UC Davis graduate Rob Scholz, right, and researcher Magali Lafontaine collect grapes at a research institute in the Rhine River Valley of Germany. (Courtesy photo)
Interested in a Fulbright?
Graduate Studies will host an information session for prospective Fulbright applicants for 2009-10 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, in MU II of the Memorial Union. Former Fulbright recipients from UC Davis will participate.
Meet three adventurers
In the archives
Susan Hogue is in Peru exploring how local rulers of the former Inca empire brought Andean concepts… [ more… ]
In the vineyard
Rob Scholz has been documenting conditions in vineyards and examining grape samples at Forschungsanstalt Geisenheim… [ more… ]
In untamed Mexico
Kraig Kraft, a doctoral candidate in ecology, was in Mexico to track the genetic diversity of wild chili peppers… [ more… ]
Graduate students use award to pursue knowledge across the world
From tracking chilies in the wilds of Mexico to patiently deciphering 16th-century documents in Peruvian archives, five of UC Davis’ top graduate students are creating new knowledge and serving as international ambassadors.
They are among the campus’s small but growing contingent of students who conduct research and spread goodwill each year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, the federal government’s flagship educational exchange program.
Each year, about 1,500 recent baccalaureate graduates, graduate students, artists and young professionals receive the prestigious award to teach, study or research for eight to 10 months in 155 countries. The program’s purpose is to foster mutual understanding between the United States and other countries.
For the 2007-08 academic year, a record seven of 21 UC Davis applicants were offered the award, and five accepted. Those five have been conducting research in Australia, Germany, Argentina, Mexico and Peru.
‘It’s a very prestigious award that follows them through their lifetime. It can open doors internationally.’
Deborah McCook, UC Davis Fulbright adviser
11 offered awards for next year
For the 2008-09 year, 11 UC Davis students and graduates from among 28 applicants have been offered Fulbright awards. Taken together, the 11 propose to travel to five continents to study subjects as varied as bicycle dynamics in the Netherlands and ethnomusicology in Thailand.
Graduate Studies will host an information session for prospective applicants for the 2009-10 Fulbright program at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 28, in MU II of the Memorial Union. Former Fulbright recipients from UC Davis will participate.
Fulbright grants provide funds for international transportation, a living stipend, a small book or research allowance, and medical insurance. Some countries also provide other grant enhancements.
The Fulbright scholars value the award for the research opportunities, the experiences they gain by living abroad, and the status it adds to their resumes.
Consulting with premier colonial experts
Consider Susan Hogue. The doctoral candidate in history at UC Davis is conducting research in Peru and consulting with some of the world’s premier Andean and Spanish colonial experts.
Kraig Kraft, a doctoral candidate in ecology, has logged thousands of miles crisscrossing Mexico to study the genetic diversity of wild chili peppers and their domestication.
And Rob Scholz, who earned a master’s degree in viticulture and enology in 2007, has been able to control all aspects of his wine-related project — from the harvesting of grapes to wine production and lab analysis — at a renowned viticulture research institute in Germany.
“It’s a very prestigious award that follows them through their lifetime,” said Deborah McCook, who, as the campus’s Fulbright adviser, works closely with applicants. “It can open doors internationally.”
Those familiar with the Fulbrights know the opportunity can be life changing. “My experiences so far in Germany have been irreplaceable, and I will carry them with me for the rest of my life,” said Scholz.
Edward Caswell-Chen, associate dean of Graduate Studies, said the growing number of Fulbright applicants and award recipients is a tribute to the quality of UC Davis students, and to the mentoring and assistance that Graduate Studies and faculty members provide.
And Fulbright scholars say they owe plenty to Graduate Studies for helping them work their way through the demanding application process.
Help finding faculty mentors
For starters, the external funding unit offers examples of successful applications — including descriptions of research projects and personal statements — and helps applicants find mentors among faculty members who themselves may have been Fulbright recipients.
“Our faculty have also been very conscientious and helpful to our students,” said Caswell-Chen, associate dean for graduate programs and chair of the campus evaluation committee for the Fulbright program.
After the applications are submitted, a campus evaluation committee interviews and then ranks the UC Davis candidates. Three years ago, the committee began allowing students to make modest revisions to their applications based on its feedback.
“Graduate Studies aided me quite a bit during the application process,” said Kraft. “The best part about the Davis interview was that you had an opportunity to redress your deficiencies.”
Why does UC Davis offer such support?
“These individuals are the best of the best of our students,” Caswell-Chen said. “They’re acting as a citizen ambassador. They’re reflecting on UC Davis internationally.”