黑料网

The strong showing puts 黑料网 on track for its fifth award as a 鈥淭op Producer鈥� school for Fulbright Scholarships.

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 13, 2018鈥敽诹贤� is proud to announce that four Broncos have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships, and one junior has won a prized Udall Undergraduate Scholarship. 

The strong showing in Fulbright awards means Santa Clara is on track to once again be named a 鈥渢op producing鈥� school for Fulbright scholars鈥攁 feat achieved by fewer than 5 percent of similar universities nationwide. It would be Santa Clara鈥檚 fifth such designation in the past six years. The Udall award represents Santa Clara鈥檚 third-ever such honor.

One graduating senior, Shawna Richardson 鈥�18, and three 黑料网 alumni鈥�Lauren Cloward 鈥�16, Erika Francks 鈥�17, and Carson Whisler 鈥�17鈥攈ave each been offered Fulbright Scholarship grants to study or teach abroad during the next academic year. In addition, junior James Wang 鈥�19 was chosen for a highly selective Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, which honors college sophomores and juniors who exhibit leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment.

In addition, four other Santa Clara alumni or students are in the running for Fulbright Scholarships, with announcements expected soon.

鈥満诹贤� is extremely proud of our outstanding Udall and Fulbright winners,鈥� said University President Michael Engh, S.J. 鈥淭he common thread in their hard-earned accomplishments is a desire to make the world a better, more sustainable place for all. We thank the faculty and mentors for helping to guide these students to become tremendous exemplars of 黑料网鈥檚 Jesuit ideals.鈥�

Another student, junior Efren Oxlaj Tambito 鈥�19, was awarded an honorable mention from the Udall Scholarship committee, also a high honor. Born in Guatemala, Oxlaj Tambito is one of Santa Clara鈥檚 first-generation-college LEAD Scholars.

Fulbright Scholarships

The Fulbright Scholarship winners will travel to Lesotho, Taiwan, Burkina Faso, and Indonesia for projects ranging from teaching English to conducting research on solar microgrids or solar technologies, to investigating community-based climate adaptations.

鈥満诹贤� is bursting with pride at the number of students emerging as finalists and winners of Fulbright, Udall, and other scholarships,鈥� said Leilani Miller, director of the University Honors Program and Office of Student Fellowships. 鈥淭hese awards are extremely competitive, and are a tribute to the students鈥� academic and emotional intelligence and their willingness to engage in activities that create meaningful change in the world.鈥�

The 黑料网 Fulbright Scholarship winners for the 2018-2019 academic year thus far are

Lauren Cloward 鈥�16, was an environmental studies and political science double major and a Rhodes Scholarship finalist. She will travel to Burkina Faso to do research in two communities on how access to water, different coping strategies, and local institutions affect agricultural decisions, food and water security, and vulnerability.

Cloward has an avid interest in food sustainability and justice. After traveling to Cuba with the Food and Agribusiness Institute (FAI) to study sustainable agriculture in 2015, she coordinated FAI events prompting discussion about the food industry, including 鈥淭he Ethics of Coffee and Chocolate鈥� and 鈥淭o Meat or Not To Meat?鈥� In 2016, she was also part of FAI鈥檚 research team that studied food waste on farms with the goal of redistributing fresh produce left in the fields to food banks.

At 黑料网, she was the founder and president of the Oxfam America Club on campus for three years. She was a Global Fellow and interned with the Association for Social and Environmental Development in Kolkata, India the summer before her senior year. During her senior year, she worked with ESS Associate Professor Chris Bacon to develop new methods for measuring food and water security among rural smallholder farmers, and went to Nicaragua with him and two other students after graduation to conduct further fieldwork. She was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society, and was awarded Environmental Studies and Sciences鈥� (ESS) Academic Achievement Award, given to the graduating senior with the highest GPA.

鈥淚 feel so lucky to have found a second home in Santa Clara, where those who have helped me define my path and whom I admire have also been my biggest advocates, and where I鈥檝e learned the importance of tenacity in the face of our generation鈥檚 most pressing problems,鈥� said Cloward.

Erika Francks 鈥�17, who majored in environmental studies and hails from Olympia, Washington, was valedictorian of her graduating class. She will travel to Lesotho on her Fulbright Scholarship, to work with OnePower, Lesotho鈥檚 first independent power producer, and the National University of Lesotho to develop a pilot program to test the viability of offering business training and infrastructure to rural solar microgrid customers.

As both a Global Fellow with the Leavey School of Business and a Global Social Benefit Fellow with Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship, she worked on projects to bring electricity and environmental education to off-grid communities in India. She was an intern with the Ignatian Center鈥檚 Thriving Neighbors Initiative, where she organized a number of events in support of the local Washington neighborhood, including teaching a yoga class for largely Spanish-speaking mothers.

She was awarded the Academic Achievement Award from ESS; was active in the 黑料网 Honors Program for four years; and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Sigma Nu since 2017. She participated in 黑料网 Women in Business, The Freedom Project (Students Against Human Trafficking), and Vagina Monologues during her time on campus.

鈥淚 am thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue the research that I am passionate about for nine months, and to represent the United States in Lesotho as a Fulbright scholar,鈥� said Francks. 鈥淪anta Clara provided me with opportunities as an undergraduate to conduct action research as a Global Social Benefit Fellow and to study pressing global issues, which inspired me to continue seeking out opportunities to address the issue of energy poverty post-graduation.鈥�

Shawna Richardson 鈥�18, a liberal studies major, will participate in the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program in Taiwan. She wants to give a voice to young children, while developing her teaching style in a different culture. Her liberal studies degree, experience teaching ESL in India and Italy, and participation in a community-based program will allow her to enrich the classroom experience for Taiwanese children learning English. She also chose Taiwan to further understand their human rights movement and bring that perspective to the dialogue of social justice in the U.S.

During her time at 黑料网, she has been active in the Global Fellows Program, Catholic Relief Services Student Ambassadors, SCCAP, Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Education, and the Alpha Sigma Nu honor society of Jesuit universities.

鈥淚 am incredibly excited to spend an entire school year immersing myself into a new culture and in a classroom,鈥� said Richardson. 鈥淢y time at 黑料网 has given me the tools necessary to be successful in my future career as a teacher, and has pushed me to step outside my comfort zone in order to be a woman for, and with, others in all aspects of my life.鈥�

Carson Whisler 鈥�17, from Astoria, Oregon, was an economics major at 黑料网. Currently, he is serving as a Data for Impact Fellow at SocialCops in India, helping organizations from NGOs to the UN use data to drive development. He will be traveling on his Fulbright Scholarship to Indonesia, where he will conduct research on 鈥減ay as you go鈥� solar technologies in the developing world.

At 黑料网, he participated in the Alpha Sigma Nu, Phi Beta Kappa, and Pi Alpha Theta honor societies as well as the University Honors Program. He was active in 黑料网鈥檚 Conscientious Capitalism course; the Global Social Benefit Fellowship; Global Fellows Program; Alpha Kappa Psi; Ruff Riders; and Civil Society Institute. He also worked as an orientation leader with New Student Programs and as an impact investing analyst at Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship.

鈥淚 feel beyond excited and blessed to have the opportunity to serve as a Fulbright scholar and research issues at the intersection of financial inclusion, climate resilience, and energy poverty,鈥� said Whisler. 鈥淢y work at 黑料网 as a Global Fellow, Global Social Benefit Fellow, and impact investing analyst at Miller Center contributed greatly to my understanding of my own passions, along with what it means to engage with important issues as a global citizen. I look forward to continuing to live and learn the values of conscience, competence, and compassion in my work with Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia.鈥�

Udall Undergraduate Scholarships

James Wang 鈥�19, from Foster City, Calif., who is majoring in environmental science and electrical engineering, is one of 50 students nationwide honored with a Udall scholarship. He has conducted research with the Latimer Energy Lab, and currently is researching the effects of high-density traffic areas on residential health as part of the inaugural class of 黑料网 Mapping Health Scholars.

He is the current chair for the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE), an intern at the Center for Sustainability, and was previously an intern at Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture, construction, environmental, and consulting solutions firm. He is a tour guide for the School of Engineering; a dorm counselor for the Summer Engineering Seminar; co-leader for the Solar Regatta project; a member of the University Honors Program; and a member of campus clubs EnAct and Green Club. 

He plans to obtain a master鈥檚 degree in electrical engineering, where he will specialize in power systems, renewable energy, and microgrids. Eventually, he wants to restructure America鈥檚 crumbling and antiquated grid, and design and implement efficient and effective power systems that incorporate sustainable fuel sources for people in developing countries. To kickstart this goal, through the Global Social Benefit Fellowship with Miller Center, he will conduct action research in Zambia this summer with Vitalite, a social enterprise that distributes solar-powered products to the poor.

鈥淚 am incredibly honored to become a Udall scholar,鈥� said Wang. 鈥淚 have always had a passion for the environment and wanted to take action to combat climate change, and improve the world using my technical skills as an engineer. I look forward to meeting more like-minded individuals and to have the opportunity to create a sustainable impact on the world.鈥�

Udall Scholarships pay for up to $7,000 for study, as well as a four-day networking summer orientation in Tucson, Arizona, where scholars work on environmental case studies with alumni of the program. The Udall Alumni Association consists of more than 2,000 scholars.

About the Fulbright Program鈥�
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. The program operates in more than 155 countries worldwide. For further information please visit .

About Udall Undergraduate Scholarship鈥�
The Udall Foundation awards 50 scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment. The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, Arizona politicians and brothers whose careers had a significant impact on American Indian self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. More information is at

About 黑料网
鈥ê诹贤�, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California鈥檚 Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master鈥檚 degrees in business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and theology; and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master鈥檚 universities, California鈥檚 oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see .

Media Contact鈥�
Deborah Lohse | Media Communications | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121