US-Ireland Alliance Announces 2008-2009 George J. Mitchell Scholars

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The US-Ireland Alliance today announced the names of the 2008-2009 George J. Mitchell Scholars. The new class includes Duke University’s newspaper editor whose coverage of the Duke lacrosse scandal won him and the paper universal praise, an environmental activist, an intellectual property specialist and distinguished musician and composer, an accomplished genetic researcher who has helped to discover a tumor-suppressor gene, and a dedicated anti-poverty advocate who has spent his years at Georgetown in Washington DC’s neediest neighborhoods.

The prestigious George J. Mitchell Scholarships are awarded annually to twelve Americans, under the age of 30, to pursue a year of post-graduate study at any university on the island of Ireland. This year’s renowned Selection Committee included former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake; National Book Award winner Alice McDermott; former State Department official and internet health leader and CEO Chris Schroeder; Ireland’s Ambassador to the US Michael Collins, Dr. Robert Clarke, a leading cancer expert at Georgetown who is a native of Northern Ireland; former head of Amnesty International William Schulz; Irish venture capitalist Gerry McCrory; Maureen Murphy, Dean of the School of Education and Irish historian at Hofstra; and Jasmin Weaver, a 2004 Mitchell Scholar who is currently working in the Budget Office at Harvard University.

The awards are named after former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell who spearheaded the historic Good Friday Agreement of 1998, which produced peace in Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship program recognizes outstanding young Americans who exhibit the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership and community service. The program seeks to link future American leaders with the island of Ireland.

The twelve new Mitchell scholars were selected after a rigorous application process that drew more than 300 applications. “We are delighted with the new class of George Mitchell Scholars," said Mary Lou Hartman, Director of the George Mitchell Scholarship program. “They already are leaders in fields ranging from terrorism and national security to intellectual property, ubiquitous computing, human rights, and neuroscience. As we approach the tenth anniversary of the historic Good Friday Agreement, these young leaders are the perfect heirs to Senator Mitchell’s legacy. They will build on his legacy in impressive fashion in the years ahead.”

The Alliance received more applications this year than in previous years, drawing from 139 different schools from all over the country. “On campuses across the nation, the George Mitchell Scholarship has clearly emerged as one of the most desirable fellowships in the world. We are delighted by this development because it fulfills the vision of the program – to bring the most talented young leaders in the nation to the island of Ireland for a year of immersion in Irish academia, life, and culture as a way of building strong relationships between our countries,” said Trina Vargo, president of the US-Ireland Alliance.

The Mitchell Scholarship program is possible due to the generous support of Quinlan Private, Garrett & Maeve Kelleher, Bernard & Moira McNamara, Pat & Teresa Mooney, Derek & Siobhan Quinlan, The Government of Ireland, the US Department of State – Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, BD (Becton, Dickinson & Company), Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, John & Cearuil Morrissey, Anglo Irish Bank, and all of the universities on the island of Ireland.

The George Mitchell Scholarship places a unique emphasis on integrating the educational program with an intensive leadership program. Throughout the year, Mitchell scholars have the opportunity to meet and brainstorm with leaders of Irish government, business, culture, and the arts and to fully immerse themselves in the most important and interesting events throughout the island.

The newly announced 2008-2009 George Mitchell Scholars are listed below along with their hometowns, their US university affiliation, and their Irish and Northern Ireland university assignment, pending final approval from the universities. A more complete biography of each Scholar follows.

• Katherine Boyle (Gainesville, Florida)
  Georgetown University
  NUI Galway – Public Advocacy and Activism
• José Canto (Baltimore, Maryland)
  Georgetown University
  University College Dublin - Sociology
• Joshua “Tyler” Dillard (Dothan, Alabama)
  Rice University
  Queen’s University Belfast – Human Rights
• Catherine Fontana (Dearborn, Michigan)
  Albion College (Michigan)
  Trinity College Dublin – Environmental Science
• Travis Green (West Palm Beach, Florida)
  Dartmouth College
  University College Dublin – Neuroscience
• Lara Janson (Iowa City, Iowa/Seattle, Washington)
  Grinnell College
  University of Ulster – Peace and Conflict Studies
• Andrea Laidman (Alden, New York)
  University of Notre Dame
  NUI Maynooth – Anthropology and Development
• Ryan McCartney (Mt. Kisco, New York)
  Duke University
  Dublin City University – Political Communication
• Victoria Moore (Burke, Virginia)
  United States Naval Academy
  Dublin City University – Development Studies
• Erin Rhoda (Washington, Maine)
  Colby College
  Trinity College Dublin – Creative Writing
• Christopher Rosson (Kansas City, Missouri)
  Johns Hopkins School of Advanced and International Studies
  William Jewell College (BA)
  Queen’s University Belfast – Violence, Terrorism and Security
• Adam Tart (Marietta, Georgia)
  Georgia Institute of Technology
  University College Cork – Mobile Networking and Computing

Katherine Boyle will graduate from Georgetown University in the spring. Katherine’s unflagging intellectual curiosity has led her to explore all facets of the Washington political scene –from a presidential campaign to the White House to K Street. She founded an organization called aideffects.org, an online private aid database, which helps individuals and nonprofits find HIV/AIDS program grants, and co-founded and organized a campus umbrella group to consolidate Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. Katherine is also a professional vocalist, pianist, and composer, who by the age of ten was singing the National Anthem at the University of Florida’s men’s basketball games and later apprenticed with Ann Reinking’s Broadway Theater Project. She is passionate about intellectual property rights and will pursue a master’s in Public Advocacy and Activism at NUI Galway.

José Canto grew up in a tough section of Baltimore City, in a school system that offered few resources and little hope to its students. But José’s combination of relentless determination and discipline, along with a natural intellectual curiosity, enabled him to overcome great odds. José is a Gates Millennium Scholar and will graduate summa cum laude this spring from Georgetown University. While at Georgetown he was named a John Carroll Fellow, a highly selective program offered to only 3% of any undergraduate class, a Yitzhak Rabin Memorial Fellow, a John Kenneth Galbraith Fellow, and was awarded a prize for outstanding scholarship, research, and leadership. José’s zeal for social justice and equality is evident in his work as president of Communities, Housing and Economic Development, an organization that addresses antipoverty policies. He will study Sociology at University College Dublin.

Joshua “Tyler” Dillard was born and raised in a conservative southern community in Alabama by his maternal grandparents, who adopted him at the age of 2. When he was 18, Tyler chose to come out publicly, despite family renunciation and loss of emotional and financial support. His personal experience has led him to become a passionate advocate for all victims of discrimination and intolerance. He spent two years at Samford University, a Christian school in Birmingham, Alabama, where he won numerous academic and leadership awards, including the White House Presidential Freedom Scholarship, and served as the Vice-President of Samford’s Political Union and Student Senate. He began a diversity campaign at Samford, and founded and served as president of a school-wide anti-poverty campaign. After his sophomore year, Tyler transferred to Rice University, where he has been equally as active in student politics, and founded an organization that helps renovate HIV/AIDS health facilities in the Houston area. Tyler will pursue a master’s in human rights.

A native of Michigan, Catherine Fontana came to Albion College as a Presidential Scholar. She is a double major in Biology and English and has won numerous awards for her tremendous leadership, including the H. Morley Fraser Student Leadership Award for her commitment to excellence, values, and service; the Michael P. Noonan Leadership in Public Life prize for her record of public activism; and the Girl Scout Gold Award. Catherine is president of the College Democrats, president of the Student Senate, and served as the President of the Michigan Federation of College Democrats. She is actively involved in a number of environmental organizations, and serves as an advisor on the university environmental committee. She is the coordinator of a state-wide reading program, serves as a tutor, and won a music scholarship to play the piccolo, flute, and oboe in the college symphony and marching band. Catherine will study Environmental Science next year at Trinity College Dublin.

A senior at Dartmouth College, Travis Green is majoring in Natural and Artificial Intelligence. He was selected out of 400 students to receive a Presidential Scholarship to do cutting-edge genetic research, which led to the discovery of 50 potential tumor-suppressor genes. Presently, Travis is working with the Neukom Institute for Computational Science exploring how the brain processes sensory data. Travis is deeply involved in Dartmouth’s student life, serving as President of the Student Body, head of the Dartmouth Outing Club, and wilderness orientation leader for first year students. He is a member of the Dartmouth heavyweight crew team and has worked as Design and Graphics Editor of the Dartmouth student newspaper. Travis will study Neuroscience in Ireland.

Lara Janson is a 2005 graduate of Grinnell College and a Fulbright Scholar. Upon graduation from Grinnell, Lara won numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship, including the Alumni Association Senior Award, and the Phi Beta Kappa Scholar’s Award. As a Fulbright, Lara spent a year in Ecuador studying interculturalism and gender and ended up staying another year to finish up her research, graduating with distinction from La Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. While in Quito, Lara founded and led a Prison Art and Poetry Workshop in the oldest men’s prison in Ecuador, volunteered with the Women’s Committee of the Union of Indigenous and Rural Organizations, and played basketball for both the men’s and women’s teams at a local college. Presently, Lara is the assistant volleyball coach at Grinnell and works with government agencies on a governmental anti-trafficking public education campaign. Lara will study Peace Studies.

Andrea Laidman will graduate in the spring from the University of Notre Dame with a major in Political Science and International Peace Studies and a minor in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy. She is the co-founder and director of Notre Dame Against State Killing, an organization created to inspire dialogue about the death penalty. Her leadership in this area earned her the Howard R. Swearer Student Humanitarian Award, a national award given annually to five students in the country, as well as the Richard J. Wood Student Community Commitment Award, given to one student in the state of Indiana for exemplary service, leadership and advocacy. Andrea is a weekly columnist for the college newspaper, served as the director of programming for Notre Dame’s student-run television station, choreographed and performed in various campus theater productions, and is a ballroom dancer. Andrea will study Anthropology and Development.

Ryan McCartney is a senior at Duke University and served as the editor of the student newspaper, The Duke Chronicle, during the Duke lacrosse scandal. With Ryan at its helm, the newspaper received universal praise for its professionalism and ethical and excellent coverage. Ryan’s work, in particular, was recognized nationally by the Associated Collegiate Press. As a junior, Ryan was selected as one of the top three college journalists in the country for his reporting on the lacrosse scandal and Hurricane Katrina. In addition to journalism, Ryan founded and continues to support a series of service trips to Kingston, Jamaica, to help orphans with mental and physical abilities. Ryan’s interest in mentoring and serving children with disabilities stems from his own personal experience. Growing up, Ryan suffered severe dyslexia and was unable to read until he reached the fifth grade. Ryan will pursue a master’s in Political Communication.

Victoria Moore will graduate first academically in her class from the US Naval Academy in the spring. During her years at the Academy, she has earned several leadership and academic awards, including the Carl Vinson Leadership Award, given to the midshipman with the highest military standing in the class of 2008, and Brigade Training Sergeant, responsible for the training of all 1200 first year midshipmen. Victoria is fluent in French, and was only one of two midshipmen selected for a five-week internship with the international staff at NATO headquarters in Belgium. She is also a varsity athlete and nationally ranked runner, clocking the second fastest time in the 1000m in the history of the Naval Academy, just one second away from breaking the school record. Victoria will pursue a master’s in Development Studies.

Erin Rhoda, a 2006 summa cum laude graduate of Colby College, is a reporter for the Courier-Gazette Newspaper in Rockland, Maine. She is a published poet and author, whose works have appeared in literary journals, like The Café Review, and been broadcast on public radio. In addition to her writing and full-time newspaper reporting, Erin runs a nonprofit called the Maine-Ghana Youth Network, which works to educate and inspire youth in the impoverished Ghanaian neighborhood of Kissehman. She also organized, funded and led a group of students and one doctor to Sierra Leone to distribute mosquito nets to combat malaria. Erin is hiking the 2,175-mile Appalachian Trail, section by section, with her mother. She will study creative writing next year.

Christopher Rosson grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, in a neighborhood best known for gang violence, prostitution, and rampant drug abuse. Despite the odds against him, Chris ended up at William Jewell College on a basketball scholarship, graduating in 2006. He is presently a master’s degree candidate at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced and International Studies. Chris has earned many awards over the years, including an award given to the nation’s top graduate student in international relations, chosen annually by a panel of former American diplomats. He served as the director of the Kansas City Office of the Governor while he was in college, founded and runs an international interactive program, which promotes international study and the exchange of ideas, speaks Arabic, and has traveled extensively in the Middle East. On his last trip to the region, Chris was detained and interrogated for hours by Hezbollah. Next year, Chris will pursue a master’s in Violence, Terrorism, and Security.

Adam Tart graduated in 3 years from the Georgia Institute of Technology with highest honors and a perfect grade point average in Discrete Mathematics and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Statistics at the Institute. Last summer, Adam was one of only 24 students selected nationwide for an internship for undergraduate mathematics students at the National Security Agency. At Georgia Tech, Adam won the senior math prize, given to the most outstanding mathematics graduate, as well as a George Fellowship, a merit-based graduate school award, and is a teaching assistant. Adam is both a mathematical wizard, and a real magician to boot. He co-founded and serves as co-president of M@GIT, a local organization that teaches magic and performs at local hospitals. Adam will study Mobile Networking and Computing in Ireland.