The Envelope Please Twelve Sophomores Awarded Dana Scholarships

Author: Nicholas Emery

The Dana Foundation recently announced this year's recipients of the Charles A. Dana Scholarships in the Class of 2005. The recipients this year are: Kathryn Boateng, Ignas Brazauskas, Oana Dan, Dixie Dillon, Diana Johnson, Alexis Kearney, Tae Kim, Edward Lester, Felix Muchomba, Trang Nguyen, Maksims Ovsjanikovs and Andrea LaRocca.
Students are selected to be Dana Scholars during the fall of their sophomore year. Generally, college administrators such as deans, faculty heads, first-year seminar instructors and other student affairs staff nominate students to be considered for the scholarship program.
According to Assistant Dean of Student Affairs Karen Guttentag, "students are nominated based on a strong academic background, good character and evidence of leadership potential." Approximately 12 students from Middlebury College are selected each year to receive one of the scholarships. The selection committee, chaired by Dean of Student Affairs Ann Hanson, also includes representation from the commons.
This year, more than $133,000 in Dana Scholarships was awarded to a total of 36 Dana Scholars. Almost all sophomores at Middlebury are eligible to receive the award, including those already receiving financial aid from the College. Students who are receiving other named scholarships are the only ones not eligible to receive a Dana scholarship.
Middlebury is one of several small liberal arts colleges associated with the Dana Foundation. According to the program for the Dana Scholars dinner, authored by Arlinda Wickland, director of student fellowships and health professions, and Guttentag, "The College has received grants in all three of the Foundation's educational programs-scholarships, professorships, and building projects." Middlebury College's existing Dana professors are John Berninghausen, Murray Dry, John Emerson and Bruce Peterson. The benefits of the Dana Foundation may also be seen in such buildings on campus as the Charles A. Dana Auditorium. According to Dean of Faculty Robert Schine, himself a Dana Scholar, the "impact [of the Dana Foundation] has been very broad in faculty, students and curriculum."
Charles A. Dana practiced law before founding the Dana Corporation, an automotive parts manufacturer. During his lifetime he served as a director or officer of more than 20 companies. Using capital from these companies Dana created the Dana Foundation, the main focus of which has been giving money to smallliberal arts colleges. Dana's interest in Middlebury College arose from the proximity of his ancestral home in Brandon to the College, which he visited often.
Middlebury's long history with the Dana Foundation goes beyond the College's Dana grants. Middlebury's 12th president, Dr. James Armstrong, became president of the Foundation in 1975.