Academic Honors and Fellowships
2013 Boren Scholarship Recipients
Jason Finkelstein is one of 161 students selected out of 947 students for the 2013 National Security Education Program (NSEP) Boren Scholarship. Through the Boren Scholarship, Jason will be studying Russian at the Irkutsk State Linguistic University in the summer and at St. Petersburg State University in the fall.Jason is a sophomore majoring in International Relations and Russian Language. His strong academic performance in his course work and in the Thematic Options Honors Program has earned him recognition on the Dornsife Dean’s List. Jason is currently working on the Near Crisis Project with Professor Patrick James where he examines historical events to aid in the development of a comprehensive index to study conflict resolution. In addition to research, Jason is involved in several organizations which assist his peers and the local community. He is a consultant in the student organization Los Angeles Community Impact (LACI), which works with small businesses and non-profit organizations to solve organizational issues. He is also a teacher within the Teaching International Relations Program (TIRP) where he engages local high school students in discussions concerning basic international relations concepts.
2013 Critical Language Scholarship Recipients
A program of United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers intensive summer language institutes overseas in thirteen critical need foreign languages.
Emma Katz – Major: International Relations, Minors: Communication Design, Middle East Studies; Language: Arabic, Country: Morocco
Natasha Pesaran – PhD: Modern History; Language: Arabic, Country: Morocco
Adeel Mohammadi – Majors: Biological Sciences, Religion, Minors: Economics, Middle East Studies; Language: Arabic, Country: Oman
Kevin Steen – Majors: Linguisitcs, Middle East Studies; Language: Arabic, Country, Morocco
Nithya Kubendran – Major: Biomedical Engineering, Minor: East Asian Languages & Cultures; Language: Japanese, Country: Japan
Lara McDonough – Majors: East Asian Languages & Cultures, Political Science, Minors: Art History; Language: Japanese, Country: Japan
Emily Warren – Major: East Asian Languages & Cultures, Minor: Screenwriting; Language: Japanese, Country: Japan
2013 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grant Recipients
As the flagship international fellowship program of the United States, the Fulbright Student Grant supports one year of independent study, research, and teaching in one of over 140 countries around the world. Each year, nearly 6,000 students from around the United States compete for about 1000 Fulbright grants.
Jasneet Aulakh will graduate in May with majors in English, History, and Philosophy. She will spend her Fulbright year in India studying the public and domestic implications of the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act of 1993, which requires that local government institutions reserve one-third of their seats for women. Her time will primarily be spent at Guru Nanak Dev University and visiting villages throughout India.
Juan Espinoza is a recipient of a Fulbright graduate degree grant to Mexico. For his Masters in Communication at the Universidad Iberoamericana, Juan intends to examine the development of deregulation and liberalization of markets in relation to education of the Mexican citizenry via mass media. At USC, Juan is completing a bachelor’s degree in Communication and International Relations.
Travis Glynn will spend his Fulbright year in India as an English Teaching Assistant. Travis previously spent time in India studying Urdu through the Critical Language Scholarship. He hopes to gain further experience working with Indian citizens, and aspires to enter the US Foreign Service to strengthen US-India Relations. Travis is graduating in May with a major in International Relations and minors in Cultural Anthropology, German, and International Policy & Management.
Andrew Ju As a Fulbright grant recipient to South Korea, Andrew intends to examine the political processes behind the formation of the ROK’s Green Growth policy and the influence of the nuclear industry in the development of this policy. Andrew will carry out his research at Seoul National University and the Asan Institute. He will graduate in May with a major in International Relations, Global Business emphasis.
Ana Lee is concluding work on her dissertation titled, “Shards of China: Sino-Iberian Aesthetic and Economic Circuits, 1557-1898” for which she has examined the political economy of the circulation of export art and chinoiseries. In Portugal, she will research Portuguese chinoiserie and commissions of art from China utilizing archival and private collections. Ana will be affiliated with the Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
Molly Levine received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) to Thailand. She previously taught English at a secondary school for girls in the Nyganga township of Cape Town, South Africa, and tutored local elementary school students in math and literacy. As an ETA, Molly plans to be involved with the community outside of the classroom through health related projects. Molly will graduate in May with a degree in Global Health, and a minor in Psychology.
Megan Rilkoff is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature and French. She will spend her Fulbright year as an English Teaching Assistant in Laos. In addition to her teaching assignment, Megan intends to learn Lao, and she seeks to study the relationship between education and economic development, in particular as it relates to changes in Laos to broaden its economic influence in the region.
Joshua Rivkin is a doctoral student in Creative Writing & Literature. He will spend a year in Italy studying the art and life of contemporary artist, Cy Twombly. Using conversations with those who knew Twombly, meditations on artistic practice, and academic affiliations at Sapienza Univeristy and John Cabot University in Rome, Joshua seeks to complete the first major biography of a pivotal figure in contemporary art.
Vannessa Sanchez-Gonzales graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Having previously studied abroad in Brazil, Vannessa will return there as an English Teaching Assistant. Vannessa will take with her extensive experience in educator roles as a volunteer and tutor.
Jonathan Truong is a recipient of a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Vietnam. At USC, Jonathan is completing a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science. He has participated in various community-based non profits for worker’s rights and he has demonstrated a desire to assist those from different cultural backgrounds. For his Fulbright grant, Jonathan will teach English and cross-cultural education to university students in Vietnam.
Abhishek Verma As a research grant recipient, Abhishek will work with Dr. Patrick Aebischer at the École Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne in Switzerland. He intends to examine a viable gene therapy approach to the neurodegenerative disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy by utilizing bioimaging techniques and protein assaying in his analysis. He is graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in Biological Sciences.
Gregory Wilken received a creative arts grant to pursue a photographic study of land use in Kiribati. The goal of his project is to take a critical look at contemporary and historic uses of Kiribati’s most finite resource, land. He intends to show the importance of resource management and make visible the challenges of global climate change. Gregory graduated from USC with a Master of Fine Arts.
Gilman Scholarship Recipients
The Gilman Scholarship Program offers awards for undergraduate study abroad for U.S. who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university. The program aims to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad and the countries and regions where they go.
Spring 2013
- Ryan Barner – Major: Economics, Minor: Business Law, Country: Italy
- Cindy Barrios – Major: East Asian Area Studies, Minor: Digital Studies, Country: Taiwan
- Paloma De Lira – Major: Policy, Planning and Development, Minor: Public Health, Country: United Kingdom
- Madison Hald – Major: Business Administration, Minor: News Media and Society, Country: Hungary
- Yun Jia Hsiung – Major: Business Administration, Minor: Communication Design, Country: Germany
- Alice Lee – Major: International Relations, Country: Botswana
- Rayna Strasser-King – Major: Business Administration, Minor: Songwriting, Country: Spain
- Melinda Wong – Major: Biomedical Engineering, Country: United Kingdom
Fall 2013
- Samantha Cadwell – Major: Biological Sciences, Country: New Zealand
- Samuel Chi – Major: Business Administration, Country: Hong Kong
- Debbie Rumbo – Majors: Political Science, Spanish, Minor: Human Rights, Country: South Africa
2013 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts Scholars
Imran Shafi For the second consecutive year a USC alumnus has been named a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts Award, which provides up to $50,000 a year to students pursuing an MFA or PhD in the arts. Imran Shafi graduated in December 2010 with a double major in Fine Arts (Roski School) and Animation and Digital Arts (School of Cinematic Arts). He is one of twenty Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Arts recipiens selected from across the nation.
2013 Luce Scholars
The highly competitive Luce Scholars Program provides experiential learning placements for eighteen young Americans to live and work in Asia each year. The program’s aim is to increase awareness of Asia among future leaders in American society, particularly those students who have not spent a significant amount of time in the region.
Tamara Shogaolu is concluding her MFA in the School of Cinematic Arts. She has worked in film, research and media in the Middle East, United States, Africa and Latin America on both fiction and documentary projects. Most recently she worked on the biopic film CHAVEZ directed by Diego Luna about the life of Cesar Chavez. She has also worked as a film and media for social change consultant for nonprofit organizations, as a development intern with Participant Media, Canana and Warner Brothers Films, and as a production assistant for WE TV. As a Fulbright Scholar in Egypt, she co-organized the first annual Cairo Refugee Film Festival, and she is currently producing and directing a short animated documentary film project on experiences of Egyptian women during the 2011 revolution and post-Mubarak era. Tamara also works with project ObjecDEFY, whose mission is to encourage people to defy the sexual harassment of women in order to effect societal and legal reform in the Middle East. As a Luce Scholar, Tamara plans to pursue an internship with an NGO or with a film production company utilizing media for social change in East Asia.
2013 Marshall Scholars
The prestigious Marshall Scholarships fund up to 35 scholars each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth.
Alexander Fullman is a Political Science major with a minor in Communication Law and Media Policy. In recognition of his work in Political Science, Alex was selected by the university in 2011 to participate in the Presidential Fellows Program at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. His year-long fellowship research project concerns the campaign finance case of Citizens United, and his paper was one of only 20 selected for publication in The Fellows Review. As a student leader, Alex revived the USC Journal of Law and Society and served as its Editor-in-Chief. He also served as President of the Blackstonians Pre-Law Honor Society and Vice President for Jewish Life at USC Hillel. In addition, Alex has served as the undergraduate representative on the USC Honorary Degrees Committee and the USC Strategic Planning Committee for Undergraduate Education. He demonstrated concern for global communities as a University Fellow for Jewish World Watch, an organization that spreads awareness of genocide and mass atrocities. As a Marshall Scholar, Alex plans to study comparative government at Oxford University’s MPhil program in Politics.