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St. Olaf announces two Fulbright fellows for 2009-10

By Trent Chaffee '09
April 24, 2009

St. Olaf College has announced that two students, Sarah Hendrickson '09 and Whitney Waters '09, have been named Fulbright fellows for 2009-10. Both will be conducting scientific research, with Hendrickson heading to India and Waters to Mexico. The two seniors are the college's 71st and 72nd students awarded Fulbright fellowships since 1993. Keeley MacNeill '08 and Katie Parent '09 were named alternates for the program.

Fulbrights09
St. Olaf seniors (l-r) Sarah Hendrickson, Katie Parent (alternate) and Whitney Waters were recently named Fulbright fellows 2009-10. Not pictured is alternate Keeley MacNeill '08.


The flagship international educational program sponsored by the United States government, the Fulbright program "aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills."

"St. Olaf students have been successful in the Fulbright Program because of their exceptional range of activities that complement their focused academic study," says Bruce Dalgaard, executive director of the Center for Experiential Learning and adviser to the Fulbright students throughout the application process. "The international orientation of the college and its programs gives our students opportunities to explore and then develop competency with languages and cultures."

Hendrickson, a biology and mathematics double major with a biomedical studies concentration from Lafayette, Colo., will work in the Christian Medical College of Vellore, and examine the clinical profiles and treatment patterns of mycobacterium tuberculosis. Upon return, she plans to attend medical school.

Waters, a biology and Spanish double major from Plymouth, Minn., will study a mutation that causes type II diabetes at the Center for Advanced Research and Studies in Irapuato, Mexico. She hopes her research will allow health officials to determine genetic predispositions to diabetes and conduct better preventative care.

"These students combine a scholarly competence and wide-ranging experiences with a real passion for their research and the countries where they will work," adds Dalgaard.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.