana Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/environmental-studies" hreflang="und">Environmental Studies and Science</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Martin is the third 91ֱ�� graduate to earn the honor, following Daniel Walden ’12 and Stephen Lezak ’15. </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Chudi Martin Jr. '24</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>91ֱ�� Named a Top Producer of Fulbright Students for 2025-26</h1> <p>azaleski — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:04:02 +0000</p> <span>91ֱ�� Named a Top Producer of Fulbright Students for 2025-26</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-02-02T17:04:02-05:00" title="Monday, February 2, 2026 - 17:04">Mon, 02/02/2026 - 17:04</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>For the 17th consecutive year, the Fulbright Program has named 91ֱ�� a Top Producer of Fulbright students. </p><p>Sixteen 91ֱ�� students and alums were selected for Fulbright awards for the 2025-26 academic year. These awardees encompass the popular English Teaching Assistant (ETA) program and Fulbrights geared toward study and research, including in the creative arts.</p><p>91ֱ�� is a perennial leader among undergraduate institutions in Fulbright honorees; it remains third on the all-time list, with more than 300 Fulbright recipients. The college also had 39 semifinalists overall in the 2025-26 application cycle.</p><p>“It is a point of pride for me and everyone on campus that 91ֱ�� is a top producer of Fulbright winners year after year,” says 91ֱ�� President Carmen Twillie Ambar. “Our people are deeply invested in supporting the academic passions of our students. When our Fulbrighters travel the world sharing 91ֱ��’s excellence, it is a reflection of this work.”</p><p>In recognition of the complex nature of Fulbright applications, 91ֱ�� offers students tailored, comprehensive assistance with their materials. This includes multiple information sessions and one-on-one meetings; access to faculty and staff experts trained to read Fulbright applications; five dedicated peer tutors; and the ability to submit essay drafts for unlimited revisions. Students also receive individualized essay support via regular all-day writing sessions and staff in 91ֱ��’s Writing Center.</p><p>“91ֱ��’s continued success with Fulbright applications reflects the academic strengths, passions, and ambitions of our students,” says director of fellowships and awards Danielle Abdon. “But this success also demonstrates the college’s unwavering administrative support for fellowships and experiential co-curricular opportunities through the Center for Engaged Liberal Arts. This includes the Office of Undergraduate Research, which enables students interested in conducting faculty-mentored research, and Study Away, which provides international experiences. As a result, 91ֱ�� students develop the skills and expertise needed to be successful Fulbright candidates.”</p><p>The <a href="https://fulbrightprogram.org/">Fulbright Program</a> is the federal government's flagship international academic exchange program. Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 400,000 talented and accomplished students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals of all backgrounds with the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research abroad, advancing knowledge, science, and industry through international exchange and collaboration. Fulbrighters achieve distinction and are recognized as leaders in government, business, science, technology, research, education, and the arts. </p><p>Here are the 91ֱ�� students and alums who won Fulbrights for the 2025-26 academic year:</p><p><a href="/news/julia-cronin-25-earns-fulbright-studyresearch-award"><strong>Julia Cronin ’25</strong></a> earned a Fulbright study/research award to Denmark, giving the chemistry and environmental studies major an opportunity to conduct research on ice cores and take graduate-level classes.</p><hr><p><strong>Ela Dubash ’25</strong> received an English Teaching Assistantship to Armenia.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/ella-erdahl-25-receives-shansi-fellowship-indonesia"><strong>Ella Erdahl ’25</strong></a> earned multiple honors, including an English Teaching Assistantship to Colombia, and is currently on a Shansi Fellowship in Indonesia.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/hayden-hill-24-earns-fulbright-bulgaria"><strong>Hayden Hill ’24</strong></a>, a history major with minors in Africana studies and comparative American studies, received an English Teaching Assistantship to Bulgaria.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/fulbright-fellowship-takes-amelia-huntsman-25-kazakhstan"><strong>Amelia Huntsman ’25</strong></a>, a Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies major, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Kazakhstan.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/nikki-keating-25-earns-fulbright-teach-english"><strong>Nikki Keating ’25</strong></a> received an English Teaching Assistantship to Kenya, where she is helping students develop writing skills and teaching them about journalism.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/emma-kim-25-accepts-fulbright-volunteer-kazakhstan"><strong>Emma Kim ’25</strong></a>, who double majored in history and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian studies, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Kazakhstan.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/yuji-kono-25-awarded-shansi-fellowship"><strong>Yuji Kono ’25</strong></a> received multiple honors, including an English Teaching Assistantship to Armenia, and is currently a Shansi Fellow in China.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/paris-mercurio-23-earns-fulbright-romania"><strong>Paris Mercurio ’23</strong></a>, a Shansi Fellow who previously received a Fulbright to the Czech Republic, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Romania. </p><hr><p><a href="/news/amelia-merithew-25-earns-fulbright-cameroon"><strong>Amelia Merithew ’25</strong></a>, a double major in anthropology and biology, received an English Teaching Assistantship to Cameroon.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/alana-metcalf-22-earns-fulbright-taiwan-0"><strong>Alana Metcalf ’22</strong></a>, a psychology major with a minor in East Asian studies, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Taiwan.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/walter-moak-25-earns-fulbright-germany-0"><strong>Walter Moak ’25</strong></a>, a musical studies major and record-setting dual athlete, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Germany.</p><hr><p><strong>Lila Agigian Sanchez ’25</strong> received an English Teaching Assistantship to Mexico.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/walter-thomas-patterson-25-earns-fulbright-ecuador"><strong>Walter Thomas-Patterson ’25</strong></a>, a double major in Latin American studies and musical studies, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Ecuador.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/audrey-weber-24-earns-fulbright-teach-english-ecuador"><strong>Audrey Weber ’24</strong></a>, who triple majored in anthropology, Hispanic studies, and Latin American studies, earned an English Teaching Assistantship to Ecuador.</p><hr><p><a href="/news/ani-zakarian-25-wins-fulbright-english-teaching-assistantship"><strong>Ani Zakarian ’25</strong></a>, a politics major who also served as the president of 91ֱ�� Student Cooperative Association, earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Armenia. </p><h2>About Fulbright</h2><p>Fulbright is a program of the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. government. Participating governments and partner institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program. Fulbright alumni work to make a positive impact on their communities, sectors, and the world and have included 44 heads of state or government, 63 Nobel Laureates, 93 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 83 MacArthur Fellows. For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit <a href="https://www.fulbrightprogram.org/">fulbrightprogram.org</a>.</p><hr><p><em>To learn more about fellowship opportunities at 91ֱ��, visit our Center for Engaged Liberal Arts </em><a href="/fellowships"><em>Fellowships and Awards</em></a><em> page or make an appointment with Danielle Abdon. Please sign up for any available time or send an email to fellowships@oberlin.edu.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Alums and recent graduates are spending the year teaching and studying across multiple continents</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-02-03T12:00:00Z">Tue, 02/03/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Julia Cronin ’25 has earned a Fulbright study/research award to Denmark, giving her the opportunity to spend the 2025-26 academic year conducting research on ice cores.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Abe Frato</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Leo Hidy ’23 Earns 2026 Marshall Scholarship</h1> <p>azaleski — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:22:30 +0000</p> <span>Leo Hidy ’23 Earns 2026 Marshall Scholarship</span> <span><span>azaleski</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-12-08T11:22:30-05:00" title="Monday, December 8, 2025 - 11:22">Mon, 12/08/2025 - 11:22</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Leo Hidy ’23, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies">comparative American studies</a> major who also studied <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business">business</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics">economics</a> while at 91ֱ��, has received a 2026 Marshall Scholarship. </p><p>The prestigious award funds two years of graduate study in the UK, providing Hidy with the opportunity to research how immigrants shape neighborhood economies and how government policy can better sustain these vital spaces. “I'm deeply honored and humbled to receive the Marshall Scholarship,” he says. “It's an opportunity I couldn't have imagined when I first set foot on campus.”</p><p>Hidy will first earn a Master of Science in City Design and Social Science at the London School of Economics, followed by a Master of Public Administration at the University College London's Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment. </p><p>“This two-year sequence lets me first understand how immigrant communities create their own economic and urban spaces, before applying those insights to reimagining supportive policy frameworks,” he says. “London's historic legacy of immigrant entrepreneurship and evolving approaches to high street revitalization offer an ideal setting for this work. I'm eager to bring these perspectives back to public service in the U.S. and to policy that empowers immigrants as the essential architects of vibrant cities.” </p><p>The Marshall Scholarship builds on Hidy’s post-graduation work as a <a href="/news/leo-hidy-23-receives-selective-public-policy-fellowship">New York City Urban Fellow</a> and an <a href="https://www.shansi.org/">91ֱ�� Shansi Fellow</a> in Japan. During the award application process, the San Francisco native also received crucial guidance from the <a href="/fellowships">Fellowships and Awards</a> office, faculty support from Professor of Comparative American Studies <a href="/gina-perez">Gina Pérez</a> and Professor of Sociology <a href="/greggor-mattson">Greggor Mattson</a>, and encouragement from Obies everywhere.</p><p>“I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community,” he says. “The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step.”</p><p>“What moved me most, though, was my 91ֱ�� friends,” Hidy adds. “When I was preparing for the Marshall interviews, Obies from all over the world—people who had graduated, moved to different countries, started their own careers, even some I'd never met—made time to call me, help me practice, and offer much-needed encouragement. It really does take a village, and I'm so beyond grateful for mine.”</p><p><strong>What does it mean to you to receive the Marshall Scholarship—and how will this help you move forward with your proposed career plans?</strong><br>It gives me the chance to study with scholars who are guided by the same questions as I am and who are reimagining urban policy from the ground up. </p><p>I’m currently working as a policy advisor for the City of New York. The Marshall Scholarship will allow me to return to municipal government with an eye toward transforming how cities support immigrant entrepreneurs and neighborhood economies. </p><p>Tangibly, the Marshall Scholarship means I can pursue the question that has driven my work at 91ֱ�� and beyond. Whether it be through my courses or extracurricular activities, I kept coming back to the same question: <em>How do institutions—dormitories, schools, towns, cities, and states—decide which identities belong and which do not? </em></p><p>In typical Obie fashion, the next question burning in the back of my mind is always, <em>What can we do about it?</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The 91ֱ�� alum will embark on two years of funded graduate study in London, researching how immigrants shape neighborhood economies and how government policy can better sustain these vital spaces.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-12-09T12:00:00Z">Tue, 12/09/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2368">Alumni</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25311">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=187731">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25341">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/comparative-american-studies" hreflang="und">Comparative American Studies</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/business" hreflang="und">Business</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/economics" hreflang="und">Economics</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">“The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step. I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community,” says Leo Hidy ’23.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Courtesy of Leo Hidy ’23</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-flex-content field--type-entity-reference-revisions field--label-hidden vertical-spacing--basic field__items"> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-46376" class="paragraph paragraph--type--pb-el-bq paragraph--view-mode--default"> <blockquote class="blockquote--slicer" data-text-size-large data-add-quotes> <p>I couldn't have done this without 91ֱ��'s community. The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step.</p> <p class="blockquote__attribution"> Leo Hidy '23 </p> </blockquote> </div> </div> <div class="field__item"> <div id="obj-46377" class="paragraph paragraph--type--para-el-copy paragraph--view-mode--default o-flex--basic-copy basic-copy"> <p><strong>In what ways did 91ֱ�� prepare you for this honor?</strong><br>91ֱ��'s motto of “Learning & Labor” taught me to ask better questions and then act on the answers. Academically, my American studies coursework pushed me to examine whose voices are centered in institutions and whose are marginalized. </p><p>In one of my favorite classes, Latinx Oral History, we met with Puerto Rican Vietnam War veterans in Lorain. We learned to listen deeply and interrogate our own assumptions about war, militarization, and patriotism. These skills shaped how I approach public service today.<br><br>The “labor” side was just as formative. As co-chair of the Student Finance Committee, allocating $2.4 million in student funding forced me to make consequential decisions about which groups would be resourced. </p><p>Additionally, working as a consent educator, Barefoot Dialogue facilitator, and an RA all taught me how to build community and translate academic insights into institutional change. These roles provided me with the leadership skills, humility, and curiosity essential for the work I want to accomplish as a Marshall Scholar. </p><p><strong>Anything else you want to add?</strong><br>I couldn't have done this without the support of 91ֱ��'s community. The Marshall application and interview process was intense, and I'm so grateful I had support at every step. </p><p>The Fellowships Office guided me through the complexities of the application, helping me articulate ideas through many (and I mean many) drafts. My professors, especially Gina Pérez and Greggor Mattson, not only wrote incredible letters of recommendation but pushed me to clarify the driving questions behind my work.</p><p>Additionally, the 91ֱ�� Shansi Fellowship gave me the ambassadorial skills that became central to my Marshall proposal, and the Shansi community continues to shape how I think about cross-cultural exchange and learning.</p><hr><p><a href="/fellowships"><em>Connect with Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about the fellowships and awards opportunities and support available to 91ֱ�� students and alumni.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> <article> <h1>Walter Moak ’25 Earns Fulbright to Germany</h1> <p>mreed — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 14:37:41 +0000</p> <span>Walter Moak ’25 Earns Fulbright to Germany</span> <span><span>mreed</span></span> <span><time datetime="2025-11-21T09:37:41-05:00" title="Friday, November 21, 2025 - 09:37">Fri, 11/21/2025 - 09:37</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Throughout his four years at 91ֱ��, the Charlottesville, Virginia, native competed on both the cross country and track and field teams, making four appearances across two different NCAA National Championships. </p><p>Moak is the <a href=" https://goyeo.com/sports/mens-track-and-field" data-entity-type="external">91ֱ�� track and field</a> record holder for the 1000-meter, 1 Mile, and distance medley relay races, and appears 10 times on the sport’s top-10 times list. Before closing out his career, he also helped lead the <a href="https://goyeo.com/sports/mens-cross-country" data-entity-type="external">cross country team</a> to a pair of North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Championships in 2022—the first time the men’s team won the crown in 66 years—and 2024.</p><p>In addition to his athletic achievements, Moak performed in 91ֱ��’s Arts & Sciences Chamber Collective and the Musical Union. With the latter, he performed at Carnegie Hall in January 2023. </p><p><strong>How did 91ֱ�� shape or influence you to pursue the Fulbright?</strong></p><p>During my time at 91ֱ��, I took a number of excellent classes in the <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/german">German department</a>. Although I arrived on campus with no knowledge of German, I signed up for German 101 with <a href="/steven-huff">Professor of German Steve Huff</a> during my first semester. I loved the class and continued to study the language, progressing through grammar classes into literature courses over the next few years.</p><p>In those upper-level courses, I read books and stories that were both surprisingly dynamic, both somber and comic, moving yet sharp. Contrary to the language’s caricatures in American media, I found that German could achieve a breadth of expression: spare and terse at one moment, but free and fluid at the next. </p><p>Surprisingly, I also found that German complemented my other coursework quite well. As a musical studies major, I could read Wagner’s essays in their original text and understand the lyrics of Schubert’s song cycles. Additionally, I used my German in an art history course on Albrecht Dürer and in several linguistics classes. </p><p>Although I enjoyed studying German, I had few opportunities to speak it. Since I chose not to study abroad at 91ֱ��, I started looking for ways to go to Germany after graduation. When I decided to apply for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA), the German department supported me at every stage: Professor Huff wrote a recommendation on my behalf, and <a href="/jessica-resvick">Assistant Professor of German Jessica Resvick</a> reviewed and helped edit my application essays. </p><p>I also have to credit 91ֱ��’s track and field team for creating a culture that encouraged me to apply. The team is full of ambitious people who apply for competitive fellowships and often win them. During my time on the team, <a href="/news/survivor-mentality">Emma Hart</a> ’23 won a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship and <a href="/news/hayden-hill-24-earns-fulbright-bulgaria" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="6b4d0a23-614a-4d83-a9a9-5ac4b1ecb98b" data-entity-substitution="canonical" title="Hayden Hill ’24 Earns Fulbright to Bulgaria">Hayden Hill</a> ’24 won another Fulbright, and two of my teammates applied in the same cycle as I did. With such company, I wasn’t intimidated by the Fulbright’s competitive process or prestigious reputation.</p><p><strong>How does pursuing the Fulbright align with your post-college life and career goals? </strong></p><p>I’m unsure of what career I intend to pursue, and Fulbright gives me another year to figure things out. However, the program’s focus on education and linguistics could lead to jobs in those fields. </p><p>Additionally, I’m considering getting a master’s degree in either urban planning or landscape architecture. Spending time in Germany will expose me to how physical places are planned and formed outside the U.S.</p><p><strong>What’s the best advice you’ve received from your 91ֱ�� faculty mentor?</strong></p><p>“The worst they can say is no—and you’re in the same position you started in.” – Ben Wach, head track & field coach.</p><hr><p><em>If you’re a rising or graduating senior interested in Fulbright, connect with </em><a href="/node/4526"><em>Fellowships & Awards</em></a><em> to learn more about pursuing research or an arts project, obtaining a graduate degree, or teaching English in a foreign country of your choice following graduation.</em></p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">The record-setting 91ֱ�� athlete and musical studies major plans to teach English.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">News Story</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2025-11-21T12:00:00Z">Fri, 11/21/2025 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Communications Staff</div> <div class="text-content field field--name-field-intro-text field--type-text-long field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Walter Moak ’25, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies">musical studies major</a> and record-setting 91ֱ�� dual athlete, has earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Germany for the 2025-2026 academic year. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2360">After 91ֱ��</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=4080">Fellowships</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=2373">Awards and Honors</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3846">Engaged Liberal Arts</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-programs field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?program=25281">Musical Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Abe Frato ’25</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> </main></body></html>