2005-2006

News Release

REF NO.: 63

SUBJECT: Memorial student wins prestigious Killam Fellowship

DATE: October 26, 2005

Memorial University biology major Jessica Bossé recently received the prestigious Killam Fellowship Award to study at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, for the 2005-2006 academic year. She is the fourth Memorial student to receive award in recent years and the third to select Smith College.

Memorial University President Dr.Axel Meisen said this year’s award underscores Memorial’s high-calibre students and programs. “Our students excel in many fields of study and are accepted by the best graduate programs in the world,” he said. “Receiving this fellowship is an honour for Ms Bossé and MemorialUniversity. I am delighted by her accomplishment and wish her well.”

Ms Bossé has an outstanding academic record and has received a number of major scholarships, including the Millennium Excellence Award in recognition of her achievements. She is enthusiastic about the opportunity to study in the United Statesand hopes that her experiences will help her in dispelling myths in Canadaand the U.S.about American and Canadian cultures, respectively. A talented musician, she also intends to pursue her musical interests during her studies.

Smith College is the largest undergraduate women’s college in the U.S. with an enrolment of 2,800 students from every state and across 60 countries.

The 2005-2006 academic year marks the third anniversary of the Killam Fellowships Program, which was created through a partnership between the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States (the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program) and the American Killam-Rodgers Trusts.

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulate Ms Bossé on her achievements and on being selected as a Killam Fellow,” said Dr. Michael K. Hawes, executive director of the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States. “Ms Bossé is an exceptional student who will be an excellent representative of Canada while studying at Smith College.”

The fellowship program provides students from select universities in Canada and the United States with an opportunity to attend university in the other country for one semester or one year of their undergraduate career. The goal of the program is to increase mutual understanding between Canadaand the U.S.through direct, personal involvement. The program is the first of its kind at this level between the two countries.

By engaging the brightest minds and identifying future leaders through academic exchange, the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States, which also administers the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, seeks to develop greater understanding between the citizens of Canada and the United States.

Ms. Bossé plans to return to Memorial next year to finish her degree with Dr. Brian Staveley in the department of Biology.

Note to editors: A photo of Jessica Bossé is available at http://www.mun.ca/marcomm/photogallery.php .

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