Four Drexel Students Awarded Fulbright Scholarships for International Research

Four Drexel students received the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship for study and research abroad in 2011-12, the most in any year in Drexel's history.

Food Security in Senegal
Caitlin Costello will focus her efforts on domestic rice production in Senegal. Her project will examine rice production strategies and explore how to mimic the most successful methods in areas where rice production is less developed. The research can help to increase food security, improve health, increase productivity and provide employment.Costello performed related research on the topic for her senior thesis at Drexel. She earned a bachelor’s degree in International Area Studies in 2010.

Health Maintenance for HIV and TB in India
Janani Singaravelu will travel to Vellore, India, to research the impact of health-seeking behaviors on people infected with both HIV and tuberculosis. Her study will evaluate the impact of patient behaviors including on-time pill pick-up on the progression of the diseases. Singaravelu will graduate with a master’s in Medical Science from Drexel in May 2011. She earned her bachelor’s degree after completing a double major in South Asia Studies and the Biological Basis of Behavior at the University of Pennsylvania in 2009.

Understanding Microbes’ Contributions to Lake Ecosystems
Karen Sullam, a Ph.D. student in Environmental Science at Drexel, will investigate microbial communities within lake ecosystems. Her research project will yield a better understanding how changes in the environment will influence microbial functioning in an ecosystem, including breaking down organic matter. This research has implications for the future functioning of aquatic systems. She received her bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College in 2006.

Leadership Development in Young Adults in China
Daniel Tedesco, a senior at Drexel studying International Area Studies, Finance, and Chinese, will study leadership development among young adults in China. His study will work with participants in the Chinese government's Student Village Officials (SVO) program, which places recent graduates into rural villages as assistants to local officials, as well as with villagers in the communities. Tedesco is currently president and trustee of Global China Connection, a nonprofit organization that coordinates China-focused student research and events through 60 university chapters. During the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, he served as a Student Ambassador for the USA National Pavilion. He will receive his bachelor’s degree from Drexel in June 2011.

The Fulbright Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is the largest U.S. international exchange program offering opportunities for students, scholars, and professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, and teaching opportunities. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers fellowships for U.S. graduating college seniors, graduate students, young professionals and artists to study abroad for one academic year.

News media contact:
Rachel Ewing, News Officer, Office of University Communications
215-895-2614 or raewing@drexel.edu