Students Honored at CFSA Scholar and Mentor Recognition Event

Students who worked with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising to apply for nationally competitive scholarships gathered for a reception in their honor in April at the Chancellor’s House. Photos by Steve Sartori

Students across campus with a variety of interests and goals apply for the most prestigious of nationally competitive scholarships each year.

Some are awarded with those high honors, and all who compete are recognized each year for their efforts by the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising (CFSA).

CFSA works with students to help them determine which scholarships might fit their goals, interests and backgrounds; facilitate the application process; and submit a compelling essay, through writing workshops and one-on-one consultations.

The CFSA Scholar and Mentor Recognition Reception was held at the Chancellor’s House in April to celebrate those students who applied for nationally competitive scholarships and recognize the mentors who foster excellence in their students. The event also recognized Associate Professor of Biology Kari Segraves with the first-ever “CFSA Mentor of the Year” award.

Students who won prestigious nationally competiive scholarships this year include:

• Geoffrey Vaartstra ’17, a mechanical engineering student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, was awarded an Astronaut Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding undergraduate research in the fields of science and technology.
• Tara Mackinnon, an international relations graduate student in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, won a Boren Fellowship, and Frederick Cieri III ’17, a foreign language and international relations student in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, was awarded a Boren Scholarship to study Portuguese in Brazil.
• Sujata Bajracharya, a religion graduate student in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Jeffrey Marshall ’17, a public relations and international relations student in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Newhouse School of Public Communications and the Maxwell School, were awarded Critical Language Scholarships to study critical-need languages overseas.
• Jessica Toothaker ’17, a biology student in the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship, and Jordan Barrett ’18, a mathematics and physics major in the College of Arts and Sciences; Snigdha Chatterjee ’17, a biotechnology student in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Geoffrey Vaartstra were awarded honorable mentions. The Goldwater Scholarship recognizes promising undergraduate students planning research careers in the fields of science, engineering, and mathematics.
• Ryan Milcarek ’14, a mechanical and aerospace engineering and sustainable enterprises graduate student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, and Joshua Woods ’16, a chemical engineering student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, received Graduate Research Fellowships from the National Science Foundation to fund graduate study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics . Corey Carpenter ’14, an environmental engineering graduate of the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Emily Kraus ’15, a physics graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences; Alexis Pena ’16, a biomedical engineering major in the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Allison Roberts ’14, a biochemistry graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Tyler Smith ’16, a biochemistry major in the College of Arts and Sciences, were awarded honorable mentions.
• Sahil Jain ’13, a graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School, was awarded a Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship, which will provide him with funding for graduate study international relations, as well as internship and professional development opportunities to prepare him for a career in the U.S. Foreign Service.
• Katie Duggan ’18, an environmental engineering student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Gabrielle Hill ’18, a child and family studies major in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, were honorable mentions for the Udall Scholarship. The Udall Scholarship recognizes students committed to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment.
• Several students were also awarded Fulbright Research grants and Fulbright English Teaching Awards.

Kait Hobson ’16, a Fulbright English Teaching award student, presents Associate Professor Kari Segraves with the Center for Fellowship and Scholarship Advising “Mentor of the Year” award during a reception for scholarship students and mentors at the Chancellor’s House in April.

During the Recognition Reception in April, Kait Hobson ’16, a Fulbright ETA awardee, spoke about the importance of faculty mentors. Hobson presented Segraves with the CFSA Mentor of the Year Award, which recognizes exemplary dedication to students and encouragement of students’ pursuit of nationally competitive scholarships.

Segraves was honored for her commitment to providing research opportunities for undergraduates and assisting students in connecting with University resources. She is also the director of the Biology Distinction program, a Capstone advisor to many Renée Crown University Honors students and a mentor to scholarship applicants.

Segraves’ name has been engraved on the CFSA Mentor of the Year plaque, which resides in the Renée Crown University Honors Program office in Bowne Hall.