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Five Pepperdine Students Receive U.S. Student Fulbright Awards 

A record number of Pepperdine students have been awarded a Fulbright U.S. Student scholarship this year, leading five recent Seaver College graduates to teach or study overseas for the 2008 to 2009 academic year. 

Three of the five recipients have earned English language teaching assistantships: creative writing major Alissa Smith ('08) will be teaching in Turkey; international studies major Erin Shitama ('08) is bound for Indonesia; and international studies major Brian Clark ('06) will head to Spain come fall.

The other two recipients have been awarded full grants to undertake graduate research: music-voice major Keith Colclough ('08) will journey to Germany to study language, while biology major Laura Merwin ('08) will head down under to Australia, where she'll examine plants in drought and fire-prone ecosystems.

The five Pepperdine students are among 1,100 U.S. Fulbright scholars who will travel abroad next year. "We had sixteen applicants," says Seaver College dean David Baird. "To think that five of the seven finalists received the grant is quite gratifying. It is an incredible affirmation of the quality of our students, faculty, and staff."

Established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the program's purpose is to build mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the rest of the world. The program operates in over 150 countries worldwide.

"The Fulbright program is open to any field of study and that's part of what makes it so exciting," notes Melissa Umbro, Seaver College national scholarships and awards coordinator. "These students represent many different aspects of the Seaver academic experience, spanning the fine arts, humanities, natural science, and international studies and languages divisions."

Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The Fulbright program, America's flagship international educational exchange program, is sponsored by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

For more information on graduate fellowships or to read more about the 2008 awardees, please visit the Seaver College Graduate Fellowships Web site.