Finalists Compete For Prestigious Sturgis Fellowship From The University Of Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas has announced 20 students as finalists for prestigious Sturgis Fellowships to the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. Of these students, 11 will receive the fellowship to begin their freshman year at the University next fall.

This year’s finalists have a weighted 4.0 grade point average and an ACT average of 33.15 out of a possible 36 placing them in the top 1percent of students taking the ACT.

Sturgis Fellowships are worth $48,000 and provide for tuition, room, board and discretionary funds for computers, musical instruments, professional journals, travel abroad and trips to conferences.

The Sturgis Fellowship Program is celebrating its 15^th year anniversary this year. It was established at the University of Arkansas in 1985 by the Dallas-based Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust with an endowment of $2 million. The success of the program led to additional gifts in 1992 and 1998, bringing the total to $10 million.

"We have an incredibly successful program with students who often win nationally competitive scholarships such as the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for research in mathematics and the sciences and the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for graduate study," said Suzanne McCray, associate director for honors studies.

"We have more than 100 graduates who have maintained at least a 3.96 grade point average and go on to graduate study at such places at MIT and Stanford which is a remarkable testimonial to the quality of our Sturgis Fellows and to the academic preparation the receive at the University of Arkansas."

This year, students with Sturgis Fellowships have received additional fellowships from across the country and have been accepted into programs such as Standford Law School, and the competitive mathematics program at Berkley.

The history of Sturgis Fellows boasts one J. William Fulbright Fellow, 10 Barry Goldwater Scholars, two Morris Udall Scholars, two Marshall Scholars, and four Harry S.Truman Scholars.

This year’s finalists represent students from across the country, 13 of those from Arkansas. They are listed below by name, high school, home town and field of interest.

• Benjamin Austrin-Willis
  Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, New Hampshire
  Fields of Interest: government, history, international relations, journalism, law, politics
• Haley Beverburg
  Springdale High School, Springdale, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: mathematics and science
• Sarah G. Black
  Lake Hamilton High School, Royal, Ark.
  Field of Interest biology, chemistry
• Rebecca K. Claus
  Maple Valley High School, Tower City, North Dakota
  Fields of Interest: The arts
• Carrie Coppernoll
  Mountain Home High School, Mountain Home, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: print journalism and visual arts
• Edward Corcoran
  Mena High School, Mena, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: computers, English, history, government
• Diana Dunn
  Mississippi School of Math and Science, Maben, Miss.
  Fields of Interest: mathematics, history, international relations
• Jessica Ezell
  Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: humanities, English, history, pre-law
• Iris Ferguson
  Fayetteville High School, Fayetteville, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: philosophy, Spanish, international relations, international business
• Sarah Gilbert
  Mountain View High School, Mountain View, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: psychology, pre-med, science, communications, political science
• Jessica Keahey
  Lake Hamilton High School Pearcy, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: biology, music, literature, calculus
• Jill Kowalski
  Home Schooled, Cave City, Ark.
  Field of Interest: mathematics
• Dagny Looper
  Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences, Rector, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: astrophysics, mathematics, physics
• Ellen McCaskill
  Santa Fe High School, Edmond, Okla.
  Fields of Interest: chemistry, Biology and Spanish
• Miranda Page
  Grove High School, Grove, Okla.
  Fields of Interest:: anthropology, Spanish, Native American arts, mathematics
• Kristina Partrick
  Southside High School, Fort Smith, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: biochemistry/pre-medicine
• Hayley Riggs
  Roland High School, Roland, Okla.
  Fields of Interest: mathematics, computer science, journalism
• Lee Rowton
  Arkansas School for Mathematics and Science, Hot Springs, Ark.
  Fields of Interest: biology, physics, astronomy, geometry, geography, history, and literature
• Rainer Sabin
  East Hampton High School, East Hampton, New York
  Fields of Interest: history, political science, art history
• Rocky Tsang
  Arkansas School for Math and Science, Hot Springs, Ark.
  Field of Interest: biology/pre-medicine, English