Through the support of these partners, many Vanderbilt students were named semi-finalists and recipients of competitive national awards across all schools of the university. This year alone, 31 Vanderbilt nominees were selected as Fulbright Scholarship semi-finalists, and 12 were ultimately named as Fulbright recipients. In addition, Vanderbilt students and alumni received a Rhodes Scholarship, three Goldwater Scholarships, five National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships, two Gilman Scholarships, two Keegan Traveling Fellowships, a Critical Language Scholarship, a Mount Vernon Leadership Fellowship, a Public Interest Fellowship, a Ruckelshaus Fellowship and a Schwarzman Scholarship.
“While some programs may not run as originally intended due to COVID-19, this in no way diminishes the tremendous achievement and effort put forth by these outstanding young men and women,” said Jackie Sheridan, associate director of Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities at the Vanderbilt Career Center.
In addition to the direct support of the numerous faculty and campus members below, many other faculty members, mentors and supervisors provided critical support as advocates, essay reviewers and recommendation letter-writers as students pursued these and other competitive awards.
Fulbright experts, reviewers and interview panelists
- Scott Aikin, assistant professor of philosophy
- Anja Bandas, program director, McTyeire International House
- Ralf Bennartz, professor of earth and environmental sciences
- John Bradley, director, Writing Studio and Tutoring Services
- Carrie Cargile, language teaching specialist, English Language Center
- Xiu Cravens, associate dean for international affairs and associate professor of leadership, policy and organizations
- Marshall Eakin, distinguished professor of history
- Brad Hawkins, practicum director, Master of Public Health Program
- Ashley Heaton, program coordinator, Enrollment Affairs
- Martha Jones, associate professor of medicine, health and society
- David Laird, assistant professor of leadership, policy and organizations
- Richard McGregor, associate professor of religion and Islamic studies
- Ole Molvig, assistant professor of history, assistant professor of communication of science and technology, and assistant director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Digital Learning
- Jessica Oster, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences
- Thomas Schwartz, distinguished professor of history, professor of political science, and professor of European studies
- Megan Skaggs, M.A. Latin American Studies/M.Ed. International Education Policy and Management
- John Sloop, associate provost for education development and technologies and professor of communication studies
- Greg Swanson, administrative officer, Office of the Dean of Students
- Julianne Vernon, assistant dean for academic programs and research assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering
Rhodes, Marshall, Mitchell and Schwarzman Application Preparation and Nomination Committee
- Kate Brooks, Evans Family Executive Director of the Career Center
- Bianca Manago, assistant professor of sociology
- Tandra Martin, program coordinator, Office of Active Citizenship and Service
- Robert Scherrer, professor and chair of physics and astronomy
- Thomas Schwartz, distinguished professor of history, professor of political science and professor of European studies
Truman Applicant Preparation and Nomination Committee
- Kate Brooks, Evans Family Executive Director of the Career Center
- Kitt Carpenter, E. Bronson Ingram Professor of Economics and director of the Program in Public Policy Studies
- Tracey George, vice provost for faculty affairs, Charles B. Cox III and Lucy D. Cox Family Chair in Law and Liberty and professor of political science
- Tandra Martin, program coordinator, Office of Active Citizenship and Service
- Thomas Schwartz, distinguished professor of history, professor of political science and professor of European studies
Goldwater Nomination and Review Committee
- Beth Bowman, assistant director, Graduate Programs in Biomedical Sciences
- Lauren Buchanan, assistant professor of chemistry
- Craig Duvall, professor of biomedical engineering
- Todd Peterson, associate professor of radiology and radiological sciences, physics and astronomy and chemical and physical biology
- Paul Sheldon, professor of physics and astronomy
Keegan Traveling Fellowship reviewer
- Jon Hiskey, associate professor of political science
The Career Center Fellowships team is grateful to all individuals across campus who provided support of all kinds to students.
“It is difficult to overstate how important faculty and other mentors are to our students’ continued success,” Sheridan said. “Their efforts to inspire students, connect them with transformative opportunities, and champion them throughout the rigorous process of applying for these competitive awards produce an immense impact, as is clear from this year’s number of finalists and recipients.”
If you are a faculty member and are interested in supporting students applying for fellowships, please contact jaclyn.sheridan@vanderbilt.edu. For more information about applying to national fellowships, contact us at the Career Center website.