Two students and three grads receive Fulbright awards
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Two OSU students and three recent graduates have received Fulbright awards to pursue research or teaching oversees. They include Joshua Damron, Alejandra Gonzalez Herrera, Jessica Lay, Tyler Van Arsdale and Meredith Wyatt. See details for each recipient below.
Damron awarded US Student Fulbright award to pursue research
Joshua Damron, a chemistry major, has been awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright award in physical sciences for 2012-2013 to conduct research in Germany. Damron will conduct nuclear magnetic resonance experiments. His Fulbright research project will be housed at the Martin-Luther Universitat, Halle-Wittenberg under Professor Dr. Kay Saalwaechter, head of NMR in the Institute for Physics.
“I thank my current mentor, Dr. Jeff White, for introducing me to bench science by inviting me to work in his lab when I was a high school student. I want to influence other lives the way I have been influenced,” said Damron. As a product of his research efforts Damron has co-authored three peer reviewed publications.
Damron has previously traveled to Ireland, England, New Zealand and Turkey. As an invited guest to Turkey by the Gulen Movement, an interfaith and cultural dialogue graduate student group, Damron spent time with several Turkish families. During this time he became even more interested in exchanging ideas, language and perspectives with people outside of the United States.
Damron, a 2008 graduate from Stillwater high school, is the son of Drs. Steve and Rebecca Damron. He will graduate with a BS in chemistry and a minor in mathematics from OSU in May 2012. Upon returning from Germany, he plans to continue his education and aspires to teach and conduct research at a university as a physical chemist.
Alejandra Gonzalez Herrera awarded US Student Fulbright award to teach English
Alejandra Gonzalez Herrera, a dual degree graduate from Oklahoma State University, was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Spain for the 2012-2013 academic year to teach English to secondary school students.
Herrera believes the teaching assistantship in Spain will be a unique opportunity to teach younger students while being an ambassador for the United States. Afterwards, she would like to pursue a career with the U.S. Department of State. “My time in Spain will serve as valuable experience in learning more about the values and norms that guide Spanish culture. This knowledge will be useful as a Foreign Service Officer with a wide range of international experience,” said Herrera.
While in Spain, Herrera hopes to encourage students to expand their own horizons and worldviews by learning about the American culture and learning English. “I chose to apply for Spain, because I connect to the country’s history through my own Mexican heritage, I know what it is like to learn English as a second language, and I enjoy fostering inter-cultural exchange,” she added.
In addition to being born in Mexico and being raised in the U.S., Herrera has had the opportunity to live in Central Europe and North Africa. Her previous travels have taken her to Morocco, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Germany, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Scotland, and Spain.
Herrera, a 2007 graduate from Liberty Academy in Shawnee, is the daughter of Greg and Olivia New. Alejandra earned a BA in sociology and BS in political science from OSU in December 2011.
Jessica Lay awarded US Student Fulbright award to pursue research
Jesi Lay, a biosystems and agricultural engineering graduate student, was awarded a U.S. Student Fulbright award in engineering for 2012-2013 to Sierra Leone where she will conduct research on rainwater harvesting with researchers at Njala University. Less than half the population in Sierra Leone has access to improved drinking water. Rainwater harvesting has the potential to greatly improve access to drinkable water in rural villages.
Lay traveled to Sierra Leone, in Western Africa, earlier on two OSU service outreach courses where she worked with a local non-governmental organization, Willamette Medical Teams, to drill water wells. “I loved every minute of every sweat-filled, laborious day,” she recalled. Other trips to England, Ireland, Brazil and Mexico reinforced her eagerness for international experiences. While in Monterrey, Mexico, for five days she helped deliver water filter systems to several communities in the area with Clean Water Mission.
“This Fulbright award is a dream come true. There is no way I would have made it this far without the endless mentoring I have received from faculty, staff and students at OSU,” said Lay. “I am looking forward to mentoring students at Njala University and instilling in them the importance of research and the importance of sharing gained knowledge with not only the academic community, but with society as a whole.”
Lay, a graduate of Broken Arrow High School, is the daughter of Yong and Lowell Lay. She received a B.S. degree from OSU in biosystems and agricultural engineering with a soil science minor in 2010. Her career goal is to work as a lead engineer on international development projects involving water quality and water management research, specializing in rainwater harvesting technologies.
Van Arsdale awarded US Student Fulbright award to teach English
“For me, the Fulbright is a chance to revisit and discover a culture different from my own,” said Van Arsdale. “I traveled to Seoul in 2010 for a few days and it had a big impact on me. I see the Fulbright as a gateway to a career in international relations and also an opportunity to learn a new language and thus increase my understanding of human communication. It's about connection.”
Van Arsdale is an award-winning photographer and he believes his profession will fit in well in Korea. For a community project, he hopes to teach students in Korea traditional Ashtanga yoga. Upon return to the United States, he plans to begin a master’s program in linguistics.
Van Arsdale, a 2007 graduate from Ponca City High School, is the son of Regeneia and Bryan Van Arsdale. He will receive a BSBA in May in entrepreneurship with minors in French, Japanese, entomology, and management information systems.
Wyatt awarded US Student Fulbright award to teach English
OSU alumna Meredith Wyatt, an international business and Spanish graduate, has been
awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Bogota, Colombia in 2012 to
2013.
Wyatt traveled throughout South America while attending OSU, including Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Brazil and Chile, sparking her interest in experiencing Colombia firsthand. “Studying abroad opened my eyes and heart to that region of the world. My interest in Colombia has germinated from multiple seeds including school, literature, Latin dancing and Colombian friends,” said Wyatt, who currently works in the Tulsa County Library System.
While in Colombia, Wyatt will be working within an expansive library system in Bogota, which has been growing in recent years. She will assist or lead in programs such as an adult computer literacy class, family story time and a book discussion club for students learning English as a second language.
“I aspire to be an English teaching assistant because I strongly believe in empowering people through education,” said Wyatt. “My time spent as an educator in multiple settings at OSU has broadened my teaching capabilities and will enable me to be a successful ETA.”
Wyatt, a 2005 graduate from Corsicana High School in Texas, is the daughter of Kim and Judi Wyatt. She graduated from OSU in 2009 and would like to pursue a master’s degree in library and information science while working as a reference librarian at the Hispanic Resource Center in the Tulsa library system.