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Connecticut College recognized as top Fulbright producer

November 21, 2008

For the second year in a row, Connecticut College has been recognized as a top producer of winners of the J. William Fulbright Fellowship among liberal arts colleges. The Chronicle of Higher Education published a list of top-producing institutions in its Oct. 24 print and online editions.

This year's five student Fulbright awards, announced in May, 2008, tied 2007's record number at Connecticut College, with three seniors and two recent alumni selected to receive Fulbright Student Program grants. The prestigious awards allow the Fulbright scholars to live, teach and conduct research abroad for an academic year.

"These Fulbright Fellows exemplify the academic intellect and civic engagement of Connecticut College students," President Leo I. Higdon Jr. said. "Through the Fulbright fellowship and other distinctive programs, our students are making a meaningful and very positive impact in the world."

This year, Bridget Baird, professor of mathematics and computer science, was also selected by the Fulbright Scholar Program to be one of 800 U.S. faculty and professionals to lecture and conduct research abroad. She will spend spring semester at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, where she will teach a mathematics course that focuses on computer applications and a project-based seminar in virtual reality, which will be centered around the development of a multimedia, interactive virtual reality simulation that focuses on an Ecuadorian archaeological site or historical event.

The College's 2008 Fulbright award winners are:

• Katherine Buesing, a senior from Wilmette, Ill., who was awarded a teaching assistantship in an English-language classroom in France. At Connecticut College, Buesing focused her studies on a self-designed interdisciplinary major, "Narrative Studies: Text and Performance," which integrated English, French and theater.

• Benjamin Duclos, a senior German studies major from Concord, N.H., who is teaching English in Germany and researching the role of soccer in the formation of a national identity for German youth. Duclos' older brother, Joshua Duclos, a 2004 Connecticut College graduate, received a Fulbright award in 2007.

• Soren Gabrielsen, who graduated from Connecticut College in 2007 with a double major in German studies and philosophy and is teaching English in Germany. Gabrielsen planned to establish a club for students interested in learning about American folk and jazz music at the school.

• Nicholas Sullivan, a senior from Medfield, Mass., who is teaching English in Germany and studying how American pop culture is influencing German youths and the German language. A government and German studies major, Sullivan plans to attend graduate school to study law or business.

• Zachary West, who graduated from Connecticut College in 2005 with a double major in history and philosophy and is also teaching English in Germany. He planned to create an "American Film Society," at the school, using American films to teach students about the English language, as well as American history, politics and culture.

Each year, approximately 1,150 students are awarded Fulbright grants. Fulbright fellows receive round-trip transportation to the host country, a living stipend, research allowances and medical insurance. In addition to research, grantees are encouraged to get involved in cultural and/or community activities, such as teaching English or American Studies, volunteering with a non-profit organization, or giving presentations to local groups or in schools.

For media inquiries contact: Amy Martin (860) 439-2526; a.martin@conncoll.edu