Holy Cross Produces Nine Fulbright Scholars

Recipients to teach and conduct research in Argentina, Germany, Russia, Sri Lanka, more

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Academics

Eight members of the Class of 2014 and one member of the Class of 2012 have been awarded Fulbright grants to work and teach abroad during the 2014-15 academic year. Since 2005, Holy Cross has received a total of 70 Fulbrights, and has consistently been among the nation’s top producers of Fulbright students at the undergraduate level.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is widely recognized as the most prestigious international exchange program in the world. The highly competitive grants are awarded on the basis of academic merit and professional promise.

This year’s recipients are headed to Argentina, England, Germany, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

“We had another strong Fulbright year with nine recipients — six English teaching assistants and three research grantees,” says Anthony B. Cashman, director of Distinguished Fellowships and Graduate Studies at the College. “For the English teaching assistants, the countries are quite spread out and include Kyrgyzstan, where Kyle Olsen will be the first-ever Holy Cross Fulbrighter. For the research Fulbrights, Michael Daly '12 will pursue a master's in security studies at the University of Sussex in England. Martha Walters '14 will study organic farming in Indonesia, and Christine Roughan will use her classics training to learn about the burgeoning field of digital humanities at the University of Leipzig in Germany.”

Each year approximately 1,900 U.S. college students are awarded grants through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. The Fulbright Program, the U.S. government’s flagship program in international educational exchange, awards grants to U.S. citizens and nationals of other countries for a variety of educational activities, primarily university lecturing, advanced research, graduate study and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Since the program’s inception in 1946, more than 300,000 participants — selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential — have had the opportunity to observe each other’s political, economic and cultural institutions. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

This year’s recipients are:

	Michael Daly ’12, of South Burlington, Vt., has received a Fulbright grant to pursue a one-year master’s degree in international relations at the University of Sussex. A political science and economics double major, his goal is to work in the government following the grant, preferably in either the intelligence community or the U.S. Department of State. Read more »

	Kristina Domaney ’14, of Norwood, Mass., has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Turkey where she will teach English to Turkish college students. She also plans to conduct a small research project to better understand what rights and services deaf students in Turkey receive. A political science and psychology double major with a deaf studies minor, Domaney looks forward to teaching special education through Teach for America. She also hopes to remain active in the deaf community either through interpreting or advocacy work. Read more »

	Rachel Gannon ’14, of Katy, Texas, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Russia where she will teach English to Russian university students. A Russian major, she hopes to work for the U.S. State Department or in international business, focusing on Russia and Eastern Europe. Her other goals include improving her Russian and German language skills, and perhaps learning a few more languages. Read more »

	Madeleine Klett ’14, of Arlington, Va., has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Sri Lanka where she will teach English to Sri Lankan students. She will also meet and interview Sri Lankan contemporary artists and artist collectives. She is interested in seeing how working artists are supported in Sri Lanka, and the opportunities that are available for them. A history major and studio art minor with an Asian studies concentration, she plans to pursue a degree in curatorial or museum studies. Read more »

	Kyle Olsen '14, of Los Angeles, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Kyrgyzstan where he will teach English to Kyrgyzstani high school students. Under the guidance of the Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Embassy in Kyrgyzstan he will also have the opportunity to participate in community outreach and cultural activities, such as directing reading and conversation groups at the secondary level, conducting trainings and making presentations. A political science and Russian double major, his plans to pursue a diplomatic career at the U.S. Department of State. Read more »

	Katherine Riley ’14, of Alameda, Calif., has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain where she will teach English to Spanish high school students. A political science and Spanish double major in the College Honors Program, she plans to pursue a career in international politics, and would ideally like to work for the State Department, the United Nations, or an international non-profit organization to help find solutions for the global issues of the day. Read more »

	Jeffrey Reppucci ’14, of Newburyport, Mass., has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Argentina where he will teach English to high school students. A Russian major, member of the men’s hockey team and class valedictorian, Reppucci plans to launch a community service project in Argentina replicating the success of numerous projects he executed over the past several years by combining his passions: working with kids, sports programming and infrastructure, and wellness and recreation. He plans to work in the field of humanitarian development and youth advocacy. Read more »

	Christine Roughan ’14, of Wilton, Conn., has received a Fulbright research grant to travel to Germany to study and contribute to the field of philology, the study of language in written historical sources. A classics major and physics minor, Roughan plans to attend graduate school to study classical philology, textual transmission, and the history of science. She aspires to become a college professor, and expects that her scholarship will continue to be informed by approaches and methods that working with the humanities in a digital age makes possible. Read more »

	Martha Walters ’14, of North Grafton, Mass., has received a Fulbright research grant to study organic farming trends and influences in Indonesia. A double major in anthropology and environmental studies, she hopes to work in environmental policy or with an environmental nongovernmental organization. She then plans to pursue either a joint degree in anthropology and environmental studies or a degree in environmental science and policy. Read more »