Victoria Scanlan

Janine Rock

Assumption College Announces Two Fulbright Scholarships

Worcester, MA–Victoria Scanlan, of Westford, Massachusetts, and Janine Rock, of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, both seniors at Assumption College, have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships to study in Belgium and Spain, respectively, for the 2001-2002 academic year. This is the first time that an Assumption College student has ever received a Fulbright.

Ms. Scanlan, a double major in French and Biology, submitted her scholarship proposal for research at the L'Institut Pasteur in Bruxelles, Belgium, where she wants to study Toxoplasmosis, a disease which is a prominent cause of birth defects, particularly in France and Belgium. The scholarship will also enable Ms. Scanlon to further develop her French skills, especially in learning the technical vocabulary of French by reading and studying research on this disease by French-speaking scientists. Ms. Scanlan was also recently awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award in French at the College's annual Honor's Convocation, and is a Presidential Scholar and an Augustine Scholar.

Janine Rock, a Spanish major, will study dance at the University of Alcala in Madrid, Spain, while engaging in a comparative study on the contemporary dance cultures of Spain and the United States. She plans to conduct her research both in and out of the classroom, attending university lectures on the history of dance and culture, participating in Spanish dance classes, and traveling outside Madrid to observe flamenco workshops. Ms. Rock was also recently awarded an Outstanding Achievement Award in Spanish at the annual Honor's Convocation and is this year's Valedictorian at the Commencement ceremony. In addition, she is an Augustine Scholar, and has been active in many campus activities, including ACTV News, the Latino Film Festival, and Siblings Weekend.

The United States Department of State is the principal administrator of the Fulbright Program worldwide. The Institute of International Education assists the Department of State in conducting the program at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. The Post-Baccalaureate Fellowships that Ms. Scanlan and Ms. Rock received are part of an annual competition, based on submitted proposals, for awards given to graduating seniors, young professionals, artists, and graduate students from over 100 countries. On the average, only one out of ten applicants receives Fulbright funding.