ATHENS, Ohio -- Two Ohio University students have progressed to advanced stages in two prestigious award competitions.
Junior Toby Fallsgraff, from Olmsted Township, Ohio, has been selected as a Harry S. Truman Scholarship Finalist and senior Bobby McDonie, from Waverly, Ohio, has been selected as a semi-finalist for the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowships.
Ann Brown, director of Ohio University's Office Nationally Competitive Awards, called the advancements "milestones."
"These are remarkable achievements for these extraordinary students. Not only do applications for these awards require excellent writing, interesting experiences and impeccable credentials, they also require tenacity and courage," Brown said.
"These successes are a testimony to their excellent applications and their hard work and is also a testimony to the extraordinary efforts of the faculty members who helped them in this process. We are very proud of Toby and Bobby and their accomplishments."
Fallsgraff, a magazine journalism major pursuing a certificate in political communication, hopes to eventually work in campaign management.
Established by Congress in 1975, The Truman Scholarship provides a $30,000 merit-based grant for graduate study to students interested in public service careers, particularly in government. Students cannot apply directly for the award; a faculty representative must nominate them.
Fallsgraff will interview for the award March 14 in Washington, D.C. The Truman Scholarship Foundation expects to award between 75 and 80 scholarships.
McDonie, an English major in the College of Arts and Sciences honors program, hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in queer studies. The Mellon Fellowship is intended to help prepare students for teaching and research careers of in humanistic disciplines. The fellowship provides a tuition waiver and $17,500 stipend for the first year of doctoral study.
McDonie will interview March 1 in Ann Arbor, Mich. After the interviews, finalists will be selected and a panel in Washington, D.C., will choose 85 winners. Since its establishment in 1982, approximately 800 students apply each year for the fellowship.
McDonie was also a Rhodes State Finalist.
For more information about the awards or the students, contact Ann Brown or the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at (740) 593-2752.
