bing pixel

Three more Fulbrights — and counting

fulbrightsJens Olsen knew he wanted to return to Vietnam. Heidi Le wasn’t sure if she wanted to apply. Bethany Hellerich decided that one more experience before graduate school was a good idea.

Regardless of motivation, the three are the latest from Augsburg to be selected for the Fulbright Scholarship program. Olsen and Le, who will graduate next month, will spend the 2010-11 academic year teaching English in Vietnam. Hellerich, a 2009 Augsburg graduate, will teach English in Indonesia.

While the Fulbright program is very competitive, Augsburg students have had great success in recent years. Seven Auggies have now been awarded Fulbrights over the past three years. The program, which is run by the Institute of International Education, has sent students and faculty members across the world to study, teach, or conduct research for more than 60 years. Continue reading “Three more Fulbrights — and counting”

McNair Scholars ready for research

Applicants to graduate school encounter intense competition for admission and funding. The McNair Scholars Program helps increase the odds of acceptance to graduate school by offering students a unique research experience during their undergraduate careers.

Participating students spend more than 400 hours exploring topics, developing a thesis, collecting and reviewing data, and preparing a formal presentation of their findings. Research provides the opportunity to develop a mentoring relationship by working one-on-one with a faculty member. Students also gain extensive skills and knowledge in a discipline, experience using methodological techniques, and writing and public speaking practice by submitting papers to professional conferences and journals.

Rebekah Dupont, North Star STEM Alliance Coordinator, taught the research proposal writing course this year. Starting May 18, the following scholars will be conducting research with a faculty mentor and a library mentor . Continue reading “McNair Scholars ready for research”