2018 Fellowship Recipients

2018 Astronaut Scholarship Recipient

Nina Singh is a rising senior pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and was selected for a 2018/2019 Astronaut Scholarship. She previously won the Astronaut Scholarship for the 2017/2018 academic year. As a part of this honor, scholars receive up to a $10,000 award; expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the “Innovators Gala”; mentoring by an Astronaut Scholar alumni, C-suite executive, or astronaut; opportunity to participate in the Professional Development Program sponsored by RBC; the opportunity to participate in multiple Foundation events; and membership in the Astronaut Scholar Honor Society. Nina is also a recipient of the 2018 Goldwater Scholarship. See her bio below.

2018 Boren Scholarship Recipients

Lauren Brackmann is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in News Media and Society. Lauren received the Boren to study Arabic in Jordan for the 2018-2019 year.

Eunbyul Koh is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Bachelor of Arts in East Asian Languages and Cultures with a minor in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence. Eunbyul received a Boren Scholarship to study Mandarin in China for the 2018-2019 year.

Erin Pineda is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations with a minor in German. Erin received the Boren to study Portuguese in Brazil for the spring and summer of 2019.

Amy Smerdel is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Global Business) and a minor in French. Amy was selected for the African Flagship Language Institute to study French in Senegal for the 2018-2019 year.

2018 Critical Language Scholarship Recipients

Eunbyul (Abigail) Koh will graduate December 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and East Asian Languages and Cultures with a minor in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence. She will study Chinese in Dalian, China on the CLS summer 2018 scholarship. She will continue her time in China studying Mandarin on the Boren Scholarship (see above).

Jane Moore is a master’s degree candidate in Public Diplomacy and will study Japanese in Hikone, Japan on the CLS summer 2018 scholarship.

Joseph Nakpil is a doctoral student in Slavic Languages and Literature and will study Russian in Vladimir, Russia on the CLS summer 2018 scholarship.

Yevgeniya Gilmore is a rising junior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations (Global Business) and East Asian Languages and Cultures. She will study Chinese in Changchun, China on the CLS summer 2018 scholarship.

Jamie Skiba is visiting graduate student and master’s degree candidate in Public Policy and will study Chinese in Suzhou, China on the CLS summer 2018 scholarship.

2018 CSPC Presidential Fellows Program

One USC student is selected annually by the University for the CSPC Presidential Fellows program, a year-long program to complete research relating to the study of the U.S. Presidency and Congress. Fellows also participate in three-day leadership conferences in Washington, D.C. during the Fall and Spring semesters.

Jamie Kwong graduated in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a Masters of Public Diplomacy. Jamie’s completed paper, “Cold War and Post-Cold War Rogues: U.S. Foreign Policy Responses to China’s and North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons Programs” is published in the CSPC 2017-18 Fellows Review. Jamie was awarded the David M. Abshire Award for Most Outstanding Paper by an International Fellow.

2018 Fulbright U.S. Student Program Grant Recipients

Peter Bergmann will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics/Mathematics. He will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan and plans to pursue a career in social enterprise and impact investing in East Asia.

Carolyn Choi is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at USC. While at Ehwa Women’s University, Carolyn will continue to conduct fieldwork in Seoul and in other provinces on South Korean nationalism and youth return migration.

Mary Coates will graduate May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics and minors in German and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Mary received a Fulbright grant to Germany, where she will be serving as an English Teaching Assistant.

Julianna Coleman will graduate May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in French and a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience. She received a research grant to Senegal to work with families of children with disabilities at the university hospital in Dakar and at two schools to illuminate sociocultural factors shaping the role of family in caring for a child with a disability. She hopes to pursue a career as a physician incorporating the intersection of medicine and culture.

Charles Junkins will graduate May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (Acting) and a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. Charles will work as an English Teaching Assistant in Malaysia incorporating drama and personal storytelling into his lessons. He plans to pursue a career as an actor.

Max Kapur will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Art in East Asian Languages and Cultures and a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies. As a Fulbright teaching assistant at the elementary-school level in South Korea, Max will practice his teaching and storytelling skills, and continue developing a career as an author and public educator.

Natalia Lauricella is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Art History. With a Fulbright research grant, Natalia will spend the 2018-2019 academic year in Paris where she will conduct archival research for her dissertation focused on the master lithographers who worked with avant-garde painters in France in the late nineteenth century.

Aditi Ramesh will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics/Mathematics. She received a Fulbright research grant in Baroda, India, where she will be designing a culturally-sensitive civic education program to inform the intersection of Indian and American acts of civic participation.

Felicitas Reyes graduated May 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies & Ethnicity and a minor in Spanish. She will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Mexico.

Alejandro Schugurensky will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and minors in Spatial Studies, and Education and Society. Alejandro was awarded a Fulbright research grant in Brazil, where he will examine the impact of Brazilian social policies on education access and equity. He will enroll at Princeton University in Fall 2019 for a Ph.D. program in Sociology and hopes to pursue career in sociological research, focusing on issues in education and social stratification.

Geetha Somayajula will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Choral Music and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She will travel to South India to study the pedagogy, practice and performance of South Indian classical music in contemporary educational settings. Through her research, she hopes to create more inclusive and multicultural music education spaces in the United States.

Hannah Thomas will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Global Health and a minor in Spanish. She received a research grant to Ecuador where she will study intimate partner violence using an intersectional approach. She hopes to pursue a career as a physician-scientist, focusing on health issues that cross international borders.

Rachel Udabe will graduate in May 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, and a minor in Education and Society. She will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Taiwan and plans to enter education policy.

Sophia Wix graduated in December with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and the Human Sciences from Dornsife. She is the first Trojan to be awarded one of two Open Study Awards to the UK. She will pursue a research-based masters in Medical Science at the University of Cambridge under the world’s leading researcher in breast cancer genomics at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute studying the proteomics of breast cancer subtypes to improve diagnostics and precision treatments.

2018 Fulbright US-UK Summer Institute Recipients

The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes are 3-4 week programs for U.S. undergraduate students. Participants can explore the culture, heritage and history of the U.K. through their selected institute while experiencing higher education at a U.K. university.

Leila Hoffpauir is a rising junior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Media Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations. Leila will be studying at the University of Birmingham, a three-week program focusing on film and media.

Steven Vargas is a rising junior pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (Acting) and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in Dance. Steven will participate in the Fulbright AIFS Summer Institute, a three-week program dedicated to acting and understanding Shakespeare’s texts on-site at the Globe Theatre.

2018 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 2018

View official press release and list of awards offered on the Gilman website.

Dominique David – South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan
Andrea De La Puente – Thailand
David Garry – United Kingdom
David Michelson – United Kingdom
Cesia Ng – United Kingdom
Julie Nguyen – Greece
Allen Pham – United Kingdom
Yaniv Schwartz – United Kingdom
Utsav Thapa – United Kingdom

Summer 2018

Ramida Phoolsombat – Italy
Alejandro Silva – Spain
Mellina Silver – United Kingdom
Jonathan Speas – Taiwan

Fall 2018 & Academic Year 2018-2019

Brenda Apreza – South Korea
Alejandra Franco – Nicaragua
Yanet Ibarra – Greece
Iris Zhang – Netherlands

2018 Goldwater Scholar

USC junior, Nina Singh, is one of 211 Goldwater Scholars selected nationwide for the 2018-2019 academic year from a field of 1,280 applicants. Nina is pursuing a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and was recently selected from a competitive national pool as a 2017 Astronaut Scholars, recognizing her likely impact on the future of her field. In her research, Nina has employed innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to understanding drug interactions and ciliary movement. Common among her research interests is her integration of perspectives from different fields to effectively address biological problems. Nina has co-designed and led several research projects, published extensively, received numerous competitive university fellowships, and mentored new lab members. This summer, she plans to collaborate with clinicians to apply for ciliary movement research to improving the diagnosis of ciliary disorders. Nina intends to pursue an MD/PhD in Biomedical Engineering that will ultimately allow her to create and apply longer-lasting and more effective drug regimens for cancer patients. She has seen how clinical considerations can be overlooked in research, and her academic acumen, research skill, and personal ambition will enable her to alter this culture in the future.

Nina is also a 2018 recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship.

2018 Marshall Scholar

The prestigious Marshall Scholarships fund up to 40 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. For 2018, 43 Marshall Scholars were selected, among them Jamie Kwong.

Jamie Kwong is on track to graduate May 2018 summa cum laude, while in pursuit of both a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Master’s in Public Diplomacy. As a freshman, Jamie participated in USC’s Thematic Option Program and was selected for the inaugural cohort of USC Bennis Scholars as a sophomore. Jamie was among forty undergraduates designated nationally as a Schaeffer Government Service Fellow, a unique undergraduate government service experience intended to expose students to government work and its impact. In her self-secured internship with the House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, she was recognized for her strong leadership, analytical and writing skills and asked to draft a proposal which was ultimately accepted and used for a hearing on the joint US-ROK-Japan trilateral relationship. Jamie has also applied her ambassadorial skills in an internship with the Department of State for the Bureau on International Security and Nonproliferation in the Office of Weapons of Mass Destruction Terrorism where she authored exercises for the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism aimed at helping member states test their interagency and international communication channels after nuclear security events. As a junior, Jamie was among fewer than 200 finalists interviewed for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship and was recently selected as the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress Presidential Fellows Program. In addition to these academic and professional achievements, Jamie has also been a highly engaged student leader. For the past two years, she has served as the campus resource liaison for all students as the Peer Leadership Team Leader for the USC Office of Campus Activities. In this role, she led the effort to revamp the university recognition process serving more than 1000 student organizations. Jamie currently serves as President of the USC Panhellenic Council, an umbrella oversight organization to USC’s 11 national sorority chapters and more than 2200 Greek women. With the Marshall Scholarship, Jamie seeks to build upon her academic studies in nonproliferation and disarmament with specialized training through a PhD in War Studies from King’s College London. She intends to dedicate her career to roles within the U.S. Departments of State and Energy, think tanks, and non-governmental organizations where she can employ her skills to educate and mobilize efforts among future generations toward nuclear disarmament, and play a significant role in developing public policy that supports a nuclear free world.

Read more about Jamie and the 2018 Marshall Scholar cohort:

2018 National Science Foundation GRFP

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

Awardees

Green Ahn – Chemistry – Chemical Biology
Conor Kirkham Corbin – Engineering – Biomedical Engineering
Shawn Anthony Rhoads – Psychology – Social/Affective Neuroscience
Luna Vincent White – Social Sciences – Sociology

Honorable Mentions

Caroline Brennan – Chemistry – Chemistry of Life Processes
Max Kudisch – Chemistry – Chemical Catalysis

2018 Rotary Global Grant Scholarship

Remaya Campbell graduated from University of Southern California in December 2017 with a B.A. in Law, History and Culture and a minor in International Relations. Remaya was selected for a 2018 Rotary Global Grant Scholarship through District 5330. She will attend the University of Otago in New Zealand for a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies starting in July 2018. Her project and thesis will focus on peace education involving creating a culturally adaptable secondary school curriculum teaching an interdisciplinary approach to local, national and international peacebuilding. Themes: philosophies of justice and requirements for peace.

Learn more about Remaya on USC News.

(Photo/Gus Ruelas)

2018 Schwarzman Scholar

Edwin Saucedo has been selected to join the third cohort of the Schwarzman Scholars incoming class. This year, 4,042 candidates from around the world competed for just 142 spots.

Edwin is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of Southern California where he also completed a Bachelor of Science in Policy, Planning and Development in 2017. He is a first-generation college student and a proud Gates Millennium Scholar, USC Presidential Scholar, and USC Norman Topping Scholar. As a junior, Edwin became Director of Finance and Administration for USC’s Undergraduate Student Government and established a scholarship fund of $100,000 to help eliminate the financial barriers to campus involvement. The next year, he took on the role of Student Body President, representing 19,000 undergraduates and advocating for increased resources for underrepresented students. This led to the establishment of the First-Generation Student Union (FGSU), a student-run club dedicated to building community and addressing the needs of the 3,000+ first generation students. In addition to campus involvement, Edwin has held multiple internships. He served with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. and also spent a summer in Taiwan working for the State of Idaho-Asia Trade Office as a USC Global Fellow where he advised five companies on potential Asian partnerships and export opportunities. Among his numerous accomplishments, Edwin was one of 12 recipients of USC’s Order of the Laurel and the Palm in 2017 and was honored as Los Angeles County Democrat of the Year for his grassroots activism and dedication to help engage community members in 2016. Currently, Edwin is a Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellow with the California State Legislature, an 11-month fellowship that introduces public policy through full-time work as a professional legislative staff member. As a Schwarzman Scholar, Edwin plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Global Affairs with an emphasis in Economics and Business at Tsinghua University in Beijing with the goal of understanding China’s impact on California and the world. In the future, he hopes to serve marginalized communities by fostering trade and investment in underserved areas in California.

Read more about Edwin and the 2018 Schwarzman Scholar cohort: