Watson Winners on the Road

RFH 2010, Featured Articles, News

Sun, Mar 21, 2010

Two Colgate seniors will pursue projects of their "dreams" through Thomas J. Watson Fellowships. Shae Frydenlund '10 (in photo at left)and Jennifer Rusciano '10 (in photo below)are two of 40 students awarded this national fellowship for a year of independent, purposeful exploration and travel outside of the United States on a topic of their unique passion or dream. Fellows receive $25,000 for the 12-month fellowship that will begin in July 2010. Including Frydenlund and Rusciano, 67 Colgate University nominees have received this prestigious fellowship since it was established in 1968.

Frydenlund's proposal, "The Yarsagumba Effect: Documenting the Ecology of Medicinal Plant Markets," examines environmental impacts of the demand for valuable plants through the medicinal plant trade such as the yarsagumba fungus which is nearly extinct in Tibet and Nepal due to overharvesting. Frydenlund, an environmental geography and art double-major from Frisco, CO, said that through her year-long journey in Ecuador, Russia, China, Tanzania and Albania she will create a documentary that captures the rich and complex ecologies of medicinal plant markets while promoting sustainability and conservation in the industry.

Rusciano, a geography major and religion minor from West Bloomfield, MI, will examine the relationship between chocolate, communities and culture through her proposal, "Bittersweet: Exploring the Light and Dark Sides of Cocoa Production." Through her project she will explore how the ideas and values of consumers, manufacturers and organizations in the developed world translate into real impacts in the lives of cocoa farmers and their communities in the developing world. Rusciano plans to trace the story of chocolate from bar to bean across Europe, Africa and Latin America, with specific destinations of the United Kingdom, France, Ghana, Madagascar, Costa Rica, Venezuela, and Ecuador.

As interesting as the projects are, "these awards are long-term investments in people, not research," says Cleveland Johnson, Director of the Watson Fellowship Program and a former Watson Fellow. "We look for persons likely to lead or innovate in the future and give them extraordinary independence to pursue their interests outside of the traditional academic structures. Watson fellows are passionate learners, creative thinkers, and motivated self-starters who are encouraged to dream big but demonstrate feasible strategies for achieving their fellowship goals. The Watson Fellowship affords an unparalleled opportunity for global experiential learning."

The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program was established by the children of Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of International Business Machines Corp., and his wife, Jeannette K. Watson, to honor their parents' long-standing interest in education and world affairs. The Watson Foundation regards its investment in people as an effective long-term contribution to the global community.

Source: Colgate