Sturgis Fellowship Program to Celebrate 20 Years of Achievement

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In October, the Sturgis Fellowship Program will turn 20, and Fulbright College will celebrate with a series of events featuring Sturgis alumni and the impact they have made since leaving the University of Arkansas.

“Our first graduating class was in 1990, and since then, so many Sturgis Fellows have done amazingly well. It’s time to connect them back to the university and build a supportive network for future generations of Sturgis Fellows,” said Sidney Burris, director of the honors program in Fulbright College.

Sturgis Fellows will arrive on campus Oct. 14 and attend a reception that evening hosted by Chancellor Dave and Jane Gearhart. The next day, they will gather for a reception, meet with favorite faculty members, enjoy games on the lawn of Old Main and attend a celebration dinner that evening hosted by William Schwab, dean of Fulbright College. The dinner, co-hosted by trustees of the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, will unite current Sturgis Fellows with returning alumni. On Saturday, they will gather for an Auburn watch party at US Pizza Company.

“You cannot overestimate the impact these students have had on Fulbright College and this campus,” said Schwab. “They are all students who could have attended any university they wanted, but chose our campus, attracted by the opportunities this generous scholarship allowed them for research, travel and a broad range of academic activities.”

Since 1985, the Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust has awarded $7.5 million to Fulbright College, $5 million for Sturgis Fellowships and $2.5 million for the Sturgis Honors Scholars Grant Program, which awards non-Sturgis Fellows funding for study abroad and research.

On and beyond the campus, the name Sturgis Fellow has become synonymous with academic excellence and achievement:

• Class of 1994 graduate Lou Green was recently awarded a 2010 Ian Axford Fellowship in Public Policy. This fellowship, which is sponsored by Fulbright New Zealand, is one of the many programs that are part of the late Sen. J. William Fulbright’s dedication to cross-cultural understanding as an instrument of peace. Green serves as an international trade liaison in U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

• David Tabb, a faculty member in the department of biomedical informatics at Vanderbilt University, is actively engaged in the Early Detection Research Network, a group seeking biomarkers for improved diagnosis of cancer.

• Charles King, a member of the first class of Sturgis Fellows to graduate, is among the world’s most renowned experts on eastern Europe, nationalism and ethnic conflict. He has lectured widely on these topics and has worked with broadcast media ranging from CNN and the BBC to the History Channel and MTV.