Three students awarded prestigious Watson Fellowships

Maged Hassan ’25, Aiza Malinias ’25 and Kinley Yangden ’25 have been awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowships to embark on a year of international exploration and discovery. Part of an exceptional group of 37 graduating seniors who make up the 57th class of Watson Fellows, the three Camels will each receive $40,000 to support their travel and research. Connecticut College has now had nine Watson Fellowship winners since 2021. 

“It’s a tremendous honor to have the highly prestigious Watson Fellowship awarded to three of our students,” said Dean of the College and Vice President for Retention and Success Erika J. Smith. “Aiza, Kinley and Maged embody the intellectual passion, creativity and commitment to purposeful global engagement that define a Connecticut College education. It will be wonderful to watch how they ‘put the liberal arts into action’ as their Watson journeys unfold.”

Meet Conn’s 2025 Watson Fellows 

Maged Hassan ’25

Hassan is a self-designed triple major in education administration, quantitative economics and econometrics, and architectural studies from Cairo, Egypt. He is also a scholar in the Entrepreneurship, Social Innovation, Value and Change Pathway. He will travel to Brazil, Morocco, Ghana and New Zealand to empower marginalized voices through educational leadership.

“My journey at Conn has been shaped by a deep interest in how education systems work and how they can better serve communities,” Hassan said. “My Watson year will explore education leadership models that use cultural pride to reinforce positive identity and foster ties with one’s community. Working with Indigenous psychologists and programs that center cultural heritage, I hope to learn how to construct leadership programs that uplift marginal voices.”

Hassan has served as a fellow at the Walter Commons for Global Study and Engagement for the past three years, and traveled to Ghana last year as part of the Commons' spring break short-term program. He has also been a resident assistant since his sophomore year, and he works with the Office of Religious and Spiritual Programs to help create inclusive and welcoming spaces for students of all faith backgrounds. “These experiences have really strengthened my commitment to using education as a way to build community and empower others. They’ve also helped me see how institutions function and how programs can be designed to be more inclusive, sustainable and community-centered.”

And as part of a practicum with psychology professors Jefferson Singer and Audrey Zakriski, Hassan works in New London High School’s Career Office. “That hands-on experience has given me a clearer picture of the challenges students face and the kind of thoughtful, compassionate leadership that can really make a difference.”

Hassan said Professor of Human Development Sunil Bhatia’s “Decolonizing Self and Culture” course and Assistant Teaching Professor Karen Pezzetti’s “Cities and Schools” course hugely impacted him. “Professor Bhatia’s course pushed me to think deeply about how colonial histories continue to shape our identities and systems. Professor Pezzetti’s class gave me tools to unpack the systemic inequalities that shape urban education today.”

Following his Watson Fellowship, Hassan hopes to continue working in educational program design and development. “I’ve always been drawn to understanding how identity, community and access to quality education come together. I’ve tried to root my work in models that are student-centered and grounded in the local context. Watson feels like a natural extension of this journey. I’m deeply grateful for the mentorship I received throughout the application process, which helped me refine my vision and stay grounded in my values.”

Aiza Malinias ’25

Malinias, a biology major and English minor from Queens, New York, will travel to Ecuador, the Philippines, France and Canada to implement a project centered on narrative healing.

“Narrative-based healthcare encourages patients to express their needs and process their emotions, promoting more individualized and holistic healing,” Malinias said. “Engaging with creative storytellers, cognitive psychologists and healthcare professionals ranging from midwives to palliative care physicians, my project explores how narrative practices support the patient experience.”

Malinias said her project was inspired by the impersonal nature of modern healthcare that she witnessed when her grandmother was hospitalized. Additionally, her CNA training exposed her to gaps in patient-centered care.

“Storytelling has long been the foundation of human connection, shaping how we share experiences, emotions and knowledge. In healthcare, it has the potential to bridge the divide between patients and providers, offering deeper insight into an individual’s needs,” she said.

Malinias’ work on campus as a research assistant and a teaching assistant for Conn’s “Ecology and Evolution” course taught her to use data-driven narratives to communicate complex scientific ideas effectively. She studied public health at Stellenbosch University in South Africa through Conn’s summer abroad program. She is a POSSE scholar and is also in the Program in Community Action (PICA) certificate program in the Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy.

“The support and mentorship I have received from my Conn professors have shaped my intellectual growth and interdisciplinary approach to healthcare,” she said.

In the classroom, courses like “Writing Empathy/Black Life” and “Of How It Feels to Be Black,” taught by Assistant Professor of English Hubert Cook, and work by poet and doctor Rafael Campo and Black writers Saidiya Hartman and Toni Morrison profoundly affected her. “Toni Morrison’s philosophy of seeing others as reflections of ourselves reinforced my commitment to patient-centered care,” she said. “Healthcare should not demand that patients relinquish their identities, but should instead create space for them to be fully seen and understood.”

Following her Watson fellowship, Malinias plans to pursue a career as a certified nurse midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner, integrating narrative-based care into clinical practice. “I also aim to engage in research on social determinants of health and collaborate with policymakers to improve access to holistic and culturally competent healthcare. My long-term goal is to advocate for patient-centered care that prioritizes storytelling as a means of healing and empowerment.”

Kinley Yangden ’25

Yangden, from Thimphu, Bhutan, is an architectural studies and art history double major with a minor in environmental studies. She is also a Davis United World College Scholar and a scholar in Conn’s Social Justice and Sustainability Pathway. She will travel to India, Indonesia, Japan, Canada and France to study architecture and community identity.

“My Watson year will examine vernacular architecture, a building style that uses local materials and traditional techniques to reflect a region's cultural values. I will explore how modern innovations can be incorporated into vernacular designs to preserve heritage while increasing climate resilience and sustainability,” Yangden said.

She traces her passion back to her Bhutanese upbringing and the cultural contrasts she experienced while living in Bhutan, Singapore and the United States. She said, “These shifts sparked my curiosity about how built environments shape identity and belonging.”

Conn’s art history courses “Sacred Space” and “Japanese Art and Architecture” with Assistant Professor of Art History and Architectural Studies Di Luo; “Case Studies in Modern Architecture” with Associate Professor of Art History and Architectural Studies Anna Vallye; and “Urban Sociology” with Professor of Sociology Ronald Flores deepened Yangden’s understanding of architecture’s cultural and social roles.

Meanwhile, participation in the Archaeological Conservation Institute in Italy and Greece with Associate Professor of Art History and Director of Architectural Studies Joseph Alchermes and Professor of Art Denise Pelletier further reinforced Yangden’s appreciation for the connections between communities and their built spaces, she said. “Their insights into architecture, community identity and cultural heritage have been invaluable in shaping my understanding and approach to this project.”

On campus, Yangden is a sustainability fellow in the Energy Builders club and a tutor in the architecture studio. As a junior, she volunteered at New London Homeless Hospitality Center and led a shelter expansion project, which showed her how architecture influences both physical and emotional well-being. “This passion for architecture is closely tied to my commitment to sustainability. I have actively promoted energy conservation and engaged with peers who share similar interests in sustainable practices.”

In the future, Yangden hopes to work in spaces that foster learning in vernacular architecture, cultural heritage conservation and community impact. “The Watson Fellowship has provided the perfect platform to take my curiosities and learning to the next level. I always find myself learning the best when working with and for communities, and I aim to continue on that path.”

Connecticut College offers a wide range of fellowship opportunities for students and recent graduates. For more information, visit The Walter Commons or email fellowships@conncoll.edu.