Article from the inaugural issue of The Comment, a Villanova journal for the discussion of news and issues:

A Detour By Way of German Zebrafish: Villanova and the Fulbright Scholarship Program Jeremy Keenan graduated from Villanova in 1997. He was one of the stars of the Biology department, and like many of Villanova biology's brightest, he was bound for medical school. En route to that lofty destination, however, Mr. Keenan was waylaid by opportunity; as a repayment of sorts for his academic efforts, he earned the chance to take a small detour before entering med school. And the detour led through Germany.

In the wake of World War II, the new international character of the world was painfully clear. For America this came as something of a surprise; it had tried to remain apart from the affairs of Europe, but this had proven impossible. In 1945, as America was trying to grope with this new and frightening sense of necessary implication in international affairs, Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, then in his first year of office, proposed an academic exchange program. Mr. Fulbright's proposal was directly related to America's realization that it was just as much a part of the tangled skein of world affairs as anybody, and that extricating itself was an impossibility; for better or worse, the interdependence of the world was a hard reality that none who had lived through the war could deny.

Thus, Sen. Fulbright proposed his exchange program which he saw as a "much-needed vehicle for mutual understanding that would provide the opportunity for leaders and future leaders to observe and better comprehend the institutions, cultures and societies of other countries and people." The Congress applauded Senator Fulbright's vision and in 1946 created the Fulbright program.

Zebrafish. Oddly enough, Mr. Keenan's detour is all about Zebrafish. He received a Fulbright Grant for the current academic year to participate in research at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology in Tubingen, Germany. Mr. Keenan is working in the Genetics department, headed by Dr. Christianne Nusslein-Volhard, the 1995 Nobel Laureate for Medicine. He is working directly with Dr. Pascal Haffter who wrote a letter inviting Mr. Keenan to work in his lab. This letter of invitation from a researcher in his intended country of study was an integral part of Mr. Keenan's Fulbright application package. Mr. Keenan accepted Dr. Haffter's invitation when he received the Fulbright, and, as he says, "the rest is history." Except for the Zebrafish, who are very much in Mr. Keenan's present.

The general mission of the Fulbright program is to provide American students from all academic disciplines with the opportunity to study in another country after attaining their bachelors degree. Nearly all Fulbright scholarships are for one academic year. The program is largely funded by an annual Congressional appropriation, supplemented by contributions from other participating countries.

When a student makes an application for a Fulbright, s/he must develop a detailed research proposal for study in a particular country. The United States Information Agency (USIA), partly responsible for administering the Fulbright program, has published a booklet listing the 140 possible countries for a potential Fulbright candidate to consider. As a general guideline, the USIA recommends that applicants ". . . outline study plans or projects in their major fields that can be completed in one country and in one academic year." Fulbright Grants are awarded only after a lengthy application process, but they are well worth it for those who get one.

A Fulbright Full Grant generally provides "...round-trip transportation; language or orientation courses, where appropriate; tuition..; book and research allowances; maintenance for the academic year, based on living costs in the host country; and supplemental health and accident insurance."

As if Zebrafish alone were not obscure enough, Mr. Keenan's research revolves around mutant Zebrafish. His work in Germany is part of a large Zebrafish genome mapping project. The purpose of this project is to locate which genes are responsible for which mutations. Specifically, Mr. Keenan is looking at mutations that might give clues to the locations of genes that cause developmental diseases. The Zebrafish gemone, the genes upon it, and the diseases caused by defects in those genes might seem to be of little interest to your average student outside the genetics department, but Mr. Keenan assures that the medical applications of the type of project that he is involved in are nothing to scoff at. The work that Mr. Keenan and the other researchers in Dr. Haffter's lab are engaged in is important for human medicine because, as Mr. Keenan writes, "the genes in flies and fish and most animals are conserved from one species to another, so what we learn about the Zebrafish may be the same in the human or very similar. But it's a lot easier to test Zebrafish embryos than other animals and it is not possible to test human embryos."

Needless to say, since its inception, the Fulbright program has been quite popular. With the chance to study in a different country on the government's tab, it is no wonder that more than 80,000 American students have taken advantage of the Fulbright program since 1946. Of those 80,000 students, fourteen have been from Villanova. This year, six more Villanova students have been recommended to the supervising agencies of the countries to which they applied and are waiting for the approval of those agencies before their applications are forwarded to the presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board for the final selection process.

It is no coincidence that Villanova's Fulbright success shows a clear trend in the last few years. In the years before 1993, there are few years when more than one Villanova student was awarded a Fulbright. In 1993 no Villanovans received a grant. But after 1993, Villanova's numbers take a dramatic turn for the better. In 1994 one Fulbright was awarded to a Villanova student, as in 1995. But in 1996 two students received awards, and in 1997, four. Six students were selected as finalists this year, and four were awarded the Fulbright, the greatest percentage of successful applicants Villanova has ever seen. The six will not know if they have been selected to receive full grants for another month, but Villanova is poised to have more Fulbright award winners than ever before in its history. The University's tremendous success in recent years is due in large part to the efforts of Dr. Ed Goff and the University Honors Program.

Beginning in 1993, Dr. Goff became actively involved in assisting a greater number of interested Villanova students with the preparation of their application packages. Michele Nicoletta, who has compiled much data on Villanova's success with the Fulbright and other national and international scholarships, notes, "It's not that student have just been getting smarter in the last few years. The people who won before this increased mentoring effort got the award by sheer excellence." Lately, Villanova students have been receiving Fulbrights because of their excellence, plus the savvy of people like Dr. Goff who have helped a great number of students through the application process, and who know what works, what doesn't, what to write, and what to withhold.

Any student who walks into the Honors office (103 St. Augustine Center) a month into any given school year can tell that something is afoot; the whole office mobilizes to help scholarship and grant applicants, including Fulbright hopefuls, prepare their final applications. One will find Dr. Goff critiquing a proposal to study fin de siecle writers in France, while Nancy Hensler, Assistant Director of the Program, wades through a research proposal on the Public Health facilities of New Guinea and their involvement with indigenous medical practices; the area between Ms. Hensler's and Dr. Goff's offices near the Fulbright due date is inevitably full of students copyediting and questioning still other professors.

The amount of attention paid by Villanova to its students applying for scholarships and grants increased again this year, as the official position of Fellowship Mentor was created. The Mentor is a member of the faculty who is a resource for all fellowship applicants; students can go to the Mentor for advice and assistance at all stages of the application process, for anything from deciding whether or not to apply, to rewriting a proposal to study the Zebrafish genome so that a lay audience can understand and become excited by the project. The Fellowship Mentor has his or her class load reduced by one because the application process is so intensive, and so important. The position is the culmination of the increased attention that Dr. Goff, Nancy Hensler, and the rest of the Honors Program has paid to scholarship applications in recent years.

Dr. Kevin Miles of the Philosophy department served as the Fellowship Mentor for this last cycle of applications. He provided a number of suggestions for students who are interested in the Fulbright. He made it clear that it is never too early to focus on a Fulbright. Preparation can begin as early as the first year with things like language preparation. "Languages are vital for Fulbright application," says Dr. Miles. "To go to many countries, you need to be proficient by the time you fill out the application."

Though there are many English-speaking countries Fulbright applicants can apply for, the competition for these countries is usually intense because of the lack of a language barrier; the United Kingdom holds the dubious distinction of being the most difficult Fulbright destination. So early on, language work is vital, along with developing close relationships with teachers who might be able to write good, relevant recommendations. One teacher was overheard saying, " I wrote your recommendation and went to confession." This is precisely what you want to help you stand out from other applicants. Besides, professors are people too; it's fun to be friendly with them.

As one's junior year begins to wind down, students interested in applying for the Fulbright scholarship should begin to develop a proposal for an exciting Fulbright project. It is imperative to speak with professors and other students about the project proposal and to ask why someone would need to go to another country to study it. Think of unique interests in a field and relate those interests to other countries and their needs. Once the proposal is completed, the applicant may want to try to make contact with professors from institutions in the country of interest so they might write a letter of invitation for the prospective scholar.

In Dr. Miles' experience, the letter of invitation is what sets people apart: "Can you get a Fulbright without one? Sure. But if you want to study philosophy at the Sorbonne in Paris and you have a letter from a professor there who wants to work with you, then you better believe that I'm going to look at your proposal in a whole different light." And a different light is exactly what you want, because the pool of Fulbright applicants is self-selected to be a pretty bright group. Applications that are just tossed off probably won't cut it.

So if you want to do it, says one recent applicant who was not selected as a finalist, ". . .then do it. You have to plan on putting your whole being into that application package for the first month of senior year. If you don't you're wasting your time."

Really, even taking a chance in winning a Fulbright is not a waste of time. The program is tremendously popular for a reason. It's well run, prestigious, and is simply a terrific opportunity for people who have done serious work in college. To apply for a Fulbright, one need not be involved with the Honors Program, nor be in the College of Arts and Sciences. The only hard and fast requirement is that one be willing to work hard on preparing for the application in your day- to-day and semester-to-semester work, and be willing to work with equal fervor on the application. This, says a former Villanova Fulbright recipient, is the key to getting the grant (if there is any key to it at all). People of any year and from any discipline who are at all interested should talk to Dr. Goff or Ms. Hensler in the Honors office or to Dr. Kevin Miles in Room 171 of the St. Augustine Center. It can't hurt to talk to them about it, to learn more about the award, and to see if it might be something for you to pursue. It could lead you on a remarkable detour with or without Zebrafish.

Q: Is there some special characteristic quality that Marshall panels seek (i.e. such as leadership for Rhodes and orientation to public service for Truman)?
A. High academic ability coupled with the potential to play an active role in UK university life

Q: Are there any practical restrictions on career aims?
A: No.

Q: Do race, gender, and/or sexual orientation matter?
A: No.

Q: Are there intended academic areas for potential scholars that are more attractive, and conversely, less desirable, to Marshall panels?
A: No.

Q: Are there any red flags that disqualify candidates?
A: Yes, GP A too low, persons already holding a British degree or already studying for one, having graduated before 1997, etc.

Q: What is most important about the academic plan, and what weight is it given?
A: That the student be able to carry out the plan and that the plan bears some sensible .-"\ relationship to one's undergraduate studies and to one's future career goals. )

Q: How important are non-academic or extracurricular activities?
A: Very important.

Q: What is the role of the letter of endorsement, and the importance relative to other letters?
A: The endorsement letter is not as important as the primary letter of reference, but it gains importance if it reveals facts and information not contained in the other letters. Some schools expend little effort on the letter of endorsement, and Marshall committees try not to hold this fact against the applicant.

Q: Does the Marshall in any way limit the number of candidates/finalists from a school?
A: No.

Q: How many applications are received per region and what are the numbers selected for interviews?
A: It varies, but the average was probably close to 200 applications per region in years past, with approximately 20 candidates selected for interviews per region. With the recent creation of a new region, the average will probably be about 150 applications per region.

Q: Are there any differences in standards among regional panels? A: No.

I Ted Leinbaugh is the Bowman and Gordon Gray Professor of English at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Proftssor Leinbaugh is a former Marshall Scholar and serves as Chair of the South-Eastem Region Marshall Scholarship Selection Committee

Memorandum of Guidance to Regional Interview Panels and National Selection Committee for Selection of Marshall Scholars

In appointing Marshall Scholars selectors should look for distinction of intellect and character as evidenced both by their scholastic attainments and by their other activities and achievements. Preference should be given to candidates who combine high academic ability with the capacity to play an active part in the life of the UK university to which they go, to those who display a potential to make a significant contribution to their own society, and to those who present a specific and realistic academic programme. In particular, selectors should look for the following:

Personal Criteria

• intellectual and academic distinction
• the potential to become leaders, opinion formers and decision makers
• trong motivation and seriousness of purpose
• maturity, self-reliance and self-discipline
• an outward-looking disposition and an interest in society in general
• good communication skills
• the potential to promote British-American understanding

Academic Criteria

• candidates who have formulated a feasible programme of study in line with well thought-out objectives
• candidates who show real purpose in wishing to study in Britain and can demonstrate the relevance to this of their proposed academic programme (rather than those who appear to be prompted merely by the wish to spend a period overseas before resuming their academic or other career)

NB: It is a condition of award that a Marshall Scholar should undertake to complete the minimum two-year tenure of the Scholarship and proceed to a British university degree. Selectors may therefore investigate at interview any hint of continuing commitments, involvements, responsibilities, scholarships/awards, or other obligations in the US which might be incompatible with the aims of the Marshall Scholarship programme or be liable to interfere with the two years' interrupted tenure.

Profile of a Marshall Scholar

A Marshall Scholar, as the possessor of a keen intellect and a broad outlook, will be thought of as a person who would contribute to the aims which the late General Marshall had in mind when, on June 5 1947, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he spoke of economic assistance for Europe, and said "An essential part of any successful action on the part of the United States is an understanding on the part of the people of America of the character of the problem and the remedies to be applied. Political passion and prejudice should have no patt With foresight, and a willingness on the part of our people to face up to the vast responsibilities which history has clearly placed upon our country, the difficulties. ..can and will be overcome."

A Marshall Scholar should:

• Demonstrate outstanding academic ability or have high professional standing .have a broad range of interests outside their academic field .make a significant contribution to their community
• Have exceptional qualities of leadership and commitment .show potential to act as an ambassador for their country
• At interview, candidates should be able to: .relax fairly quickly into the interview
• reveal something of their personality when asked relevant questions (e.g. asking a scientist about a favourite book or poem, or most recent performance attended)
• engage the interview panel- this is more than merely responding to questions posed speak eloquently on their studies and back up written application
• expand to wider issues relating to their studies
• respond intelligently to searching question~ designed to test ability to think out ethical issues
• show that they have a social life outside otacademic life
• demonstrate a commitment to their community by voluntary activities (NB: for service academies where students do not leave the academy this would, by necessity, be demonstrated by service within the community of the academy itself and among the student's peers