VCU news

By William Lineberry and Sarah Klotz

Over the last year, 21 Virginia Commonwealth University students and recent alumni have been awarded prestigious national and international scholarships and fellowships – helping them advance their studies and careers in fields ranging from public policy and foreign affairs to STEM.

With the assistance of the National Scholarship Office, these students and alumni represented VCU’s academic excellence and stood out for their accomplishments and potential in highly competitive international and domestic pools of applicants.

“We know from our experience that these opportunities are far more than recognition for prior accomplishments,” said Jeff Wing, director of the National Scholarship Office. “These scholarships and fellowships are all future-focused, and these recipients will all benefit from the pathways that open up to them as a result of their selection.”

Octavia Chistopher, Sofia Syed, Michael Portillo - Fulbright

Octavia Christopher, College of Humanities and Sciences, biology, 2022

Sofia Syed, College of Humanities and Sciences, philosophy, 2022

Michael Portillo, School of Business, economics, 2022

The Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

“I was drawn to apply to Fulbright because it offered the opportunity to engage in cultural exchange and experiential learning abroad while I’d be able to use my skills to help students along their own academic journeys,” Christopher said.

Vineeth Vaidyula - CLS Spark

Vineeth Vaidyula, College of Humanities and Sciences, Honors College, biology, 2024

CLS Spark is a virtual initiative for U.S. undergraduate students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.

MiJin Cho - Goldwater

MiJin Cho, College of Humanities and Sciences, Honors College, psychology and English, 2023

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship was designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

 

Kavya Purthuveetil, Jensen Wainwright - National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Kavya Purthuveetil, College of Engineering, biomedical engineering, 2022

Jensen Wainwright, College of Humanities and Sciences, anthropology, 2019

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

Arshelle Carter, Michael Portillo, Tradgon Sexton - Pickering Fellowship

Arshelle Carter, School of Business, College of Humanities and Sciences, international management, international studies, 2016

Michael Portillo, School of Business, economics, 2022

Tradgon Sexton, College of Humanities and Sciences, French and international studies, 2021

The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State that attracts and prepares outstanding and historically underrepresented young people for foreign service careers in the U.S. Department of State.

Oscar Kemp - Public Policy and International Affairs Program 

Oscar Kemp, School of Social Work, social work, 2023

The Public Policy and International Affairs Program was started to address the lack of diversity across the spectrum of professional public service, including government, nonprofits, public policy institutions and international organizations.

 

Kelly Nguyen - Rangel Fellowship

Kelly Nguyen, College of Humanities and Sciences, Honors College, political science and international studies, 2020

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship Program is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State that attracts and prepares outstanding and historically underrepresented young people for foreign service careers in the U.S. Department of State.

 

Abigail Andrade, Mac Salter - RISE Germany 

Abigail Andrade, College of Humanities and Sciences, Honors College, biology, physics, and Spanish, 2023

Mac Salter, College of Engineering, electrical engineering, 2023

RISE Germany offers undergraduate students from North American, British and Irish universities the opportunity to complete a summer research internship at top German universities and research institutions.

 

 

 

Chastyn Smith, Lars Axberg, Tristan Norrgard, Madeline Bataille - SMART

Chastyn Smith, College of Humanities and Sciences, forensic science, Center for Integrative Life Sciences Ph.D. student. 

Lars Axberg, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, 2024

Tristan Norrgard, College of Engineering, mechanical engineering, 2024

Madeline Bataille, College of Engineering, Honors College, biomedical engineering, 2024

The SMART Program, part of the Department of Defense science, technology, engineering and mathematics portfolio, provides STEM students with the tools needed to pursue higher education and begin a rewarding career with the DoD.

Alexandria Ashe and Sarah Meehan - Presidential Management Fellowship

Alexandria Ashe, School of Medicine, public health, 2021

Sarah Meehan, School of Social Work, social work, 2022

The Presidential Management Fellows Program is the federal government's premier leadership development program for advanced degree holders across all academic disciplines.

Simon Petrizzi - National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

Simon Petrizzi , School of Business, Honors College, business administration and management, 2022

The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program awards scholarships to students pursuing eligible primary care health professions training.

To learn more about additional scholarship and fellowship recipients from VCU, visit blogs.vcu.edu/natlscholar/2022/12/08/a-year-in-review-44-vcu-students-recent-alumni-receive-national-international-scholarships-fellowships/.