At Least 8 Students Win Fulbrights

Columbia has had a strong year in the Fulbright Scholarship competition, with at least eight student—six from Columbia College and two from Barnard—declared award recipients for the coming academic year.

The scholarship, endowed in part by the U.S. Department of State, lets students and professionals spend a year teaching, attending a university program, or doing research in a foreign country of their choice.

These numbers may not be not final since the Fulbright award process-which winner Jon Brilliant, CC '07, called "a bureaucratic black hole"-is complicated and drawn out. One Columbia College student is still waiting to hear back from the organization, and two finalists at Barnard have been designated "alternates." Aaron Schneider, Barnard's senior associate dean of studies, who oversees the Fulbright application, said to receive a placement as an "alternate" for a Fulbright award, "can actually be very promising," adding that it's possible that there will be more winners as funds become available.

Both Columbia College and Barnard have a history of doing well in the competition-Barnard had a record seven recipients last year. Michael Pippenger, dean of the fellowships office for Columbia College and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said that the award "appeals to Columbia students because it has this worldly outlook," and also because of its focus on individual research and creativity.

Most of the students started working on their applications-which demand that they plan specific details for the project-months in advance.

Brilliant's project, which involves studying popular representations of Mao Zedong, will encompass a broad range of approaches, from taking classes at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Bejing to observing the preparations that the Chinese government is making for the upcoming Bejing Olympics. "I'm trying to approach this with a more open view than just looking for propaganda in the Western sense," he said.

Ariela Marcus-Sells, BC '07, was studying abroad in Mali when she received an e-mail from Schneider describing fellowships available to rising seniors. While she developed an idea of what she wanted to do over the summer, she completed the bulk of the application in the early fall.

"It was a lot of work when you are just starting off the year again," she said.

Benjamin Parisi, CC '07, decided to apply late in the fall, and said that he was only able to complete the application at that point because he plans to use his Fulbright award to attend an intensive language study program, which is "not the typical research project of more Fulbrighters."

Susanna Berger, CC '07, who has yet to accept the award because she is weighing another fellowship offer, said, "The Fulbright process really grew out of my senior thesis," a sentiment which many of the other recipients echoed.

Some said they felt that their previous experiences abroad strengthened their desire to apply for a Fulbright. Mariam Banahi, BC '07, spent her junior year abroad in Jordan. While there, she made a short trip to Egypt, where she will be doing her Fulbright work. "I fell in love with the country and the people," she said. "Even the dialect they speak there is so much fun."

Several winners emphasized the importance of having contacts in the country you plan to visit. Marcus-Sells studied in Mali where she met an American professor who gave her information on some contacts in Jordan, where she will be working. She explained that "it's very important to have an easy way of access into a community" when it comes to framing the proposal on the application.