2014-2015
Annual Report
MESSAGE FROM THE
FOUNDING DIRECTOR
MESSAGE FROM THE
ACTING DIRECTOR
It’s been seven years since the Drexel Fellowships
Office was founded, initially as part of Study
Abroad. At the time, people were skeptical. Do
Drexel students really get these things? Yes, as it
turns out, increasingly we do. I’m very proud of
what we’ve built here at Drexel: Each year, we’ve
seen students compete, and find success, at national levels. The confidence of our students and
our campus is growing.
The Drexel Fellowships Office celebrated its seventh
year in 2014-15. In a relatively short amount of time,
we have built a strong foundation of high-quality
programs and support, whether it’s working closely
with individual applicants, developing outreach initiatives, or raising awareness of fellowships opportunities for Drexel students. I hope this report will help
highlight the important role of applying for fellowships in the personal and scholarly development of
our students and as part of Drexel University’s strategic vision.
These successes come within an increasingly competitive national funding landscape: Many excellent programs have closed, while others, including
the Fulbright, Mitchell, and Goldwater Scholarships,
have seen their funding threatened or substantially
reduced. The Whitaker Awards will be closing for
good in 2018 (after closing its undergraduate program last year).
One thing we’ve learned over the years is that applying for major awards with us has significant longer-term effects, regardless of whether a student actually received the specific award. Students regularly tell us how much we have helped them clarify
their professional (and personal) visions and enabled them to prepare far stronger graduate school
and job applications. Among the students who
were “not successful” this year are young men and
women going on to graduate programs at outstanding institutions such as MIT, Stanford, Yale, and
Columbia. One student, a Mechanical Engineering
alumnus from several years ago (who is now 2/3
through his PhD at an Ivy League institution), recently told me, “You have been so impactful in my life,
just huge. I know I would never have gotten the opportunities I have without what I learned from you.
And it’s been a ripple effect – What you’ve taught
me, I’ve taught to other friends where I am now.”
So we dedicate this Annual Report to these ‘ripple
effects’ – those powerful, perhaps unintended but
oft-times life changing impacts.
This will be my last year as Director of the Fellowships
Office, but I’m delighted that Dr. Meredith Wooten
will be serving as Acting Director. I know how committed she is to a vision of fellowships as a lever for
the development of young scholars and how capable she is in executing ambitious plans. I am excited
to see her grow our work with an eye to these longer-term ripple effects for the students and for the
university.
Fond regards,
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The Fellowships Office aims to foster student ambition and achievement by raising campus-wide
awareness of opportunities and helping students
create strong applications through intensive individual advising and support. Individual advising and
applicant support continue to be the cornerstone of
our work, while we expand our reach through new
outreach programming and field-specific programming and resources. Within this report, you will find
more information about the accomplishments of our
programs and the students we served in 2014-15. I
am proud of the efforts of the Fellowships Office
team and partners and look forward to continuing
to achieve meaningful results as we move forward
in the next year.
Looking ahead, the Fellowships Office aims to maintain a strong capacity to support student applicants
while building and strengthening our partnerships
across the university. This summer, we are piloting
the use of Blackboard Learn to make it easier for
students to access resources and get support
through the application process. In the coming
years, we plan to expand programming in two areas: scholar development and diversity outreach. We
will also continue working with our campus partners
to develop new and more substantial ways of supporting students. I look forward to detailing our progress in these areas next year.
Warmly,
MEET OUR TEAM
STAFF
MISSION
RONA BUCHALTER
FORMER DIRECTOR
CYNTHIA OKA
FELLOWSHIPS COORDINATOR
MEREDITH WOOTEN
ACTING DIRECTOR
14-15
STUDENT WORKERS
JILLIAN ADAIR
Fall 2014
74%
“
EMILY BALLANTYNE
Summer 2014,
Spring/Summer 2015
VINCE O’LEARY
Fall/Winter 2014-15
MRINALIMI SHARMA
Summer 2014
The Drexel
Fellowships Office
supports students
across the University
in their applications
for competitive
national and international fellowships.
We raise campuswide awareness of
opportunities and
directly help
students create
strong applications
through intensive
individual advising
and support.
VINCE O’LEARY
STUDENT ASSISTANT
of applicants said their experience with the DFO
exceeded their expectations in 2015.
The patience of the [Fellowships
Office staff] is beyond words. It is very comforting knowing that people are willing to work
hard to see you personally succeed.
They are amazing at their jobs and I hope that
they keep growing the program.
”
-2015 DFO Student Survey Respondent
“
I found the Whitaker through ads on campus
from the Fellowships Office as well as their database and decided to apply and was so grateful
for all the support they gave me. They were
always there, accessible, easy, happy to help,
and I believe so strongly in their work that I
ended up applying and becoming a student
worker in the office.
”
-Emily Ballantyne, Mechanical Engineering BS ‘17,
Whitaker International Fellow 2014-15 (Chile)
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INDIVIDUAL APPLICANT SUPPORT
What most people know about our work is that we ‘help students get awards’, but we do much
more than just read essays. Not only do we provide a wide range of support and resources for
Drexel students and alumni, but a key priority of our office is to raise awareness and understanding
of nationally-competitive opportunities across the institution. We also convene forums, events, and
consult with partners to develop a broad culture of support for student achievement at Drexel.
The heart and soul of our work will always be the individual support and attention we offer students
who are working on applications to 22 nationally-prestigious awards. For many students, the experience of intensive individual advising, feedback and reflection is formative.
THE STUDENT APPLICATION EXPERIENCE
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50%
of applicants started
working on their applications at least three months
before the deadline.
THE HARDEST PARTS OF APPLYING:
40%
of applicants thought
it took more time and
effort than they
expected.



Writing and revising essays
 On average, applicants will
revise their essays between
5-6 times
Developing a strong and
compelling proposal
Managing time/other obligations
AWARDS
The Drexel Fellowships Office supports students across the University in their applications for competitive national fellowships, with a focus on our Core and Priority Awards. Our staff has considerable
experience with these awards and can help ensure that students’ applications align with grantors'
interests and requirements. In most cases, we are able to offer additional resources, such as targeted workshops or samples of previously successful essays.
CORE AWARDS
PRIORITY AWARDS
Our “Core” awards are those administered
through our office and which require a University nomination or interview. For these awards,
we work closely with applicants throughout
their entire application process – from deciding to apply and providing feedback on essays, to convening faculty interview committees and facilitating submission.
Our “Priority” awards are a designated set of
awards that stand out as particularly interesting
or worthwhile for Drexel students. While students
apply directly to the granting organization and
are not required to work with us for these
awards, we provide substantial guidance and
resources to students preparing applications for
these programs.
Boren Scholarship ● Carnegie Junior Fellows
● Fulbright US Student Program ● Goldwater
Scholarship ● Marshall Scholarship ●
Mitchell Scholarship ● Rhodes Scholarship ●
Truman Scholarship ● Udall Scholarship
Boren Fellowship ● Critical Language
Scholarship ● DoD SMART ● DAAD RISE ●
Gates-Cambridge ● Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship ● Lindau Award ● National
Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
(NDSEG) Fellowship ● NIH Fellowships and
Scholarships ● NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) ● Schwarzman Scholarship ● UNCF-Merck Science Awards ●
Whitaker International Program
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
The Fulbright US Student Program, one of our Core Awards (see below), supports US students for one
year of overseas study, research, creative projects, and/or English teaching.
In 2014-15, Fulbright applicants received support from our office that included individual advising
and essay feedback, essay workshops, insider tips from a panel of Drexel Fulbright alumni and faculty, student presentation opportunities, and even speed-dating events for quick, in-depth reviews of
their applications. All this preparation culminates in individual evaluation committees by faculty and
the Fellowships staff and an intensive period of (yet more) revision before the national deadline.
Phew!
This year, we worked with over 50 applicants for the 2015-16 awards, 20 of whom submitted the application in the end. 38 faculty/staff representing 11 Schools/Colleges assisted with the process.
In Fall 2014, we expanded our outreach and advising support for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, one of our Priority Awards. For this program, we offered info sessions and workshops, and organized a panel of faculty who have participated in selection panels for GRFP to
share their insights about the review process. We also provided GRFP applicants with the opportunity
for anonymous review. To make this work, we enlisted the participation of over 25 faculty readers
who provided feedback for 50 student applicants.
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PARTNERSHIPS
One of the overarching goals of the Fellowships Office is to foster a broad culture of fellowships at
Drexel. To do this, we need to expand our passion and commitment from our small office into nodes
of enthusiasm and support around the university.
The goal is to build capacity within each school, to empower those who are already invested in and
working closely with their students, and to help them help students access and apply for major
awards. This combination of inspiration and knowledge is especially important when it comes to
helping students access the more discipline-specific awards that they (and we) are unlikely to know
about. This happens in a number of ways.
FELLOWSHIPS LIASONS
We have designated liaisons who serve as a primary point of contact and partner with each School and College. Liaisons are the linchpin in our effort to build broader nodes of knowledge within colleges. These vital
connectors can help us think about what their students need and how best to reach them within the culture
and structure of that school. This is ongoing work with each school but is essential to the broad success of fellowships endeavor at Drexel.
More specifically, we pass along opportunities or events that we think might be of particular interest to their
students and ask them to share as appropriate. Conversely, many liaisons will let us know when they hear of
programs they think we might want to add to our repertoire.
In consultation with our college liaisons, we have developed discipline-specific award lists, which we update
annually for each college. We also develop opportunity lists for specific interests as there is need: teaching
English abroad, for example, or support for international STEM research.
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EVENTS
In some cases, we work with the liaisons to develop school-specific programs and events for students.
For example, we can help develop, and in some cases offer, info sessions and workshops on funding
topics tailored to the needs of individual classes, departments, colleges, and student groups.
MEETINGS
We attend meetings of faculty, advisors, and other professional staff at either the department or college
level when invited. This not only helps our colleagues better understand what we do (and don’t do) and
how we can partner most effectively, it can also help us understand the challenges and opportunities of
working with a particular population. For example, in schools where there is already considerable institutional knowledge and expertise with major grants (such as NIH in DUCOM or NSF in Engineering), our
contribution might look different than it will in areas where such knowledge is thin.
ADMINISTRATION AND STUDENT SUPPORT
In addition to working with academic liaisons, we also identify administrative and student service partners who are interested in expanding the fellowships mission and culture at our university. Collaboration
with these partners includes co-sponsoring events to reach particular groups of students, and/or developing strategic infrastructure and resources that can help advance the mission.
STAFF PARTICIPATION
Our staff participate in a number of university-wide committees and initiatives and volunteer for partner
events throughout the year. Highlights of staff participation for the 2014-15 year include: Honors program
admissions ● Liberty Scholars ● Student Affairs Awards ● Research Day ● Undergraduate Research Poster Session ● Committee for International Programs (CIP) ● CoAS Research Day ● Pennoni Resource Fair ●
Delaware Valley Re-entry Conference ● Week of Writing
“
The support I received from my mentors, faculty, the Fellowships Office, cohorts,
friends, as well as people I met along the way simply because I was engaged in
the process of applying was remarkable.
”
–2015 DFO Student Survey Respondent
OUR PARTNERS
Office of Research ● Drexel Writing Center ● Office of Graduate Studies ● Office of International
Programs ● Office of Undergraduate Research ● Liberty Scholars Program ● Alliance Minority Participation/Bridge to the Doctorate Honors Program ● Hagerty Library ● Foundation and Corporate
Relations (IA) ● Financial Aid Office/Drexel Central ● International Student and Scholar Services ●
Study Abroad Office ● English Language Center ● Student Center for Inclusion and Culture ● Office of the President ● Drexel Center for Academic Excellence ● Faculty Development and Equity
● Steinbright Career Development Center ● Lindy Center for Civic Engagement
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NOTES FROM THE FIELD
THE TRAILBLAZER
Lauren Pitts received a Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy in 2014. She has been a Fulbrighter in Barbados
in 2014-15, where she has been studying the impact of father-daughter communication on the sexual decision
making of adolescent girls.
Time has flown by sooooo fast. I'm in the grind of my research and will be wrapping all of it up in
April... It's been an amazing journey! Truly amazing. [In addition to my own project,] I'm a research
assistant for a regional project being conducted by UNICEF/UWI School of Education. My team
is looking at the impact of gender on educational outcomes in secondary schools throughout the
Caribbean. I've met so many people that have expressed interest in my research and I've been invited to work with an agency in Jamaica because they asked me to assist in helping them develop a
program for fathers and their daughters. I've also been invited to Montserrat and there has been a
bit of discussion about doing some work in Grenada too. What an amazing and enriching experience this has been!
What I really want next professionally, is to work with the Department of Education in a health and
human services capacity, bringing together these disciplines as a space from which to advocate for
youth and families.
If I had to give one piece of advice to Fulbright applicants, I’d say be real about it, because the
people who are living in the cultural region where you are going to do your project deserve someone who is willing to be authentic. …The personal statement forced me to do in-depth self-reflection
to link my life experience with my project proposal. I did probably 18 drafts of the personal statement
before I got to the version that was submitted and landed me the Fulbright.
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THE EXPLORER
Matt D’Arcy received his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2014. He received the State Department’s Critical
Language Scholarship for Korean language study during the summer of 2014. As a Fulbrighter in South Korea
this past academic year, he has worked in the Space Systems Research Laboratory of Korea Aerospace University in Seoul.
Researching in Korea this year has been an awesome experience. In the fall, I linked together a software program with some computer code and made a simulation of the satellite in a random tumble
in orbit around the Earth. As of the spring time we were hard at work finishing up the test model and
subjecting it to thermal cycling, vacuum, shock, and vibration tests. I’ve also explored the startup
scene in Korea and joined the Fulbright Korea Alumni Relations mobile app developer team; we are
at work on what will hopefully help connect the pool of nearly 1600 alumni of Fulbright Korea.
While it was not required, it has proved extremely rewarding to study Korean (at Drexel, in the CLS
program, in classes in Seoul, and now through self-study), which has enabled me to connect with
people and even have some colloquial conversations! I have made a few good friends in the lab
and my presence there this year has led them to get out and explore a bit more than they would
have otherwise. We have gone out to dinner parties and videogame lounges nearby, explored
neighboring cities and even gone on a ski trip.
I also began assistant-teaching English lessons to North Korean defector high-school students on
Thursday nights so that has been a great outlet for both civic and cultural engagement.
Coming to Korea this year has changed my
life. I learned a new language, explored
new industries, and have made many
friends along the way. My view of a huge
intimidating globe has become that of a
reasonably sized, well-connected entity; an
empty book with its pages waiting to be written. As my Dad impressed in my mind over
lunch at a remote Eastern-Shore MD restaurant in 2007, “the world is your oyster.”
By the numbers:
Over 200 students signed up
with us at resource fairs or
through presentations to
student and academic
groups.
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THE MENTOR
Karthik “Paco” Sangaiah is a first year PhD student in Computer Engineering and a recipient of the threeyear NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. His goal as a researcher is to develop cutting edge network-on-achip (NoC) designs that will cater to future exa-scale computing workloads in industry and the research
community. In addition, Paco is a teaching assistant and mentor to undergraduate students.
As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, I have more time, flexibility, and financial freedom, which is
a real luxury for grad students. And that opens up more international opportunities, like the NSF
GROW program, which I’ve been looking into. I also have special access to certain resources, like
the XSEDE Super Computing Cluster – which is a bunch of super computers based at different universities that are networked to each other. This is very useful for our field. The application process
was hell though. By the end of it, I had 10 drafts of the Personal Statement, and 13 of the Research
Statement.
But reading my personal statement now reminds me why I’m pursuing what I’m pursuing, why I’m
working so hard and am willing to make sacrifices more than perhaps some of my friends. To reflect back on your experiences, your goals, and trajectory forward, and knowing you’ve defined
this for yourself, that’s really rewarding. And I felt that way even before I got accepted.
[Now that I’m in graduate school,] having a polished research statement really helped me define
the objectives I wanted to accomplish toward my greater goals, and what those goals are. I find a
lot of graduate students get stuck in the mental limbo in the beginning – what to do, what profs to
work with – so having all of that figured out was a great bonus.
My number one piece of advice? Go bug the DFO folks. They’re much better than many fellowships offices, and everyone there really wants to help you.
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THE GLOBAL SCIENTIST
Amanda Pentecost received her BS in Materials Science & Engineering in 2013, and is currently a dual PhD
candidate in Materials Science & Engineering and an MS student in Biomedical Engineering. Amanda received the NSF GRFP in 2014.
The fellowships application process allows you to really find your “story”— what sets you apart from
others -- which is one of the best things you can learn to do. Although I didn’t get the first award I
applied for here (the Goldwater Scholarship), it taught me a lot about putting together a competitive application and paved the way for me applying for more fellowships. I now have the NSF
GRFP. I work under both Dr. Kara Spiller (a previous NSG GRFP and Fulbright recipient) in Biomedical
Engineering and Dr. Yury Gogotsi in Materials Science & Engineering (also the director of the Drexel
Nanomaterials Institute). My project focuses on using nanodiamond, a novel nanomaterial with rich
surface chemistry, as a drug delivery vehicle in order to modulate the immune response.
I have always been really interested in learning about other cultures. I come from a very multicultural family — my dad and his family are from England and my three siblings are adopted from
South Korea – and I am currently President of the Student Global Advisory Board, which promotes
global and local academic and cultural initiatives. I am applying for a Fulbright now, which focuses
on this theme of combining research and multiculturalism as a way to forge lasting international
relationships and open-mindedness.
Over the years, I have come to really appreciate how lucky Drexel is to have such an involved Fellowships office that hosts countless
information sessions, writing workshops, etc.
The staff has done an excellent job at getting
to know individual students really well in order
to identify relevant fellowships, help edit essays, and, of course, maintain a positive and
encouraging attitude along the way!
By the numbers:
Over 330 students
attended 50 info
sessions and
workshops on
specific award
programs.
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STUDENT PROFILES
Critical Language Scholar (Arabic)
JENNIFER SIEW
International Area Studies, ’15, Honors
While many of her friends are headed straight to work or graduate school after graduation, Jennifer Siew will be living in Morocco this summer, spending her days in intensive study of the
Arabic language. And she couldn’t be more thrilled.
Jenn is a recipient of the State Department’s Critical Language
Scholarship (CLS), which seeks to broaden the base of Americans studying critical languages by offering fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion programs.
Jenn is no stranger to language study or to global travel. An International Area Studies major with a concentration in Justice
and Human Rights, she has studied abroad in Jordan and
Egypt, and co-oped in Egypt and the West Bank. Last year, she
received the prestigious Boren Scholarship from the National Security Education Program (NSEP)
which allowed her to study Portuguese and take other academic classes at the elite Universidad de
Sao Paolo for most of 2014.
Jennifer hopes to bring all her language and cultural experiences together in a career that focuses
on improving public healthcare and alleviating poverty in the Middle East and North Africa.
Kate Hughes, of the IAS program, has been Jennifer’s mentor at Drexel.
NSF Graduate Research Fellow
SCOTT LERNER
Computer Engineering, PhD program
Scott Lerner, a first-year PhD student in Computer Engineering,
received the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year. He
works under Dr. Baris Taskin of the ECE department in the VLSI
(Very Large Scale Integration) lab and has done previous research with Dr. Mark Hempstead in the Power Aware Computing lab. Scott’s research interests include low-power VLSI circuits, modeling of parametric variation, and timing models
specifically for clock distribution networks. His research goal is
to develop a methodology for designing resilient hardware
based on software workloads.
Outside of research, Scott is the Technical Chair of Drexel IEEE
Graduate Society and is a teaching assistant for Advanced Programming for Engineers. Successful
GRFP applicants must demonstrate significant intellectual merit as well as the broader impact of
their work. Impressively, Scott also received the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) this year, which he declined in order to accept the NSF award.
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Goldwater Scholars
ANTHONY ABEL
Chemical Engineering BS ’15, Honors
ANJLI PATEL
Chemical Engineering BS ’16, Honors
Universities are able to nominate up to four
students for the Goldwater Scholarship, a
highly prestigious award that recognizes the
nation’s top undergraduates committed to
cutting-edge STEM research careers. In an
unusual move, Drexel’s Goldwater Committee selected two students from the same lab
this year. Even more unusually, both students
Received the award from the Goldwater Foundation, 2 of only 68 engineering students selected
nationally this year. The students are Anjli Patel and Anthony Abel, and the lab is Dr. Jason Baxter’s
Nanomaterials for Energy Applications and Technology (NEAT) Lab. Anjli is a junior Chemical Engineering student and Anthony is a pre-junior in the same department. Both got involved with Dr. Baxter’s research as STAR Scholars the summer after their freshmen year. They have published a paper
together in the Journal of Physical Chemistry C and presented their work at several conferences.
The Baxter lab investigates the synthesis of nanostructured materials and thin films and their use in
solar cells in order to improve efficiency and reduce the cost of this important sustainable energy
technology. According to Dr. Baxter, "Anthony and Anjli are excellent students and researchers. They have made great contributions to my lab and I am lucky to have them in my group. We
are so proud of their accomplishments.” Both plan to pursue their PhDs after graduating.
Fulbright US Student Scholar to Uganda
CARMEN CRONIN
Public Health, MPH ‘14
Carmen Cronin received a Fulbright Student Scholarship to
Uganda for next year, where she will be working with a local
organization, NETWAS, to study menstrual hygiene. More specifically, Carmen will be looking at how both the practical
management and social stigma of menstruation impact the
educational alternatives and empowerment of girls and
women.
Carmen’s Fulbright success comes on her second try; we’re
so thrilled that she decided to give it another go.
Carmen also serves as a Fellowships Ambassador for our office, supporting and encouraging other students in their
quest for fellowships.
Carmen has spent this post-MPH year working as an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Research
Project Coordinator in the Department of Community Health and Prevention. Her Drexel faculty
mentor is Dr. Suruchi Sood.
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DFO GRADUATION AWARD
Rishon (Chemical Engineering BS ’15, Honors) and Alex
Benjamin (Mechanical Engineering BS/MS ’15, Honors) are
DFO MENTOR AWARD
probably used to the nickname “Wonder Twins” for their academic and research excellence. Both are engineers. Both
have applied for a number of fellowships. Both have been
Goldwater Scholars. But we are honoring Rishon and Alex
with our Graduation Award for a different, and very special,
reason.
It might be obvious to many that fellowships is about fostering
a culture of excellence. What might be less obvious is that it is
also about tenacity, dedication and support. At the Fellowships Office, we feel privileged to have had the opportunity
to work closely with Rishon and Alex, and to see these qualities in action. Each went after his goals and committed to
the hard work of putting together competitive applications,
while always having each other’s back. When results seemed
disappointing or even unfair, they didn’t give up or lose sight
of what is important: their passion for creating solutions to improve the lives of people all over the world. Finally, in the
face of demanding course and lab schedules, they always
made time to reach out, offer advice, and encourage other
students to pursue their highest aspirations.
This fall, Rishon and Alex will begin the Master’s in Applied
Mathematics program at MIT. We are incredibly happy for
them. For their exemplary advocacy of all aspects of what it
means to be a Fellow, we celebrate them with the Fellowships Graduation Award.
TOP BENEFITS STUDENTS REPORTED AFTER
APPLYING FOR A FELLOWSHIP
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1
Better prepared to apply for fellowships or other competitive awards in
the future (and more likely to do so).
4
Writing skills have improved; am better
able to express my interests and passions on paper.
2
More confidence in myself.
5
Strengthened relationships with
faculty mentors and recommenders.
3
A clearer and more ambitious vision
for my future.
6
Better able to prepare strong graduate
school applications.
DFO MENTORING AWARD
With this new award, we seek to recognize the considerable effort and critical role of a faculty member who consistently goes the extra mile to cultivate, prepare, and guide students
in their applications to nationally-competitive fellowships.
2015 Awardee: Kara Spiller, Assistant Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences.
Student Fellowships: NSF GRFP, NSF IRES (China), NSF DDEP; Fulbright US Student Program (Portugal).
Faculty Grants: NSF, NIH, Coulter Foundation, Industry.
As a doctoral student at Drexel, Kara received student awards from both NSF and Fulbright. She says,
"The only reason I applied to these fellowships are because my mentors encouraged me to, and I'm
sure that is the case for many of my own students now." Indeed, she is a one-woman outreach team,
recommending fellowships for outstanding students wherever she may meet them (including on the
volleyball court!).
Dr. Spiller wants students in her lab to have an international experience in order to develop their professional networks, but also because she strongly believes it's a great way for them to grow as human
beings. In just the three years that she's been a member of the biomedical engineering faculty, eight
students from her lab have received national or international awards (including two Whitaker awards
and one NSF GRFP) and another six applied but were not selected. Eleven have received internal
awards. She has helped an additional six students (outside of her lab) receive the Fulbright or Whitaker awards.
Every year, Dr. Spiller also participates actively in campus-wide activities that directly and indirectly
serve the broader 'cause' of fellowships: campus evaluation committees, outreach events, career
development and mentoring activities.
As to why she puts in so much effort to help students, she says "Applying for fellowships helps students
learn to come up with their own ideas for the first time, respond to criticism, and set their own deadlines to achieve their own goals … Having students apply for and win fellowships makes Drexel better, one student at a time."
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2014-2015 FACULTY PARTICIPATION
Mentoring is an essential part of student success and achievement, particularly when it comes to
fellowships applications. While students must come to the process with a distinctive combination of
knowledge, skill and passion, it is so often a faculty or staff mentor who sparks an interest, who encourages students to go the extra mile and to persist through to the end of the process. The best
mentors are role models, cheerleaders, and task masters; they set a high bar and both encourage
and support students to leap over it.
When a former Materials Science & Engineering student applied and won a
Fulbright with assistance from the Fellowships Office, Associate Professor Caroline L.
Schauer took notice. She was impressed with the level of detail and assistance
given to students going through the fellowship application process. That was seven
years ago. Since then, Schauer has reviewed several internal applications and
served on evaluation panels and awards committees for the NSF GRFP, Fulbright,
and Goldwater fellowships. Faculty involvement is crucial in the review process,
Schauer says. “If the student receives reviewer comments, it is important for him to
see what does or doesn’t resonate with reviewers,” Schauer adds. “Students benefit
tremendously from other points of view.”
Professor Peter Amato would agree. “It is in how we respond to setbacks and obstacles that we really find direction and strength,” says Amato, a teaching professor of
Philosophy and Director of Programs in Philosophy. Amato has been sitting on Fellowships committees for two years – not only for the great satisfaction of helping
deserving students find their way, but also to be a part of an educational support
system. “Fellowships are a wonderful way for students to expand their horizons, but I
don’t think students generally get the support they need to find these opportunities
and navigate the complexities of applying,” Amato says. “The Fellowships Office is
a vital link between our students and the wider world of research and study possibilities. Fellowships can dramatically propel them into a variety of careers and forms
of research.”
2014-2015 FACULTY & STAFF PARTICIPANTS
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LLOYD ACKERT Associate Teaching Professor, History; Fulbright ● TONY ADDISON Professor, Chemistry; UK Awards ● ULRIKE ALTENMULLER-LEWIS Associate Professor, Architecture & Interiors; Fulbright ● PETE AMATO Director, Programs in Philosophy; Teaching Professor, Philosophy; Udall and Truman ● DANI ASCARELLI Director, Study Abroad Office; Fulbright ● PHILLIP AYOUB Assistant Professor, History & Politics; Fulbright ● SCOTT BARCLAY Department Head, Professor, History & Politics; NSF GRFP ● GLENN
BOOKER Professor, Computing & Informatics; NSF GRFP ● GEORGE CICCARIELLO-MAHER Assistant Professor, History & Politics;
Fulbright ● NILY DAN Associate Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering; NSF GRFP ● BLYTHE DAVENPORT Adjunct Assistant Professor, English & Philosophy; DWC Fellowship Support Fellow ● PETE DECARLO Assistant Professor, Civil, Architectural, and
Environmental Engineering; Udall and Truman ● LAUREN DEPAUL Honors Program Coordinator, Pennoni Honors College; Fulbright ● MICHELLE DOLINSKI Assistant Professor, Physics; Goldwater ● MARY EBELING Associate Professor, Sociology; UK Awards
● KEVIN EGAN Director, Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry; Fulbright ● ALISON EVANS Associate Professor, Public Health; Fulbright ● DANIEL FILLER Professor, Law; UK Awards ● TALI GIDALEVITZ Assistant Professor, Biology; NSF GRFP ● MILES GOODLOE
Honors Program Coordinator, Pennoni Honors College; Fulbright ● ERIN GRAHAM Assistant Professor, Politics; Carnegie ● AMELIA HOOVER GREEN Assistant Professor, History & Politics; Fulbright ● SUSAN GURNEY Assistant Teaching Professor, Biology; UK
Awards ● TRAVIS HARMAN Instructor, English & Philosophy; Fulbright ● MARK HEMPSTEAD Assistant Professor, Electrical and
Computing Engineering; NSF GRFP ● URI HERSHBERG Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering; NSF GRFP ● PAWEL HITCZENKO
Professor, Mathematics; Fulbright ● GRACE HSUAN Professor, Civil, Architecture, and Environmental Engineering; NSF GRFP ●
TANIA ISAAC Assistant Teaching Professor, Dance; Fulbright ● HAIFENG JI Associate Professor, Chemistry; Boren ● DAVE JONES
Former Dean, Pennoni Honors College, Westphal; Fulbright ● KRISTY KELLY Assistant Clinical Professor, Global and International
Education; Boren ● EMMANUEL KOKU Associate Professor, Sociology; Fulbright ● TIMOTHY KURZWEG Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering; Goldwater ● CHARLES LANE Professor, Physics; NSF GRFP ● REBECCA CLOTHEY Assistant Professor, Education; Fulbright ● PAULA COHEN Dean, Pennoni Honors College; Fulbright ● MICHELE MARCOLONGO Professor, Material Engineering; NSF GRFP ● SHANNON MARQUEZ Associate Professor, Public Health; Fulbright ● RICK MCCOURT Professor, Biodiversity; NSF GRFP ● KATHY MCNAMEE Associate Teaching Professor, English & Philosophy; DWC Fellowship Support Fellow ●
MARIANALLET MENDEZ-RIVERA Assistant Teaching Professor, English & Philosophy; DWC Fellowship Support Fellow
WAYS FACULY CAN SUPPORT
THE FELLOWSHIPS ENDEAVOR
1
Mentor students; connect them with opportunities for
professional development such as research, conference
attendance, language study, etc.
2
Refer students to us; encourage them to apply for awards.
3
Participate on student interview panels.
4
Help student applicants to revise essays.
5
Serve as an anonymous reviewer for awards such as NSF GRFP.
6
Offer country-specific insights for applicants to international
awards like Fulbright.
7
Invite us to present to department meetings, seminars, etc.
8
Participate as reviewers on panels for national awards
such as Fulbright, NSF, Boren, NDSEG. Debrief with us after
such participation to share your insights and learning from
the experience.
REFER A STUDENT
You know them when you
see them. Students who
want to know more, go
further. They ask for advice
and mentorship. They are
genuine leaders on campus or in the community.
They’ve got the spark.
Consider referring these
extraordinary students to
the Fellowships Office, or
have them start with our
website: drexel.edu/
fellowships. We’re always
happy to meet with
students you think are
exceptional.
JAYA MOHAN Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Research; Fulbright ● OWEN MONTGOMERY Chair, Obstetrics & Gynecolgy; Fulbright ● JULIE MOSTOV Vice Provost, Global Initiatives; Professor, History & Politics; Fulbright ● KRISTINE MULHORN
Chair, Associate Professor, Health Administration; Fulbright ● IRINA MURTAZASHVILI Assistant Professor, Economics; Boren ● DANUTA NITECKI Dean, Hagerty Library; UK Awards ● JOEL OESTREICH Director, International Area Studies; Associate Professor, History & Politics; UK Awards ● CARRIE RATHMANN Director of Strategic Partnerships, Habitat Philadelphia; Udall and Truman ● RACHEL REYNOLDS Associate Professor, Culture & Communication; Fulbright ● GORDON RICHARDS Associate Professor, Physics; NSF
GRFP ● KERRY RIVELEY DWC Fellowship Support Fellow ● NOREEN ROBERTSON Associate Vice Dean for Research, Biochemistry
& Molecular Biology; NSF GRFP ● ANA DIEZ ROUX Dean, Public Health; Fulbright ● JAKE RUSSELL Associate Professor, Biology;
Goldwater, NSF GRFP ● TIAGO SARAIVA Assistant Professor, History & Politics; Fulbright ● ALEKSANDRA SARCEVIC Assistant Professor, Computing & Informatics; NSF GRFP ● CAROLINE SCHAUER Associate Professor, Materials Science and Engineering; Goldwater, NSF GRFP ● AHAJI SCHREFFLER Associate Director, Study Abroad Office; Fulbright ● REINHARD SCHWEITZER-STENNER
Associate Professor, Chemistry; Fulbright ● PATRICIA SHEWOKIS Professor, Nutrition Sciences; NSF GRFP ● CHRIS SIMS Assistant
Professor, Psychology; NSF GRFP ● AMY SLATON Professor, History & Politics; NSF GRFP ● SURUCHI SOOD Associate Professor,
Public Health; Fulbright ● KARA SPILLER Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering; Fulbright, NSF GRFP ● BARIS TASKIN Associate Professor, Electrical and Computing Engineering; NSF GRFP ● GARRITT TUCKER Assistant Professor, Materials Engineering; NSF
GRFP ● DEBORAH TURNER Assistant Professor, Computing & Informatics; NSF GRFP ● KRISTENE UNSWORTH Assistant Professor,
Computing & Informatics; Udall and Truman ● BRIGITA URBANC Associate Professor, Physics; NSF GRFP ● JOHN WALSH Associate Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering; NSF GRFP ● MARSHALL WARFIELD Assistant Teaching Professor, English & Philosophy; DWC Fellowship Support Fellow ● RACHEL WENRICK Associate Teaching Professor, English & Philosophy; Fulbright, Carnegie
● CHRIS WEYANT Teaching Associate Professor, Materials Science & Engineering; NSF GRFP ● MAGGIE WHEATLEY John M. Reid
Professor, Biomedical Engineering; UK Awards ● VINCENT WILLIAMS Assistant Teaching Professor, English & Philosophy; DWC Fellowship Support Fellow ● YOTO YOTOV Associate Professor, Economics; Fulbright ● ADAM ZAHN Academic Programs Manager,
Office of International Programs; Fulbright ● ERICA ZELINGER Assistant Director of Communication, Pennoni Honors College; Fulbright ● EMILY ZIMMERMAN Director, Criminal Law Program; Fulbright
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SPECIAL EVENTS
“SPEED DATING”
To help students polish their Fulbright application essays, we
hosted a “speed-dating” session
the week before the national
deadline in October. Students
were paired with faculty and DFO
staff who read their essays on-the
-spot and gave them feedback
to guide the final revision stage.
“
The process of applying
for the Fulbright Scholarship was extraordinary...I
discovered areas of my
writing that I excel in and
areas which are
challenging….
”
-2015 DFO Student Survey
Respondent
“I AM FULBRIGHT” PANEL AND INFO SESSION
In April 2015, we partnered with the Office of International Programs to offer this kickoff event for
the 2016-17 Fulbright application season.
The panel, consisting of Drexel alums and faculty
who have been prior Fulbrighters, gave students
an authentic glimpse into the international fellowship experience. Panelists also shared how Fulbright helped shape their professional success.
From left to right: Marilia Freitas (Fulbright Foreign Language
Teaching Assistant in US); Adrienne Dolberry, PhD (Fulbright US
Student Scholar to Germany, Biology alum); Jennifer Quinlan,
PhD (Fulbright Scholar to Hungary, Associate Professor of Nutrition Sciences); Phillip Ayoub, PhD (Fulbright Schuman Fellow
to the EU, Assistant Professor of History & Politics).
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PROJECT PRESENTATIONS
A key skill that students get to hone through the fellowships application process is talking about their research,
and being able to communicate why it matters and what motivates them to audiences from various backgrounds and disciplines. In this event, held in late August 2014, Fulbright applicants gave presentations on their
proposed projects abroad and responded to questions from the staff and faculty of the Pennoni Honors College and the Office of International Programs.
“
Applying for fellowships has allowed me to continue to think about
my research plan. That process is super helpful as a doctoral student – people are always asking about what you are studying.
[Writing fellowships essays] helps you hone in on an answer – I’ve gotten more succinct and more exact.
”
-Jeaná Morrison, Education PhD ’17, Boren Fellowship Alternate 2015
POST-SUBMISSION PARTY AT SHAKE SHACK
Because applying for fellowships is
hard work, we make sure to create
opportunities for students to celebrate, relax, and build community
with each other, as well as the various faculty mentors that have supported them along the way!
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NATIONAL AWARD HONOREES, 2014-2015
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM
MENTOR
Alex Benjamin
Mechanical Engineering/
BS/MS, Honors
Pavel Grinfeld,
Caglan Kumbur
Gates Cambridge Scholarship Finalist
Alex McBride
Materials Science and Engineering/BS, Honors
Yury Gogotsi
Udall Honorable Mention
Allison Byrne
Environmental Science/BS
(alum), Honors
Andrew McDonald
Computer Science/PhD
Rachel
Greenstadt
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Anjli Patel
Chemical Engineering/BS,
Honors
Jason Baxter
Barry Goldwater Scholarship
Anthony Abel
Chemical Engineering/BS/MS, Jason Baxter
Honors
Barry Goldwater Scholarship
Armir Koka
Film and Video/BS (alum)
Gerard Hooper
Fulbright US Student ETA Finalist
(Kosovo)
Audrey Ryan
Architectural & Civil Engineering/BS/MS, Honors
James Mitchell
SOM Foundation 2015 Structural Engineering
Travel Fellowship
Boris Dyatkin
Materials Science & Engineering/PhD
Yury Gogotsi
DOE Office of Science Graduate Student
Research Fellowship (SGSRF)
Brian Byles
Materials Science and Engineering/PhD
Ekaterina
Pomerantseva
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Carmen Cronin
Public Health/MPH (alum)
Suruchi Sood
Fulbright US Student Research Grant (Uganda)
Caroline Guevara
Digital Media/MS
Jichen Zhu
2015 Intel Scholar for the Game Developers
Conference
Christine Hammell Political Science/BS, Honors
Amelia Hoover
Green, Rose
Corrigan
Philly Fellow
Christopher Bawiec Biomedical Engineering/PhD
Peter Lewin
Whitaker International Scholarship (France)
NAME
19
AWARD
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Christopher Vito
Geoscience/BS
Dan MacDonald
Biomedical Engineering/PhD
Steven Kurtz
Heinz–Mittelmeier Research Award from the
German Congress of Orthopaedics and
Trauma Surgery
Dayne Swearer
Chemistry/BS/MS
Joan Weiner,
Frank Ji
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; National
Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
Fellowship (declined)
Gilman Scholarship (Equatorial Guinea)
NAME
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM
MENTOR
AWARD
Di Wang
Economics/MS
Sarah Haley
American Institute for Economic Research
(AIER) Summer Fellowship
Evan Freed
Game Art & Production/
BS, Honors
Jichen Zhu
Gold Prize Winner, The Narrative Summit
at the Games Developers Conference
Evelyn Arana
Public Health/PhD
Michael Yudell
NIH R36 AHRQ Grant for Health Services
Research Dissertation
Ezekiel Crenshaw
Biology/PhD
Aleister Saunders
NIH R 36 Aging Research Dissertation
Award to Increase Diversity
Isaac Adams
Chemical Engineering/BS,
Honors
Hae-Fing (Frank) Ji
DoD Science, Mathematics & Research for
Transformation (SMART) Finalist
Isaac Zentner
Biomedical Sciences/PhD
Simon Cocklin,
Brian Wigdahl
NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, NIAID
Jeana Morrison
Education/PhD
Rebecca Clothey
2015 Brazilian Initiation Scholarship from
the Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA),
Boren Fellowship Alternate (Brazil)
Jennifer Siew
International Area Studies/
BS, Honors
Kate Hughes
Critical Language Scholarship for Arabic
(Morocco)
Justin Okons
Medicine/MD
Elissa Goldberg
United Health Foundation/NMF Diverse
Medical Scholars Program Fellowship
Kailey Kluge
International Area Studies/
BS, Honors
Lloyd Ackert
Carnegie Junior Fellows Finalist, Russia/
Eurasia
Kayla Camara
Nursing and Health
Professions/BSN
Kelly Barrameda
Nursing and Health
Professions
Margaret Breslin
NURSE Corps Scholarship
Kevin Song
International Business and
Marketing/BS
Tiya McIver
Boren Scholarship Alternate (South Korea)
Keya Middleton
Dance/Movement Therapy
& Counseling/MS
Ellen Schelly Hill
Fulbright US Student ETA Finalist
(Taiwan)
Kristian Linares
Information Technology/
BS
Kristopher Cramer
Economics/MS
NURSE Corps Scholarship
Fulbright US Student ETA Finalist
(Cyprus)
Sarah Haley
American Institute for Economic Research
(AIER) Summer Fellowship
20
NATIONAL AWARD HONOREES, 2014-2015
NAME
21
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM
MENTOR
AWARD
NIH F31 Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Predoctoral Fellowship to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, NIDDK
Lauren Bradley
Psychology/PhD
Lee Dolat
Biology/PhD
Elias Spiliotis
NIH F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein Pre-Doctoral
Fellowship, NCI
Luke Mitchell
Life Science/
Neuroscience/PhD
Barry Waterhouse
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Melanie Jeske
Environmental Studies and
Economics/BS, Honors
Kelly Joyce,
Christian Hunold
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Michael Ghidiu
Materials Science and Engineering/PhD
Michel Barsoum,
Yury Gogotsi
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Michael Koerner
Biomedical Engineering/BS,
Honors
Andrew Cohen,
Genevieve Dion,
Jane Fedorczyk
Goldwater Scholarship Honorable Mention
Michael Lucas
Biomedical Engineering/
BS/MS, Honors
Alison Oxenberg
Merck Engineering and Technology Fellowship
Michael Marino
Electrical Engineering/BS
Andrew Cohen,
Tim Kurzweg
DAAD Research Internships & Science Engineering (RISE) (Germany)
Natalie Gogotsi
Chemical Engineering/BS
(alum)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Nick Kruczek
Physics/BS (alum), Honors
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Pamela Graney
Biomedical Engineering/PhD
Kara Spiller
US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF)
Travel Grant, Stein Fellowship
Robyn Smith
Physics/BS, Honors
Gordon Richards
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Sam Ciocys
Physics/BS, Honors
Goran Karapetrov
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Sarah Gleeson
Materials Science and Engineering/PhD
Chris Li
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Scott Lerner
Electrical Engineering/
PhD
Baris Taskin
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; National
Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
Fellowship (declined)
Sean Miller
Biology/BS (alum)
Selah Stivers
International Area Studies/
BS, Honors
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
Kate Hughes
Gilman Scholarship (Turkey)
NAME
DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM
MENTOR
AWARD
Sergey Smolin
Chemical Engineering/
PhD
Jason Baxter
DAAD Research Internships & Science
Engineering (RISE) Pro (Germany)
Sina Nassiri
Biomedical Engineering/PhD
Kara Spiller
Wound Healing Society (WHS) Foundation
Travel Scholarship
Soeleen Kaur
Anthropology/BA, Honors
Mark Costello
Teach for India Fellowship
Stephanie Goldstein
Psychology/PhD
Evan Forman,
James Herbert
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Honorable Mention
Tim Beck
Biomedical Sciences and
Professional Studies,
Molecular Cell Biology
and Genetics/MD/PhD
Erica Golemis,
Jonathan Chernoff
NIH F30 Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSA Individual Predoctoral MD/PhD or Other DualDoctoral Degree Fellowship, NCI
Timothy Schultz
Information Studies/PhD
Erin Gabriele
iFellows Doctoral Fellowship
Tom Trahey
Game Art & Production/
BS, Honors
Jichen Zhu
Gold Prize Winner, The Narrative Summit
at the Games Developers Conference
Yasin Khan
Public Health/MPH
Jennifer Taylor
American Institute of Indian Studies
Language Program Fellowship (Urdu)
2014-15 FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS MEET WITH PRESIDENT FRY
22
CONNECT WITH US
109 Disque Hall (32nd and Chestnut)
Philadelphia, PA 19104-2875
www.drexel.edu/fellowships
fellowships@drexel.edu
Design and layout by Danielle Goddard, B.A., English, 2014