Successes & News

Recent Successes

With 32 Finalists in the current competition, the Smith Fellowships Program has again achieved a new Fulbright record for the college, with this highest number of Finalists beating our 29 in 2010.

This Finalist total represents a 76 percent first-round success rate from the 42 candidates who applied.
The 32 listed below under Finalists have been short-listed to move forward into the next and final round of the competition.

We have 15 Finalists — 11 seniors and 4 alumnae — proposing original Research Projects including first-time applications to Barbados and Mongolia.
This group includes two Finalists applying to enter graduate degree programs, one of which is Smith's first-ever Fulbright doctoral candidate (applying to New Zealand).

We also have 17 Finalists — 16 seniors and 1 alumna — applying to Teach English at elementary school to university level, with first-time applications to Bulgaria, Laos, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

We honor all of the 42 candidates who completed Fulbright applications in 2012: The record number of racial and ethnic minorities and first-generation college students, and first-generation Americans, in the cohort proudly represents the growing diversity of Smith.

We thank the 129 Smith faculty members who provided invaluable support to the students through mentoring, writing references, and consulting. In addition, staff in the Jacobson and Lazurus centers, the Registrar's and Class Deans' offices, and ITS and the Poetry Center, pitched in with key support.

It is this team effort that helps keep Smith the strongest Fulbright program in the nation.

FELLOWSHIPS RESULTS 2012-13
As of May 14, 2013

SUMMARY
32 Finalists
32 Fulbright (short-listed)
43 Candidates
These 42 candidates have enjoyed the support of 129 Smith faculty members, many of whom have contributed in multiple ways: mentoring, writing references, and consulting..
42 Fulbright
1 Ecole Normale Superieure

32 FINALISTS

32 Fulbright (short-listed)
76 Percent First-Round Success Rate

Hannah Brower '13J
Taiwan: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Junior High School
Mentor: Nancy Bradbury
Recommenders: Rosetta Cohen, Lois Dubin
Consultants: Yalin Chen, Floyd Cheung, Rosetta Cohen, Cornelia Pearsall
Foreign Language Evaluator: Yalin Chen
House: Friedman

Luvana Chowdhury '13
Bangladesh: Biology
"Low-Cost Accurate Test to Quickly Detect Dengue Virus to Help Save Lives"
Mentor: Steven Williams
Recommenders: Peter de Villiers, Adam Hall, Steven Williams
House: Ziskind

Genevieve de Mijolla '13
Germany: Engineering
"Protecting Vital Data-Privacy Security while Developing Smart Grid Infrastructure"
Mentor: Judith Cardell
Recommenders: Judith Cardell, Nalini Easwar, Paul Voss
Consultants: Nalini Easwar
Foreign Language Evaluator: Joseph McVeigh
House: Talbot

Sophia Demuynck '13
Brazil: English Teaching Assistantship
University
Mentor: Judith Cardell
Recommenders: Jaime Ginsberg, Eeva Sointu
Consultants: Eeva Sointu
Foreign Language Evaluator: Marguerite Harrison
House: King

Christina Evans '12
Colombia: English Teaching Assistantship
University
Mentor: Maria Rueda
Recommenders: Ibtissam Bouachrine, Maria Harretche, Maria Rueda
Consultants: Reyes Lazaro, Ibtissam Bouachrine, Maria Harretche
Foreign Language Evaluator: Reyes Lazaro
House: Comstock

Elena Farrar '10
Malawi: Education
"Empowering Skills Acquisition: Overcoming Barriers to Secondary Education"
Mentor: Greg White
Recommenders: Greg White
Consultants: Rosetta Cohen
House: Chase

Tosca Fischer '13
Germany: History
"When the 'Brown Pest' Showed Up at the Party—St. Pauli Under the Nazi Regime"
Mentor: Judith Keyler-Mayer
Recommenders: Judith Keyler-Mayer, Jocelyn Kolb, Richard Lim
Consultants: Jocelyn Kolb, Richard Lim
Foreign Language Evaluator: Judith Keyler-Mayer
House: Cutter

Zoë Gioja '13
South Korea: English Teaching Assistantship
Secondary School
Mentor: Jennifer Hall-Witt
Recommenders: Ernest Benz, Joshua Birk, Douglas Patey
Consultants: Ernest Benz, Joshua Birk, Douglas Patey
House: Parsons

Victoria Henry '13J
Colombia: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or High School
Mentor: Donna Riley
Recommenders: Donna Riley, Andrea Stone, Paul Voss
Consultants: Gillian Kendall
Foreign Language Evaluator: Silvia Berger
House: Cushing

Chloe Hill '12
Brazil: Language and Literature
"Beyond the Tropical: Bahia Re-Imagined Through the Universal Poetry of Myriam Fraga"
Mentor: Malcolm McNee
Recommenders: Marguerite Harrison, Malcolm McNee, Janie Vanpee
Consultants: Marguerite Harrison, Janie Vanpee, Ellen Watson
Foreign Language Evaluator: Malcolm McNee
House: Friedman

Elena Iannaccone '11
Switzerland: Law
"Swiss NGO Catalysts for Partnerships Promoting Transparency in International Finance"
Mentor: Howard Gold
Recommenders: Kimberly Albright, Howard Gold, Greg White
Consultants: Randy Bartlett, Mlada Bukovansky, Greg White
Foreign Language Evaluator: Kiki Gounaridou, Bruno Grazioli
House: Friedman

Ruth Isserman '13
Germany: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Secondary School
Mentor: Joel Westerdale
Recommenders: Jefferson Hunter, Judith Keyler-Mayer, Joel Westerdale
Consultants: Judith Keyler-Mayer
Foreign Language Evaluator: Judith Keyler-Mayer
House: Capen

Katheryne Jackson '13
Brazil: English Teaching Assistantship
University
Mentor: Sharon Seelig
Recommenders: Malcolm McNee, L'Tanya Richmond , Andrea Stone
Consultants: Malcolm McNee
Foreign Language Evaluator: Lisandro Kahan
House: King

Andrea Kang '13
South Korea: English Teaching Assistantship
Secondary School
Mentor: Jennifer Guglielmo
Recommenders: Daniel Gardner, Jina Kim, Dennis Yasutomo
Consultants: Sara Eddy, Jefferson Hunter, Kimberly Kono
Foreign Language Evaluator: Suk Massey
House: Chapin

Aileen Kim '13
South Korea: Political Science
"Surveying the Shifting Role of Gender in South Korean Electoral Politics and Party Platforms"
Mentor: Marc Lendler
Recommenders: Marc Lendler, Suk Massey, Dennis Yasutomo
Consultants: Jina Kim, Suk Massey, Dennis Yasutomo
Foreign Language Evaluator: Suk Massey
House: Park

Hunter King '13J
Sri Lanka: English Teaching Assistantship
University or High School
Mentor: Justin Cammy
Recommenders: Justin Cammy, Jay Garfield, Andrew Rotman
Consultants: Jay Garfield, Andrew Rotman
House: Friedman

Abigail Knickerbocker '13
Peru: English Teaching Assistantship
Teachers' College
Mentor: Douglas Patey
Recommenders: Marguerite Harrison, Maria Rueda
Consultants: Silvia Berger, Marguerite Harrison, Michelle Joffroy, Maria Rueda, Anne Zulawski
Foreign Language Evaluator: Michelle Joffroy
House: Wilson

Hanna Koby '13J
Thailand: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Secondary School
Mentor: Elizabeth Spelman
Recommenders: Rob Nicholson, Jeffry Ramsey, Elizabeth Spelman
Consultants: Albert Mosley, Jeffry Ramsey
House: Parsons

Sophie Mettler-Grove '13
India: Environmental Studies
"Identifying Factors for Success in Innovative Rainwater Capture Initiatives"
Mentor: Leslie King
Recommenders: Howard Gold, Greg White
Consultants: Nalini Bhushan, Kim Bierwert, David Smith, Greg White
House: Talbot

Amelia Murphy '13
Indonesia: English Teaching Assistantship
High School
Mentor: David Palmer
Recommenders: Bruno Grazioli, David Palmer
Consultants: Ernest Benz, Nora Crow, Andrew Rotman
House: Cushing

Lisa Saladin '13
Ireland: Language and Literature
"Fresh Feminine Voices: Transfiguring Irish-Language Poetry in the Postmodern Era"
Mentor: Michael Thurston
Recommenders: Dawn Fulton, Helene Visentin
Consultants: Craig Davis, Janie Vanpee
House: Dawes

Kirsten Silfvenius '13
Mongolia: Anthropology
"Scouting on the Steppe: The Impact of the Scouting Movement on Rural Education"
Mentor: Suzanne Gottschang
Recommenders: Suzanne Gottschang
Consultants: Elliot Fratkin, Caroline Melly
House: Lawrence

Nia Spooner '13
Taiwan: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Junior High School
Mentor: Samuel Intrator
Recommenders: Samuel Intrator
Consultants: Sara Eddy, Carol Learned-Miller, Cathy Swift
Foreign Language Evaluator: Yalin Chen
House: Gardiner

Katy Swartz '13
Bulgaria: English Teaching Assistantship
Secondary School
Mentor: Donna Divine
Recommenders: Justin Cammy, Donna Divine
Consultants: Julio Alves, Naila Moreira
House: Hopkins

Sydney Tichenor '09
New Zealand: Linguistics
"Dialect Variation: How New Zealanders' Perceptions of English Shape Language Usage"
Mentor: Jill de Villiers
Recommenders: Jill de Villiers
House: Sessions

Joanna Trott '13
Norway: Energy
"Model Policy Foresight in Preparing for Transition from Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy"
Mentor: Nola Reinhardt
Recommenders: Fernando Armstrong-Fumero, Nola Reinhardt
Consultants: Debra Carney, Holly Davis
House: Park

Sarah Tucker '13
Indonesia: Biology
"Developing Innovative Management Solutions in Small-Scale Fishing Communities "
Mentor: David Smith
Recommenders: Jesse Bellemare, Laura Katz, David Smith
House: Cushing

Kamilah Weeks '13
Laos: English Teaching Assistantship
University
Mentor: Ibtissam Bouachrine
Recommenders: Ibtissam Bouachrine, Justin Cammy, Donna Divine
Consultants: Randall Bartlett, Justin Cammy, Donna Divine
House: Baldwin

Susan Wu '13
Malaysia: English Teaching Assistantship
Primary or Secondary School
Mentor: Sara Pruss
Recommenders: Paulette Peckol
Consultants: Debra Carney, Rosetta Cohen, Sara Eddy, John Loveless
House: Ziskind

Alison Yong '13
Taiwan: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Junior High School
Mentor: Richard Millington
Recommenders: Yalin Chen, Richard Millington, Andrea Stone
Consultants: Yalin Chen, Andrea Stone
Foreign Language Evaluator: Yalin Chen
House: Capen

Madeline Zehnder '13
Barbados: Language and Literature
"Writing Resistance, Writing Community: Neglected Texts of the Black Atlantic"
Mentor: Andrea Stone
Recommenders: William Oram, Eric Reeves, Andrea Stone
Consultants: Craig Davis, Ellen Kaplan
House: Jordan

Jenna Zukswert '13
Canada: Forestry
"Ecological Consequences of the Mountain Pine Beetle Epidemic in Canadian Boreal Forests"
Mentor: Robert Merritt
Recommenders: Jesse Bellemare, Robert Merritt, Amy Rhodes
Consultants: Jesse Bellemare, Julianne Busa, Amy Rhodes, David Smith
House: Chapin

43 CANDIDATES

42 Fulbright

Dahna Black '13
Bahrain: English Teaching Assistantship
University or Vocational Institution
Mentor: Mlada Bukovansky
Recommenders: Mlada Bukovansky, Suleiman Mourad
Consultants: Greg White
Foreign Language Evaluator: Abdelkader Berrahmoun
House: Cushing

Marisa Cheng '13
Canada: Music Theory
"Visual Music: Training Students to See Tones and Hear Colors to Enhance Music Education"
Mentor: George Robinson
Recomenders: Raphael Atlas, George Robinson, Margaret Sarkissian
Consultants: Raphael Atlas, Janice Gatty, Janice Moulton, Alan Rudnitsky, Margaret Sarkissian
House: Cutter

Sophia Demuynck '13
Brazil: English Teaching Assistantship
Teachers' College
Mentor: Judith Cardell
Recommenders: Jaime Ginsberg, Eeva Sointu
Consultants: Eeva Sointu
Foreign Language Evaluator: Marguerite Harrison
House: King

Elizabeth Esposito '13J
Ecuador: Urban Development & Planning
"Down the Road: How Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has Improved the Quality of Life in Quito"
Mentor: Reid Bertone-Johnson
Recommenders: Reid Bertone-Johnson, Greg White
Consultants: Randy Bartlett, Julianne Busa, Nick Horton, Leslie King, Charles Staelin, Paul Voss, Greg White
Foreign Language Evaluator: Nancy Sternbach
House: Talbot

Yasmine Evans '13
South Africa: Political Science
"From One Generation to the Next: Preparing Women for Political Leadership"
Mentor: Susan Bourque
Recommenders: Riche Barnes, Susan Bourque, Louis Wilson
Consultants: Riche Barnes, Peter de Villiers, Brent Durbin, Roger Kaufman, Katwiwa Mule, Louis Wilson
House: Baldwin

Elena Farrar '10
Malawi: Education
"Empowering Skills Acquisition: Overcoming Barriers to Secondary Education"
Mentor: Greg White
Recommenders: Greg White
Consultants: Rosetta Cohen
House: Chase

Rachel Garbus '13
Benin: Education
"Facing School Challenges from the Ground Up: Community-Based Education Reform Solutions"
Mentor: Martha Ackelsberg
Recommenders: Leonard Berkman
Consultants: Jonathan Gosnell, Greg White
House: Northrop

Radhika Garland '10
Russia: Art History
"Universal Language of the Popular Print Captured through Three Centuries of the Russian Lubok"
Mentor: Dana Leibsohn
Recommenders: Martha Ackelsberg, Nalini Bhushan
Consultants: Martha Ackelsberg, Maria Banerjee, Lee Burns
House: Dawes

Katheryne Jackson '13
Dominican Republic: English Teaching Assistantship
High School
Mentor: Sharon Seelig
Recommenders: Malcolm McNee, L'Tanya Richmond , Andrea Stone
Consultants: Malcolm McNee
Foreign Language Evaluator: Lisandro Kahan
House: King

Elayna Lalikos '13
China: Sociology
"Female Martial Artists: Promotion of Gender Equality Through Wushu Kung Fu"
Mentor: Sabina Knight
Recommenders: Sabina Knight, Sujane Wu, Ling Zhao
Consultants: Sujane Wu
Foreign Language Evaluator: Ling Zhao
House: Park

Claire Ma '13
Singapore: Urban Planning and Development
"Building a Singaporean Identity with Public Housing's Ethnic Integration Policy"
Mentor: Randall Bartlett
Recommenders: Randall Bartlett, Brent Durbin, Andy Rotman
Consultants: Mlada Bukovansky, Brent Durbin, Andy Rotman, Gregory White, Dennis Yasutomo
Foreign Language Evaluator: Yalin Chen
House: Ziskind

Katy Swartz '13
Bulgaria: English Teaching Assistantship
Secondary School
Mentor: Donna Divine
Recommenders: Justin Cammy, Donna Divine
Consultants: Julio Alves, Naila Moreira
House: Hopkins

Elizabeth Williams '13
Germany: English Teaching Assistantship
Elementary or Secondary School
Mentor: Ernest Benz
Recommenders: Ernest Benz, William Oram
Consultants: Patrick Coby, Greg White
Foreign Language Evaluator: Jocelyne Kolb
House: Cushing

Clare Yaghjian '13
India: Anthropology
"Shifting Relevance, Continued Prevalence: Kolam Competitions Expressing a New Era"
Mentor: Andrew Rotman
Recommenders: Caroline Melly, Catherine Smith
Consultants: Pinky Hota
House: Albright

1 Ecole Normale Superieure

Julia Hladky '13
Paris, France: History
"Gendered Symbolism in Renaissance Royal Entrance Ceremonies"
Mentors: Hélène Visentin, Darcy Buerkle
House: Chapin