MiddBriefs Fulbright awards and other Midd news

Author: Derek Schlickeisen

Eight students honored with Fulbright awards

Eight members of the Class of 2006 have earned Fulbright United States Student Awards, making the College one of the top 10 receivers of the award among undergraduate schools nationwide. The Fulbright Awards will support to new alumni as they pursue graduate study, research and teaching opportunities overseas.

The eight students - Grace Armstrong, Edward Hinson, Thomas Icard, Ashley Kerr, Katherine Kirsch, Mary Elizabeth Nora, Colleen Reynolds and Elizabeth Zane - will fan out across the world, investigating diverse topics ranging from the influence of intellectual property rights on developing economies to the history of Argentinean and Chilean slang.

One of the Fulbright Program's goals is to help recent university graduates build cultural understanding with their peers in other countries.


University Channel to debut at Middlebury

Middlebury will join three other universities known for their International Relations programs in chartering an online forum offering free access to footage of significant public policy lectures and panel discussions.

The "University Channel," an on-demand database with footage of lectures from institutions worldwide, will bring the College's Rohatyn Center for International Affairs together with public affairs schools at Princeton University, Columbia University and the University of Texas.

"We are proud to be a founding partner in a venture that invites anyone with an internet connection to engage in the free exchange of ideas," said Allison Stanger, director of the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs and Professor of political science at the College. "In myriad ways, the University Channel can play a critical role in advancing our common quest for solutions to global problems."

Though the venture names only four schools as founding partners, the University Channel will include audio and video footage from addresses at several hundred schools in the U.S. and abroad.

Since the Channel's prototype Web site became available in July of 2005, academic reviews have widely praised its efforts: Slate named its podcast one of the year's best, and the academic technology review Campus Technology called the project one of the "100 Best Practices of 2005."


CFA bringing eclectic performance to campus

On Jan. 13, the College will host an eclectic performance by the Meridian Arts Ensemble, a group whose repertoire ranges from Renaissance music and reggae-inspired ska to works by Frank Zappa and Middlebury College Professor of Music Su Lian Tan.

The sextet - five brass players and a percussionist - have gained a reputation for breaking with musical tradition, bringing together a varied selection that has earned critical acclaim. Their eight compact disc recordings have been distributed in 30 countries, and reviewers from The Washington Post to Fanfare laud the group for its high-octane performance of more traditional pieces.

With performances in 49 states as well as destinations in Japan and throughout Europe under their belt, the Ensemble has returned to continue its residency with the College's Department of Music. The performance will take place in the Center for the Arts Concert Hall at 8 p.m.