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WKU Lands Spot on List of Top Fulbright Scholarship Producers

WKU

WKU is receiving praise for the number of Fulbright Scholars it produced last year.

The six grants awarded to WKU students ranks third in the nation among schools offering Master’s degrees, according to a list compiled by the Chronicle of Higher Education. WKU’s six current Fulbright Scholars are teaching English and conducting research in five countries: Costa Rica, England, Germany, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Melinda Grimsley-Smith, with the school’s Office of Scholar Development, says a growing number of students are seeing the value of scholarships that offer an international component “where they’re taking a year off, or a year in between here and grad school, or between here and a job to go out into the world for a year and live in another culture and be a cultural ambassador for the United States.”

She also believes part of the school’s recent success stems from its efforts at convincing more students that they have a shot at landing prestigious grants, like the Fulbright.

“Students are more and more willing to take the risk of applying, I think. They’re more willing to think of themselves as compelling and competitive candidates for national scholarships.”

WKU’s 2014-15 Fulbright Award recipients are:

Chad Coomer (Biology and Chemistry, 2014, WKU Honors College) is studying infection and immunity at University College London. Next fall, Coomer will begin PhD study at Oxford University.

Jon Hendrie (Biochemistry, 2014, WKU Honors College) is researching minimally invasive surgical techniques at Heidelberg University Hospital in Germany. Hendrie will return to the United States to begin medical school at the University of Kentucky in July.

Clarice Esch (Agriculture, 2014, WKU Honors College and Gatton Academy 2011) is investigating sustainable agricultural techniques in Costa Rica. Esch will continue her research in the PhD program in Agriculture at Michigan State University next fall.

Wesley Bromm (History and Social Studies, 2013), Allison Feikes (International Affairs and Political Science, 2014, WKU Honors College), and Angelika Masero (Journalism and German, 2010, WKU Honors College) have been teaching English and American culture in Vietnam, Turkey and Germany, respectively.

Kevin is the News Director at WKU Public Radio. He has been with the station since 1999, and was previously the Assistant News Director, and also served as local host of Morning Edition.
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