This fall, Rebekah Page will transition to working full-time with the Chancellor's Honors and Haslam Scholars Programs. Nichole Fazio-Veigel joins the University of Tennessee as the new full-time Assistant Director of the Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships. She graduated BA from Seattle Pacific University, MA from Marylhurst University, holds an M.St. from the University of Oxford, and is currently completing her D.Phil. in the history of art. Prior to returning to graduate studies, Nichole worked for the University of Washington.

At UW, she helped to develop its undergraduate research program and undergraduate scholarship office, co-ordinating the first summer institute in the arts and humanities, and advising undergraduate applicants for prestigious scholarships and fellowships.

Most recently she was the programme coordinator for the Oxford Summer Programme and continued to serve as a fellowships and scholarships advisor to students participating in summer and semester programs in Oxford. She presented regularly at conferences and provided workshops for faculty and students on the scholarship process across the United States and the United Kingdom.

Nichole is also the co-author of 'The Best Scholarships for the Best Students: Scholarships, Fellowships, Internships, and Experiential Learning Programs for Top Students' with Dr Jason Morris and Donald Asher. The book was released by Peterson's Publishing in November, 2010.

Congratulations to Ariel Buehler, sophomore in Food Science and Technology, on being named a 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar. Each year, ~300 US students are selected as Goldwater Scholars for their strong potential in fields of STEM research. Ariel has been participating in "undergraduate" research at UT since she was in high school and hopes to have a career in research in food safety after she graduates in 2014.

For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship and to determine if you might be eligible for to become a 2013 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, click here.

Five UTK students will be going abroad this year on Fulbright grants: one to France, two to Germany, one to Jordan, and one to Mexico. Congratulations to Maha Ayesh, Ariel Brassil, Amy Hill, Shande King, and Scott Wofford! To read about these outstanding students and their plans for the coming year, click here.

Three University of Tennessee undergraduates have been named 2011 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. We're very proud of them for the work they have done as undergraduate researchers and for their efforts throughout the Goldwater nomination process. To view the complete press release, click here.

• Britta Johnson, junior, College Scholars
• Madelyn Crawford, sophomore, BCMB
• Mark Walker, junior, Nuclear Engineering

For more information about the Goldwater Scholarship and to determine if you might be eligible for to become a 2012 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar, click here.

Nationally, 275 undergraduates were named Goldwater Scholars this year. To see the full list of 2011 Goldwater Scholars, click here.

Dr. Michael Handelsman, Professor of Spanish and Director of Global Studies, is taking on a new role as the incoming faculty director of the ONSF. Dr. Handelsman will officially begin his role in July 2011 and replaces Anne Mayhew, who retired last year.

For more information, see the official press release here.

Dr. Anne Mayhew, the founding director of this office, retired from her position in June. The office is now housed under the Student Success Center and is directed by Assistant Provost Dr. Ruth Darling. Though we are sad to lose Dr. Mayhew, we hope this change will help our office reach more students across the university. Rebekah Page, the Assistant Director, still runs the physical location from her office within the Chancellor's Honors Program offices in Melrose Hall. Please contact her if you have any questions.

Jordan Kuck, graduate student in History, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to Latvia for the 2010-2011 academic year. Jordan is currently researching 20th century Latvian dictator Karlis Ulmanis, and the Fulbright grant will enable him to access historical archives in Latvia essential to his dissertation research. After his year in Latvia, Jordan will return to UT to complete his PhD.

Alex Tullock, graduating senior, has been awarded a Fulbright grant to Russia for the 2010-2011 academic year. Alex went to Russia during his junior year on a study abroad and now has the opportunity to live there for nine months, on an English Teaching Assistantship. After he returns to the U.S., he plans to pursue graduate studies in Slavic Studies/Literature.

The Fulbright Program awards grants for study, research, and teaching to over 120 countries around the world. The competition for 2011-2012 grants will open on May 1, 2010. For more information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, click here. To learn about UT's Fulbright application process, click here.

Two UT juniors have been named 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars by the Goldwater Foundation; one other UT nominee received a Goldwater Honorable Mention. Michael Jungwirth and Nathan Stebbins are among the 278 students this year to be awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, which awards up at $7,500 to sophomores and juniors committed to a career in research in mathematics, the natural sciences, or engineering.

Jungwirth and Stebbins both conduct research within the Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology. Jungwirth's research is in neurobiology; Stebbins conducts research in cancer biology. Lauren Johnson, this year's Honorable Mention from UT, is a double major in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and conducts research at the UT Sustainable Energy Education & Research Center. All three students plan to graduate next May and pursue Ph.D.s in their field; Jungwirth and Stebbins will also pursue M.D.s to better inform their research interests.

Each year, the ONSF's Goldwater faculty committee reviews applications from UT students and selects four to nominate in the national competition. This year, having two scholars and one honorable mention places UT in the company of Duke and Vanderbilt.

For more information about UTK's Goldwater nomination process, click here.

To read the official press release about this year's Goldwaters, click here.