News & Events | Distinguished Scholarships Program

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National Udall Scholarships Awarded to Two WSU Undergraduates

May 15, 2023 Daniel Rieck

Udall recipients in 2023 Katy Ayers and Jessalyn Swanson.

Washington State University Pullman students Katy Ayers and Jessalyn Swanson are the latest recipients of prestigious, nationally competitive Udall Undergraduate Scholarship awards. The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. From 46 institutions a total of 55 Udall scholars were chosen nationwide this year, with 37 in the environmental category, nine in tribal public policy, and nine in Native health care. Ayers is WSU’s first Udall recipient in the environment category, and Swanson is the fifth in the Native American health care category.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University Pullman students Katy Ayers and Jessalyn Swanson are the latest recipients of prestigious, nationally competitive Udall Undergraduate Scholarship awards.

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. From 46 institutions a total of 55 Udall scholars were chosen nationwide this year, with 37 in the environmental category, nine in tribal public policy, and nine in Native health care.

Ayers is WSU’s first Udall recipient in the environment category, and Swanson is the fifth in the Native American health care category. They bring the Udall awards total number to 12 since 2015.

“Udall is incredibly competitive and we are proud of our newest scholars,” said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program, part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement in the provost’s office. » More …

WSU Students Buursma and Fawcett Receive Goldwater Scholar Awards

May 3, 2023 Daniel Rieck

Goldwater recipients in 2023 Stevie Fawcett and Jacob Buursma.

Two Washington State University future research scientists—Jacob Buursma and Stevie Fawcett—have received awards from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program. A prestigious, nationally competitive award, the Goldwater helps to cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board. “Both of these students came to WSU Pullman specifically to pursue research with our faculty, and receiving these Goldwater awards will help them to focus on their studies, research, and scholarship in the coming year,” said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program. It is part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) in the provost’s office.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Two Washington State University future research scientists—Jacob Buursma and Stevie Fawcett—have received awards from the Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Program.

A prestigious, nationally competitive award, the Goldwater helps to cover tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

“Both of these students came to WSU Pullman specifically to pursue research with our faculty, and receiving these Goldwater awards will help them to focus on their studies, research, and scholarship in the coming year,” said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program. It is part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) in the provost’s office. » More …

WSU Fulbright U.S. Student Awardees Heading to Germany and Vietnam

October 4, 2022 Daniel Rieck

Shown from left to right are Fulbright award winners for 2022: India Dykes and Lauren Hudson.

Washington State University’s latest recipients of Fulbright U.S. Student awards—India Dykes and Lauren Hudson–will study, research, and teach in Europe and Southeast Asia this coming year. “With support from Fulbright, they will be exceptional representatives of WSU and the U.S. and will boost their scholarship and skills to make tremendous contributions to their fields,” said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program. It is part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement. Seehafer mentored the awardees through their application process. Dykes is headed on her Fulbright to the Tri-Ankle Project at Fraunhofer IGB Institution, a partnership with the University of Stuttgart in Germany. Hudson’s Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) assignment is at Hạ Long University in Uông Bí, Quảng Ninh Province, Việt Nam.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University’s latest recipients of Fulbright U.S. Student awards—India Dykes and Lauren Hudson–will study, research, and teach in Europe and Southeast Asia this coming year.

“With support from Fulbright, they will be exceptional representatives of WSU and the U.S. and will boost their scholarship and skills to make tremendous contributions to their fields,” said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program. » More …

WSU Students Land 3 Goldwater Awards to Support STEM Research

June 6, 2022 Daniel Rieck

Shown from left to right are Goldwater award winners for 2022 : John Bussey, Kalli Stephens, and Thomas Ballinger.

John Bussey, Kalli Stephens, and Thomas Ballinger have received $7,500 awards to support their education, said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program. Prestigious, nationally competitive Goldwater awards are given to high-achieving undergraduates intending to pursue careers in math, the natural sciences, or engineering (STEM) “WSU has established a strong set of Goldwater awardees over the years, and the addition of this year’s recipients reinforces that tradition,” said Seehafer.

PULLMAN, Wash.—The Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation has announced that Washington State University students John Bussey, Kalli Stephens, and Thomas Ballinger have received $7,500 awards to support their education, said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program.

Prestigious, nationally competitive Goldwater awards are given to high-achieving undergraduates intending to pursue careers in math, the natural sciences, or engineering (STEM). These latest awardees bring WSU’s total number of Goldwater recipients to 48 since the first in 1990. » More …

WSU Fulbright Awardees Bound for Hungary to Teach, Research

April 13, 2022 Daniel Rieck

Fulbright 2022 recipients Amethyst Freibott and Annie Lu.

Washington State University math major Annie Lu and alumna and staff member Amethyst Freibott have received Fulbright awards to research and teach, respectively, in Hungary, the Distinguished Scholarships Program said. “Both Annie and Amethyst have detailed plans for their Fulbright experiences that start this fall, and they will be excellent ambassadors in Hungary for both WSU and the U.S.,” said April Seehafer, DSP director.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University math major Annie Lu and alumna and staff member Amethyst Freibott have received Fulbright awards to research and teach, respectively, in Hungary, the Distinguished Scholarships Program said.

“Both Annie and Amethyst have detailed plans for their Fulbright experiences that start this fall, and they will be excellent ambassadors in Hungary for both WSU and the U.S.,” said April Seehafer, DSP director. » More …

WSU Alumna Nife Shola-Dare Finalist for Rhodes-West Africa Scholarship

November 19, 2021 Daniel Rieck

Nife Shola-Dare, 2021 finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa.

Washington State University neuroscience and Honors College alumna Oluwanifemi “Nife” Shola-Dare (Neuroscience ’21) has been recognized as a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa, said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program. “Becoming a Rhodes finalist is an acknowledgement of my academic achievements and my career goals, and of the leadership roles I have held over many years,” said Shola-Dare.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University neuroscience and Honors College alumna Oluwanifemi “Nife” Shola-Dare (Neuroscience ’21) has been recognized as a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship for West Africa, said April Seehafer, director of the WSU Distinguished Scholarships Program.

The Rhodes is the oldest prestigious scholarship program available to exceptional graduate scholars, providing funding for studies at Oxford University in the United Kingdom. WSU had 10 Rhodes Scholars from 1907 to 1956. Prior to Shola-Dare, the most recent finalists were in 1984 and 2017.

“Becoming a Rhodes finalist is an acknowledgement of my academic achievements and my career goals, and of the leadership roles I have held over many years,” said Shola-Dare. “With this accomplishment, I am confident I can do more, be better, and achieve even more in times to come.

“This is definitely a tremendous honor, one that I don’t take for granted,” she said.

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Daphne Weber is WSU’s First Fulbright-Hays Recipient

November 3, 2021 makhani

Daphne Weber in all white robes at Thai monastery.

Washington State University Ph.D. candidate Daphne Weber in anthropology has received the institution’s first Fulbright-Hays award and will live for a year in Thailand with female bhikkuni Buddist monks to learn about their healing effects of their ordination. Her experience there will be her third, following two previous related to her work toward her WSU master’s degree.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University anthropology doctoral candidate Daphne Weber is the institution’s first recipient of a Fulbright-Hays. a prestigious, nationally competitive award, said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program.

Part of the renowned Fulbright suite of awards, the Fulbright-Hays is uniquely funded by a Congressional appropriation to the U.S. Dept. of Education. The award supports research and training efforts overseas that focus on non-western foreign languages and area studies. Weber’s award is in the category of Fulbright-Hays: Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad.

With it, Weber will spend a year living with and interviewing Thai female monks, formally known as bhikkhuni. She will conduct extensive research for her Ph.D. dissertation on the healing effects of ordination. While female monks are recognized in East Asia, where people mostly practice Mahayana Buddhism, bhikkhuni are not officially recognized within the predominately Theravada tradition of Southeast Asia.

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Two WSU Sophomores Land Distinguished Udall Scholars Awards

May 25, 2021 Daniel Rieck

Washington State University students Frances Ward and Jonnie Bray are the newest recipients of prestigious Udall Undergraduate Scholarship awards. Each woman placing among the top 11 percent of national recipients in their respective Udall categories; a total of 416 eligible Udall applications were nominated this year by 187 academic institutions. Ward and Bray will each receive $7,000.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University students Frances Ward and Jonnie Bray are the newest recipients of prestigious Udall Undergraduate Scholarship awards, each woman placing among the top 11 percent of national recipients in their respective Udall categories.

Ward, who will pursue nursing studies at WSU Spokane Health Sciences campus in fall, is one of nine U.S. recipients out of 35 in the award’s Native American Health Care category. Bray, an international economics and development major, is one of nine recipients out of 38 applicants in the Tribal Public Policy category.

“We are very proud of their achievements and that the Udall Foundation believes in the impact they will have on many lives in the future,” said April Seehafer, director of WSU’s Distinguished Scholarships Program, part of the Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President.

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WSU’s Newest Fulbright Scholar Recipient Headed for Research in Germany

May 20, 2021 Daniel Rieck

Washington State University biochemistry major Owen Canterbury has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to conduct research at Germany’s Heidelberg University, said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program. “I am pleased to be selected as a Fulbright recipient and I think it will be a really good experience both academically and personally,” said Canterbury.

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University biochemistry major Owen Canterbury has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar award to conduct research at Germany’s Heidelberg University, said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program.

“I am pleased to be selected as a Fulbright recipient and I think it will be a really good experience both academically and personally,” said Canterbury.

Seehafer said, “Owen continues WSU’s long tradition with the Fulbright organization, dating back to our first recipient in 1949. He is our 66th student to receive a Fulbright to continue their education.”

Canterbury will investigate the mechanisms involved in bacterial ribosome-associated protein quality control (RQC) under the mentorship of Heidelberg professor Claudio Joazeiro, an international leader in the study of proteolysis.

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WSU Engineering Senior Named Schwarzman Scholarship Finalist

April 16, 2021 Daniel Rieck

Maximillian Obasiolu, Schwarzman finalist for the 2020-21 academic year.

Washington State University electrical engineering senior Maximillian Obasiolu has been named a nationally competitive Schwarzman Scholar award finalist, said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program. “Maximillian is an exceptional student who identifies his goals and tailors—or creates—opportunities to reach them,” said Seehafer. “He has an entrepreneurial spirit and an awareness of emerging trends that align not only with his personal educational and career plans but also with the Schwarzman Scholar program. We are pleased and proud that Maximillian represented WSU.”

PULLMAN, Wash.—Washington State University electrical engineering senior Maximillian Obasiolu has been named a nationally competitive Schwarzman Scholar award finalist, said April Seehafer, director of the Distinguished Scholarships Program.

The Schwarzman, first presented to U.S. students in 2016, was created to prepare young leaders to respond to the geopolitical landscape of this century, according to the foundation’s website. Recipients of the award are tapped to pursue a one-year master’s degree in global affairs, taught in English at Tsinghua University in Beijing China where they can focus on public policy, economics and business, or international studies. The Schwarzman is aimed at deepening the understanding of China’s role in global trends.

“Maximillian is an exceptional student who identifies his goals and tailors—or creates—opportunities to reach them,” said Seehafer. “He has an entrepreneurial spirit and an awareness of emerging trends that align not only with his personal educational and career plans but also with the Schwarzman Scholar program. We are pleased and proud that Maximillian represented WSU.”

“I am very honored to be a Schwarzman finalist and the process to become one has reinforced my thoughts about my future,” Obasiolu said.

» More …