Five Butler students have been awarded prestigious scholarships—two to study in the United Kingdom, two to teach English abroad, and one to continue his education in math and physics.

Nick Huang and Marissa Schoedel have received Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for English Teaching Assistantships for the 2018-2019 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Huang ’18, a Business major from Geneva, Illinois, will be teaching English at the Macau Polytechnic Institute. Schoedel ’18, a German major from Crown Point, Indiana, will be teaching English in Saarland, Germany.

Madisyn Smith ’22, from Coatesville, Indiana, and Megan Waxman ’21, from Highland, Michigan, will participate in the Fulbright Summer Institute in the United Kingdom, one of the most prestigious and selective summer scholarship programs operating worldwide. They will study at the University of Exeter and the University of Strathclyde/Glasgow School of Art, respectively.

And Robert “Alex” Glickfield ’19 has been named a Goldwater Scholar for the 2018-2019 academic year. Glickfield, a mathematics and physics major, is from Greentown, Indiana. His career goal is to earn a doctorate in mathematical physics and conduct theoretical physics research while teaching at a university. 

“I have been ecstatic with our applicants’ successes,” said Dacia Charlesworth, Director of Undergraduate Research and Prestigious Scholarships, who assisted students in the application process. “For example, with only 60 Fulbright UK Summer placements available nationwide, I am particularly pleased that Butler University students have, on average, comprised almost 4 percent of the entire population for the past three years. And in terms of the Goldwater Scholarship, it’s amazing that we have had four consecutive years with either a Scholar or an Honorable Mention from Butler.”

Huang and Schoedel, both members of Butler University’s Honors Program, join over 1,900 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research, and teach abroad for the 2018-2019 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

“I am looking forward to engaging with my students and the community in Saarland through the game nights I will be hosting as a part of my proposed community engagement project,” Schoedel said. “I am ecstatic to be able to share my American perspective with learners of English and gain insight into their learning experience.”

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As a participant in the Fulbright UK Summer Institute, Smith, a Pharmacy major, will be one of four students to participate in the program “Issues in Climate Change” at the University of Exeter. She will learn about environmental change and its consequences through both field work and classroom learning with faculty from the University of Exeter’s Geography department, which is one of the most successful in the U.K. and ranked in the top 25 in the world.

“I am beyond thankful to have been selected to participate in the Fulbright UK Summer Institute at the University of Exeter. Southwest England is a perfect destination for a first-time study abroad trip, and I am excited to see what this area has to offer,” she said.

Waxman, who is earning dual degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Biology, was one of 10 students selected to participate in the joint Summer Institute hosted by the University of Strathclyde and Glasgow School of Art that focuses on Scottish Technology, Innovation, and Creativity. She will gain a unique perspective on the cultural and political forces that have shaped modern Scotland, with a strong emphasis on the nation’s role as a technological pioneer. 

“I’m looking forward to immersing myself in Scottish culture and being able to experience all the technology and creativity Scotland has to offer firsthand,” she said.

Fulbright UK Summer Institutes cover all participant costs. In addition, Fulbright summer participants receive a distinctive support and cultural education program including visa processing, a comprehensive pre-departure orientation, enrichment opportunities in country, a reentry session, and opportunity to join our alumni networks.

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Glickfield, as a Goldwater scholar, joins 210 undergraduate sophomores and juniors across the United States and was selected from a field of 1,280 applicants nominated for the award.

“Winning the Goldwater Scholarship is easily my proudest achievement thus far,” he said. “As it is one of most prestigious STEM scholarships in the country, I feel as though I have a great chance at standing out when applying to graduate schools like Berkeley, UCLA, and University of Chicago.”

He thanked his mentors, professors and research advisors Gonzalo Ordoñez, John Herr, Prem Sharma, and Manuel Gadella as well as the Goldwater Campus Representative and Butler’s Director of Undergraduate Research and Prestigious Scholarship Dacia Charlesworth for her assistance throughout the application process.

Glickfield continues Butler’s recent success associated with the Goldwater scholarship: Caitlyn Foye ’18 was a 2017-2018 Goldwater Scholar, both Lauryn Campagnoli ’17 and Whitney Hart ’17 received honorable mentions in 2016, and Luke Gallion ’16 was named a Goldwater Scholar in 2015.

The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and covers the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to $7,500 per year for one or two years. 

Media contact:
Marc Allan MFA ’18
mallan@butler.edu
317-940-9822