ONFAO Annual Report 2021-2022

As we launch into the 2022–23 academic year, I am happy to share this overview of student success in external award competitions from the 2021–22 academic year cycle.

We already know that we have remarkable, hardworking, big-thinking students at URI, but it is gratifying to see them recognized beyond our campus. For that to happen, though, these students must take on yet another challenge by applying big. It is only by articulating their dreams and aspirations in writing, and in some cases before an interview panel, that their big goals can be supported with externally funded high-impact opportunities that bring them closer to realizing their full potential. This requires an already ambitiously busy student to take on even more, to step back and reflect, to invest in themselves, and to be open to feedback and critiques of their ideas and writing—when the chance of “winning” some of these awards is less than 5 percent. What they often do not realize until the end, is that this process itself has value, and they will reap its rewards regardless of the outcome of any given competition.

I hope you will join me in celebrating these students and alumni.

I look forward to your contributions to future successes, whether that be through mentorship, recommendations, offering campus opportunities which serve as launching pads for these external awards, serving on committees, referring students to the office, or by donating to the new Donald H. DeHayes Provost Honors Excellence Endowment fund to support our most promising students.

As with most things, it takes a village. The research experiences, special programs, leadership development opportunities, and other high-impact opportunities that students have access to here on campus are what makes them such strong applicants to external awards.

It all starts here, and you all play a role in these successes. Thank you!

Director, Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities

YEAR IN REVIEW

Despite the challenges of the academic year 2021–22, not the least of which was student disengagement, the Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities directly advised and guided more than 140 students in applying for awards this year, resulting in 77 winners and eight finalists/ alternates.

Blue rows indicate there is a required institutional process (nomination or endorsement).

Through outreach, advising appointments, and information sessions, our office reached an even larger (and harder to quantify) audience, some of whom likely went on to secure great opportunities independently (e.g. National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program), or who will return in a future year to apply for a major award.

Other indicators of our success this year include:

 2022 Top Producer for the Hollings (first in nation).

 2022 Top Performing Institution for the Boren Awards (sixth in nation for scholars).

 Top Producer for mid-sized institutions over the 20 years of the Gilman Scholarship.

 Invitations to collaborate with the Critical Language Scholarship program for several conference presentations as a “best practice” advisor.

While the rate of success for those who seek guidance from the Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities speaks for itself, there are some awards that are routinely “undersubscribed” and others for which we wish to continue increasing participation. Please help to increase the number of viable applicants to our awards. This year, we will focus on increasing the pre-applicant pool for the Udall and Truman scholarships, in particular, and would appreciate your help in promoting and referring candidates.

 More than $868,500 in external funding for URI students and recent alumni. Gilman Fellowships F/A/HM with no value indicates that the category/ status does not exist award. indicate was though not required, to estimates take into account the monetary value of an award only. Most carry additional benefits, from professional conference costs to internships to noncompetitive hiring eligibility for federal positions. They also include lifelong alumni networks and typically provide or help support a high-impact, transformative academic, professional, or personal experience. NEED YOUR HELP!

A number in parentheses after an award indicates that the award limits the number of nominees (ranges four to 24) that an institution can put forward. Udall has two categories, environment and Native American policy/health, which are capped at four nominees each.)

Hartley

Awards With a Formal Campus Process

Boren Awards

Seven URI students have won Boren Scholarships. An initiative of the National Security Education Program, the David L. Boren Awards provide funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests. Boren scholars commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation.

Awardees

 Darby Donegan ’24

Sustainable agriculture and food systems and Chinese

 Suzelle Glickman ’23

International studies and Chinese

 Leon Hartley ’24

Computer science and Chinese

 Gillian Hodge ’23

International studies, political science, and Chinese

Hodge

 Kevin Suggs ’23

Computer engineering and Japanese

 Erin Torgersen ’23

Suggs

Global business management and Chinese

Highlights

 URI’s seven awardees place the University sixth in the nation for the number of 2022 Boren Award recipients.

A seventh URI student was named but declined the award; two other URI students were selected as alternates for the scholarship. Five of the six are members of the Chinese Language Flagship Program and will spend their capstone year abroad in Taiwan. The final student, Kevin Suggs, an International Engineering Program student, will spend the year in Japan.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government. This year, 12 URI students and recent alumni completed applications for the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Of that dozen, six advanced to the second stage, from which three were named as Fulbrights.

Grantees

 Rachel Cohn, M.A. ’23

Marine affairs, research award to Kenya

 Victoria Fulfer ’16, M.S. ’18, Ph.D. ’24

Oceanography, research award to Vietnam

 Lizmaylin Ramos ’20

Biological sciences, English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Brazil

Semifinalists

 Noura Rayes ’22

Mechanical engineering for graduate study in the Netherlands

 Linda Southammavong ’18, M.A. ’21 Education (TESOL/BDL) for ETA to Laos

 Myles Wagner ’22

Cell and molecular biology and marine biology for graduate study in Australia

Highlights

 URI has had at least 42 students selected for Fulbright grants since 1959. Twenty-six of these have been in the past dozen cycles.

 While our applicant pool is small, our rate of success is higher than most of the top-producing Fulbright institutions.

 For the most recently available cycle (2021), out of 241 research institutions, URI comes in 25th in terms of success rate.

 Since the awards were established in 1991, URI has had 38 Boren recipients, 34 of whom were selected in the past 12 years, along with nine alternates.

 In terms of sheer number of awards, URI is 69th out of 205 research institutions that produced at least one awardee.

Donegan

Glickman

These awards are the main focus of this office at URI and students are actively assisted to seek them out.

Torgersen

Rayes

Southammavong

Wagner

Ramos Cohn

Fulfer

Barry Goldwater Scholarship

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify and support secondand third-year college students who show exceptional promise of becoming this nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields. The characteristics the foundation seeks in a Goldwater scholar include: a strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering; an effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering; and potential for a significant future contribution to research in their chosen field.

Each year institutions may nominate up to four students for consideration.

Nominees

 Oliver Carey ’23

Physics and cell and molecular biology

 Mary Katherine Gheyson ’23

Marine biology

 Hailey Hendricks ’23 Chemistry

Highlight

 URI has had 24 Goldwater scholars since the program’s inception in 1989.

Marshall Scholarship

In the fall of 2021, two recent graduates were endorsed by the URI British Scholarship Committee for the Marshall Scholarship, which funds one to three years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. Following campus pre-applications, 1,190 candidates were endorsed nationwide, 163 were interviewed, and 41 were ultimately selected as Marshall scholars. Despite belonging to what is arguably the most competitive of all regions, both of URI’s candidates were selected as finalists for interviews by the Boston region.

Finalists

 Timothy Berard ’20

Political science and Africana studies

 Alyssa Botelho ’21

Film/media and business management

Post-interview, Alyssa Botelho was named an alternate candidate for the Marshall Scholarship.

Highlights

 Since 2012, URI has nominated 10 candidates for the Marshall, eight of whom have been named finalists.

 Of those eight, one was selected as a Marshall scholar and two others were designated as alternates.

Harry S. Truman Scholarship

The Harry S. Truman Scholarship is the premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the United States. Established by Congress in 1975 as the living memorial to President Harry S. Truman and national monument to public service, the Truman Scholarship carries the legacy of our 33rd president by supporting and inspiring the next generation of public service leaders. Truman scholars demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, a commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence. Each Truman scholar receives funding for graduate studies, leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities within the federal government.

Each year institutions may nominate up to four third-year students for this award.

Nominee

 Gillian Hodge ’23 Chinese, international studies, political science

Highlight

 Since the program’s inception, 15 URI students have been selected as Truman scholars (the most recent in 2018), and many more have been selected as finalists. In 2004, URI was named a “Truman Honor Institution” for its strong commitment to fostering future public servants.

Udall Scholarship

The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship honors the legacies of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to second- and third-year college students for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. Universities may nominate up to eight second- and third-year students, four whose careers will benefit Indian country and four whose careers will benefit the environment.

Nominee

 Alexandra Sinno ’24 Marine biology

This is the most undersubscribed of our endorsed scholarships at URI. If you know of students who are a good fit or you would like to serve as a faculty representative for this award, please contact Kathleen Maher.

Berard

Botelho Carey Gheyson

Hodge

Sinno

Additional Awards We Assist With, Promote

Freeman Awards To Study in Asia

The Freeman-ASIA program is designed to support U.S.-based undergraduates with demonstrated financial need who are planning to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. The program’s goal is to increase the number of U.S. citizens and permanent residents with firsthand exposure to and understanding of Asia and its people and cultures.

Awardees

 Delaney Patch ’24

Chinese, history, international studies

Summer 2022, National Taiwan University, Taiwan

 Hong Nguyen ’24

Biomedical engineering, Japanese-GLAS

2022–23 academic year, Waseda University, Japan

 Sokpearon Lorn

Computer engineering, Japanese-GLAS Fall 2022, Niigata University, Japan

Alternates

 Conrad Du ’24

Award recipients are required to share their experiences with their home campuses or communities to encourage study abroad by others and fulfill the program’s goal of increasing understanding of Asia in the United States. This year, three URI students were awarded scholarships and two others have been designated as alternates.

Chinese, chemistry 2022–23 academic year, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

 Karina Lew ’23

Chinese, global business management Fall 2022, Council on International Educational Exchange, Singapore

Gilman Scholarship

The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, providing them with skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity. To be eligible for the Gilman program, applicants must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant during the time of application or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant during the term of their studyabroad program or internship. This academic year, the University of Rhode

Island was honored as one of the top producers of Gilman scholars over the course of its 20-year history.

The Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities collaborates with the Office of International Education to provide outreach, recruitment, and application support to URI applicants to the Gilman Scholarship. Since 2008, there have been more than 140 selected as Gilman scholars. This year, 15 URI students were selected. This included:

Two Awards for Spring 2022 Abroad

 Spain (one)

 Virtual (one)

Eight Awards for 2022–23 Academic Year Abroad

 Spain (three)

 Taiwan (two)

 Germany (two)  Japan (one)

Three Awards for Summer 2022  Germany (one)  Spain (one)  Taiwan (one)

Two Awards for Fall 2022  France (one)

 Italy (one)

Highlight

 Gilman alumni become part of a strong network that leads them to other opportunities. This includes not only a special noncompetitive eligibility hiring status for federal employment, but also funded workshops and seminars. At least four of our Gilman alumni have later become Fulbright U.S. student awardees. Another, Nathaniel Sandoval ’21, has been selected through a competitive process to serve as a Gilman alumni ambassador.

Undergraduates apply for these directly, but financial aid and an education abroad advisor must certify the information post-submission.

Nguyen Du Lew

Lorn

Cohn

Awards Not Requiring Campus Endorsement/Certification

Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs

The Coro Fellows Program develops emerging leaders to work and lead across different sectors by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and networks to accelerate positive change. Throughout the nine months, each fellow participates in a series of full-time projects across a variety of sectors in public affairs, including a final independent project of the fellow’s choosing.

Awardee

 Kate LeBlanc ’22

Journalism and political science

Kate was selected as a fellow to St. Louis, but ultimately declined the award.

Critical Language Scholarship

Another U.S. Department of State initiative, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) provides American college students with an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program. Students spend eight to 10 weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. Since 2010, nine URI students have been selected for CLS programs.

Awardee

 Graduate student Rachel Cohn, M.A. ’23 Marine affairs

Rachel was selected to participate in the Swahili program. This opportunity will precede her Fulbright term in Kenya.

Highlight

 The program is highly competitive, with an average acceptance rate of about 10% each year; however, among those students who apply with guidance from the Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities, more than one-third have been selected.

CLS Spark—This spring, a pilot virtual initiative called CLS Spark was launched. It is designed to “leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS Program during the pandemic, providing American undergraduate students the opportunity to study critical languages virtually when they may not have access to language learning on their campuses or the ability to travel overseas.”

Five URI undergraduates submitted applications during this inaugural cycle with guidance from our office. Similar to the original summer CLS program, the rate of success nationally was less than 9 percent. We are thrilled that Devin Thomas ’23 (history) has been selected to participate in an academic year learning Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a CLS host institution abroad.

Demers Fellowship

The Beatrice S. Demers Foreign Language Fellows Program funds language immersion experiences. Named for longtime URI Professor Beatrice Demers, who left $4 million to the Rhode Island Foundation upon her death in 2007 to ensure that her passion for foreign languages lived on, the fund is managed by the Rhode Island Foundation, which also administers the application and selection process. Preference is given to URI applicants including alumni, faculty, staff, and current students who share a passion for and commitment to language learning. This year, 28 students and one faculty member from URI were selected to receive a combined total of more than $330,000 of support.

Awardees (Grouped by Language)

 Julia Al-Amir ’23

Arabic, human development and family science

 Shakiah Faris ’22

Arabic, early childhood education, human development and family science

 Conrad Du ’24

Chinese, chemistry

 Suzelle Glickman ’23

Chinese, international studies

 Leon Hartley ’23

Chinese, computer science

 Isaiah Kittel ’23

Chinese, supply chain management

 Karina Lew ’23

Chinese, global business management

 Misty Shi ’23

Chinese, global business management

 Erin Torgersen ’22

Chinese, global business management

 Temitope Aina ’23

French, biomedical engineering

 Daniel Bradley ’24

French, computer engineering

Our office promotes and provides guidance and support to interested applicants.

Faris Lew Aina Al-Amir

Kittel Shi Bradley

LeBlanc

Thomas

Glickman

Torgersen Du

Hartley

Field Newton

Suggs Hos

 Dreydan Cianci ’24

French, criminology sociology

 Sofia Lanzi ’24

French, mechanical engineering

 Rhea Shetty ’23

French, pharmaceutical science

 Samantha Adams ’24

German, physics

 Joshua Benros ’24

German, mechanical engineering

 Alek Boving ’23

German, ocean engineering

 Katie Field ’24

German, mechanical engineering

 Rabia Hos

German, associate professor of education

 Mycarthy Newton ’24

German mechanical engineering

 Wilmer Chinchilla ’23

URI-affiliated faculty and staff who reside in Rhode Island are also eligible to apply for the award and have done so in limited numbers, but with a high rate of success.

Hollings Scholarship

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship aims to prepare the next generation of ocean and environmental experts to address many of the same types of issues that the late Sen. Hollings advocated for during his long career. Scholars receive a two-year academic scholarship (worth $19,000) for their third and fourth years, paid summer internship opportunities, and funding to participate in two national scientific conferences.

Awardees, All from the URI Class of 2024

 Matthew Brander

Marine biology and aquaculture and fisheries science

 Taya Clements

Marine biology

 Molly Halla

Geology

 Kara James Marine biology

Japanese-global language and area studies [GLAS], electrical engineering

 Korali Kouadio ’24

Japanese-GLAS, computer engineering

 Sokpearoun Lorn ’24

Japanese-GLAS, computer engineering

 Kevin Suggs ’23

Japanese-GLAS, computer engineering

 Tate Blazonis ’23

Spanish, biomedical engineering

 Fiona Carrez ’23

Spanish, civil engineering

 Victoria Johnson ’24

CarrezBlazonis

Spanish, nursing

Highlight

 Since its inception in 2011, more than $2.5 million has been awarded to URI-affiliated applicants.

 Ellie Madigan

Marine biology and wildlife conservation biology

 Zoe Scipioni

Marine biology and wildlife conservation biology

 Maricarmen Serna

Marine biology and environmental and natural resource economics

 Alexandra Sinno

Marine biology

Highlights

 This year, URI was the top producer of Hollings scholars nationally, with eight awardees.

 Since the program’s inception in 2005, 41 URI applicants have been named scholars. This is more than any other institution in New England and places URI among the top 10 performing institutions nationally.

Each fall semester the office collaborates with Professor Jackie Webb (marine biology) to offer an information session and application workshop. Applicants are encouraged to submit multiple drafts to us for feedback before the January deadline.

Kouadio

Chinchilla

Johnson

Clements

James Scipioni Sinno Brander Halla Madigan

Serna

Cianci

Shetty Lanzi Adams

Metcalf and Grinavic Awards

The Michael P. Metcalf Memorial Fund and the Christine T. Grinavic Adventurer’s Fund, administered together by the Rhode Island Foundation, provide support to pursue travel, non-credit study, and public service programs that will encourage personal growth and educational enrichment outside of the classroom. The program is open to college students who are Rhode Island residents. This year, three URI students applied with guidance from the Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities, and all three were successful.

Awardees

 Logan Beattie ’23

Civil and environmental engineering

Logan was funded to take part in the “Make Our Oceans Plastic-Free” service project in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, through the Volunteer Now Costa Rica organization.

 Caleb Gross ’25

Writing and rhetoric

Caleb was funded for his project, “Working with, Learning from, and Writing About Steve Smith of Renaissance Timber LLC, and his Craft: Hewing Square Timbers from Round Logs, the Traditional Way—With an Axe.”

 Joseph Waits ’23

Film/media

Joseph was funded for his project to document and film the Gates of Hell in Turkmenistan.

Public Policy and International Affairs

Public Policy Conference

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) is a not-for-profit organization that has been supporting efforts to increase diversity in graduate studies in public policy, international affairs, and public service for more than 40 years. It offers an assortment of rigorous academic fellowship programs for undergraduates looking to advance their careers in public service. It also offers an assortment of public service expos, conferences, and consortiums.

Awardees

 Rodrigo Pimentel ’23

Psychology and data science

Rodrigo applied and was accepted to the Heinz College virtual public policy conference for rising third- and fourth-year students interested in public policy, public interest technology, policy analytics, and related fields, who are strongly considering graduate education and/or careers in these fields. Preference is given to students representing under-resourced communities from across the U.S. and/or working toward equity issues.

Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program selects fellows in a highly competitive nationwide process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. This program encourages applications from members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the foreign service, women, and those with financial need. Fellows who successfully complete the program and foreign service entry requirements will receive appointments as foreign service officers, in accordance with applicable law and U.S. Department of State policy.

Finalist and Alternate Candidate

 Timothy Berard ’20

Timothy was selected as a finalist for interview and named an alternate candidate for the Rangel Fellowship. He was our first candidate for the Rangel.

Toshizo Watanabe Scholarship

This U.S.-Japan Council’s Toshizo Watanabe Endowed Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to undergraduate and graduate students for a semester or yearlong study abroad program in either the United States or Japan for whom study abroad would not be possible without financial support. The program also provides special opportunities to connect with council members and to hone their leadership skills. To our knowledge, this year was our first applicant to the Watanabe since its 2019 inception, and also our first recipient.

Awardee

 Kevin Suggs ’23*

Computer engineering and Japanese-GLAS

*Declined award due to duplicate funding

U.S.-Japan Bridging Scholarship for Study in Japan

The U.S.-Japan Bridging Scholarship for Study in Japan, administered by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese, has selected two URI students are part of its fall 2022 79-student cohort:

Awardees

 Wilmer Chinchilla ’23

Electrical engineering and Japanese-GLAS

 Kevin Suggs ’23

Computer engineering and Japanese-GLAS

Beattie Gross Waits

Pimentel

Berard

Suggs

Know of a great external opportunity in your field that would be a good fit for URI applicants? Send to us and we will add it to our new Fellowship Finder search tool.

Other Awards

Tau Beta Pi Fellowship and Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship

Raymond Turrisi ’22, a 2021 Goldwater Scholar, was one of just 31 fellows selected nationwide by the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi fellowship to support graduate studies. He was also one of 62 fellows selected nationwide by Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Awardee

 Raymond Turrisi, ’22 engineering, computer science

American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowships for Americans in the Nordic Countries

pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution.

This year, three URI alumni were selected for NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program awards to support their graduate studies, as well as a current graduate student. They are:

Awardees

 Emily Bishop ’15 Marine biology

Emily is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington. Bishop was a 2013 NOAA Hollings scholar.

 Tailynn Yevette McCarty ’19 Chemical engineering

Tailynn will attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Since 1912, the American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) has supported cultural and educational exchange between the Nordic region (Denmark, Greenland, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sámpi, and Sweden) and the United States. ASF’s fellowships help further academic scholarship and scientific research and encourage expressions in the creative arts and music.

Awardee

 Megan Jones, Ph.D. ’24 2021–22 Fulbright U.S. student grantee to Finland, Megan has been selected for the Fellowship for Americans to continue her dissertation research examining how queer topics are or are not addressed within Finnish pre-service teacher training.

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program (NSF GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and math disciplines who are

 Elizabeth Saraf ’21 Marine biology

Elizabeth plans to attend Nova Southeastern University. Saraf was a 2019 NOAA Hollings scholar.

Honorable Mentions

 Rachel Cohn, M.A. ’23 Marine affairs

 Nikol Damato, M.A. ’23 Marine affairs

 Lauren Zane, Ph.D. ’27 Biological and environmental sciences

Jones this to NSF

These applications were not supported by but in many cases students learned about them through our office.

Bishop

McCarty

Saraf Cohn Damato

Fulbright Impact

The benefits of international exchanges such as the Fulbright are enormous, but much if it is unquantifiable, intangible such as improved intercultural communication skills and a broader perspective. Sometimes, however, it is easy to see how these opportunities increase the orbits of Kingston’s shining stars before they have even finished their fellowships.

Selected Delegate

 Jay Rumas ’21

Political science and history

Jay spent the 2021–22 academic year in Slovakia as a Fulbright research grantee, was selected as a delegate to the EU-US Young Leaders Seminar, which brought together 25 American and 25 European scholars and civic leaders in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss the future of democracy. While in Slovakia, Jay also spent time volunteering at a shelter for refugees near the border with the Ukraine.

Selected Member

 Eliya Baron Lopez, M.A. ’21 Marine affairs

Eliya spent the 2021–22 academic year in South Korea as a Fulbright research grantee and was selected as a member of the Asia Foundation’s inaugural class of LeadNext Fellows: Ambassadors for a Global Future, a new program focused on global citizenship for the 21st century. The 20 fellows hail from 10 countries in the Asia-Pacific region (Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, and Tonga) and 10 cities across six states in the United States (California, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Ohio, and Oregon). The LeadNext fellows are dynamic emerging leaders aged 18–25 from diverse sectors committed to addressing such issues as climate change, inequality, injustice, poverty, and other pressing concerns.

URI Rams shine brightly in the international arena as Fulbright grantees.

Rumas

Baron Lopez

The LeadNext program brings together its first cohort of emerging changemakers, each with the potential to move ideas and action forward and empower communities most vulnerable and insecure.

Thank You

Special Thanks to Our Faculty and Staff

As a one-person office serving undergraduates and graduate students from each degree-granting college, it goes without saying that an army of volunteers is necessary to do the work well. While it would be impossible to list each one, this thank-you goes out to:

The letter-writers

The scouts

The referrals

The interview panelists

The area experts

The moral supporters

The mentors

The campus selection committee members

The faculty and staff of the Honors Program

For Their Steadfast Support:

Martin Bide

Graham Forrester

Cheryl Foster

Michael Greenfield

David Heskett

Kristin Johnson

Perri Leviss

Rod Mather

Michael Rice

Rachel Walshe

Jacqueline Webb

Xioyan Hu (languages) and James Ward (history), served on national Boren selection committees (for the non-flagship scholar pool to Taiwan and for Eastern European fellows pool respectively) this year, adding more expertise to campus.

Alyssa Poey (Office of International Education and National Student Exchange) and Ai Guo Chang (Chinese Language Flagship Program) expanded their understanding of the Gilman Scholarship by serving on national selection panels.

Special thanks to Annie Babineau and Susan Jamison in Publications and Creative Services for their expertise and patience with this and other outreach projects.

Last, but certainly not least, the Office of National Fellowships and Academic Opportunities is incredibly grateful for its new collaboration with the URI Graduate Writing Center. Ph.D. candidate (BES) Felicia Page offered a Fulbright writing group for graduate students for the first time during the summer of 2021, and two of these candidates were later selected as Fulbright grantees. This summer she held a second Fulbright writing group and also offers assistance to graduate students applying to the NSF GRFP.

Thank you to the Graduate Writing Center administrative director Cara Mitnick for her continued efforts to create a culture of applications among graduate students.

ON THE HORIZON

Campus Pre-Application Deadlines for Awards Requiring Endorsement/Nomination

Marshall

Fulbright: Tuesday after Labor Day

Goldwater: Tuesday after Thanksgiving

Truman: Tuesday after Thanksgiving

Udall: First reading day of the fall semester

Boren: First business day after New Year’s Day

Application Workshops for Select Awards

Boren: First Friday in

Demers: Thursday of Education Week in mid-November

Hollings: workshop

See