VCU news

By Tom Gresham

Three recent Virginia Commonwealth University graduates have been awarded Fulbright Student Scholarships for the 2011-12 academic year.

The new alumni will receive funding to travel abroad to conduct research or teach. The recipients, who each graduated in May, are Glenna Barlow, Bruce Jun Park Jr. and Maria McClintock. Seventeen VCU students have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships over the past six years, including 11 student scholars over the past two years.

“The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most prestigious honors that a student can receive,” said Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU. “We’re proud of these scholars and are excited about the opportunity that they have earned to pursue their interests abroad. Their experience will be both beneficial and unforgettable and serves as a great example of the value VCU places on the success of its students.”

Barlow received a master’s degree in art history from VCU. She will travel to India where she will pursue research in ephemeral folk art created for festivals in that country. Barlow is from Fairfax.

McClintock graduated with a major in chemical and life science engineering and a minor in mathematical sciences and chemistry. McClintock will conduct research in Thessaloniki, Greece, focusing on localized wastewater treatment using biological species. She hopes to map out a genetic circuit that can be used for water filtration. She is from New York City.

Park graduated from VCU with a major in psychology and a minor in chemistry. He will travel to South Korea to teach English to elementary and high school students. He also plans to volunteer in Korean hospitals. Park, who is from Fairfax, will enroll in the VCU School of Medicine when he returns next year.

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills. Sponsored by the United States Department of State, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students, scholars and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.

Students applied for the Fulbright through the VCU Honors College’s National Scholarship Office, which assists VCU students and alumni who wish to compete for prestigious national and international scholarships.