The first recipients of the Park Alumni Society Study Abroad stipends have been funded for study this spring.

Last year, as part of its 10-year anniversary fundraiser, the Park Alumni Society began a study abroad stipend to help defray travel costs of Park Scholars who planned to study abroad. To date, more than $9,000 has been pledged or donated to the fund.

Students applied for the grants through the GRASPs process and awardees were selected by the Park office. Scholars submitted travel budgets and written applications, and had to be participating in University-sponsored or approved travel programs for academic credit. One student was funded through the Vince Maniscalco fund.

To donate to the PAS Study Abroad fund, you can visit the fundraising web site. Online donations can be made at this site. Be sure to specify ”Other” when making your donation and type in ”Park Scholarships Study Abroad Fund.”

Spring 2007 Awardees and Destinations

The following students each received $500 to cover their airfare or other travel experiences:

John Coggin (2009) and Greg Wilson (2010) will travel to the Galapagos Islands during spring break as part of an NC State class taught by plant pathology professor Dr. Robert Bruck. The class will retrace Darwin’s steps as they tour the islands by boat, with stops in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and San Cristobal and Santa Cruz islands. John is majoring in Communication Media with minors in history, religious studies and biological sciences. He is interested in studying the relationship between religion, science and society. Greg is studying fisheries and wildlife science with a minor in journalism. He plans to pursue a career in wildlife journalism.

Meghan Craven (2009) is participating in the Semester in Spain program in Santander, Spain. A chemical engineering major, she plans to attend medical school and become a pediatric surgeon. While in Spain, she will be assigned a Spanish conversation partner and be housed through a homestay where she will have plenty of opportunities to practice her Spanish. As part of the program, Meghan will also tour other Spanish cities including Barcelona and Madrid.

Katherine Horner (2009) will study abroad in Spain as part of an immersive semester which will combine intensive Spanish lessons with cultural involvement. She will live with a local host family and her personal goal is ”too speak as little English as possible” while she’s there. After graduation, Katherine plans to work with the FBI in a Spanish-speaking country or territory.

Kristopher Kleiner (2009) will study finance at the University of Wollongong in Australia, where he hopes to focus on Pacific region markets and explore internship opportunities in Sydney. He plans to graduate from NC State with a bachelors in math and a Master’s in financial math. While in Australia, Kristopher hopes to continue his involvement in nature-oriented service projects by taking advantage of Wollongong’s proximity to a large nature reserve and two national parks. He will also tour New Zealand and Eastern Australia while abroad.

Kasey Phillips (2008) will attend Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where she will take two courses relating to her math and physics majors along with classes in Cantonese and Chinese culture and history. She plans to pursue a doctorate in high energy physics after graduation and is interested in the collaborative nature of many physics fields. Two summers ago, Kasey observed a European approach while working in an optics lab in Kassal, Germany, and now looks forward to gaining an Asian perspective. She is also interested in studying how traditional, Communist China compares with the free-market, Westernized Hong Kong.

Glenna Wink (2009) will study at the University of Westminster in London. While there, she will take classes in biochemistry and bioscience focused on human disease. She will also take classes in German and European culture. During April, Glenna will work in Cambridge with her mentor, Dr. Carla Mattos, at the European Bioinformatics Institute, researching protein function prediction from structure through multiple solvent crystal structures. Her time in Cambridge will be funded in part through an NSF grant. After graduation, Glenna plans to become a biochemistry professor with her own research lab.

Above (l-r): John Coggin, Meghan Craven, Katherine Horner, Kristopher Kleiner, Kasey Phillips, and Glenna Wink. Not pictured: Greg Wilson