Four alumni have been awarded Fulbright Scholarships, according to a University release. The Fulbright Scholarship is an educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.
Catherine Tabor, Andrew Bates, Brianna Gorman and Benjamin Cole will continue their studies in Austria, Sweden and Germany. This is the second consecutive year Auburn students have received Fulbright Scholarships, the release states.
“These Auburn students, now Fulbright Scholars, are community-minded yet have a global perspective,” said Melissa Baumann, Auburn assistant provost and director of the Honors College. “They are international representatives for Auburn University and we wish Catherine, Ben, Andrew and Brianna great success during their fellowship studies.”
University provided biographies below:
Tabor, from Centreville, is a 2016 Honors College graduate earning a double bachelor’s degree in German and English literature with a double minor in psychology and community and civic engagement. She will spend her time as an English teaching assistant at a local middle school while pursuing graduate course work in sociology at the University of Vienna. As part of her unique Fulbright experience, Tabor will also work with Caritas Catholic Charity assisting children and youth who suffer from seen and unseen disabilities. While in Auburn, Tabor participated in a variety of organizations, from volunteering with Lee County Autism Resource and Advocacy to coxswaining for Auburn Rowing.
Bates, a native of Alpharetta, Georgia, is a 2016 Honors College graduate earning a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. While on campus, Bates was involved in a host of service activities including lead engineer on a sustainability study abroad trip to Fiji last summer. He will continue his undergraduate research in sustainable clean water technologies at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.
A native of Birmingham, Gorman graduated from the College of Liberal Arts with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in communication in 2016. She was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to teach middle school students in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia. While at Auburn, Gorman served as a German tutor in the athletics department and as a volunteer with Auburn University Wishmakers, which raises funds for the Make a Wish Foundation.
Cole, from Mobile, earned his master’s degree in public administration this spring and a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in German in 2014. His graduate and undergraduate research focused on international security studies with a particular emphasis on the Middle East. Cole will conduct research on the German response to the rise of Islamic extremism, represented by groups such as ISIS, at the University of Cologne. While at Auburn, Cole served as an intern with the Opelika Police Department and as a student research analyst with the Auburn Cyber Initiative.
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