UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State University Faculty Senate recently awarded Elizabeth Catchmark, Christopher Covert, James Frisbie, Noah Lingwall and Naseem Zomorodi with the John W. White Graduate Fellowship.
The fellowship recognizes outstanding undergraduate students who are graduating with highest distinction and who plan to enroll in graduate study. The scholarship provides $975 to be used for graduate education at Penn State or another institution. Catchmark, Covert, Frisbie, Lingwall and Zomorodi were recognized at the April 25 Faculty Senate meeting.
Catchmark, a Schreyer Honors Scholar, graduated with bachelor of arts degrees in English, philosophy, African-American studies, and women’s studies. She has worked as a teaching assistant, a research assistant and a DC Social Justice Fellow, where she designed a curriculum for teaching social-justice issues to high school students. Catchmark will attend a doctoral program in English literature at the University of Maryland.
Covert graduated with a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering and served as the aerospace department's student marshal. The president and student team leader of the Penn State Lunar Lion team, he has also served as the Lead Controls Engineer for a Penn State team constructing a full-scale, human-powered aircraft, building flight simulations and flight test equipment. Covert will attend Stanford University to pursue a graduate degree in aeronautics and astronautics.
Frisbie, a Schreyer Honors Scholar, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in immunology and infectious diseases and a minor in bioethics and medical humanities. His Honors thesis focused on the enzymatic synthesis of a metabolite of EPA, which is an Omega-3 fatty acid that has shown anti-leukemic effects in mice. Frisbie will attend the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
“I feel very humbled to receive this fellowship,” Frisbie said. “The past four years at Penn State were invaluable. From the the different academic, research and extracurricular opportunities, I am confident that my Penn State education will allow me to thrive in my new environment.”
Lingwall, a Schreyer Honors Scholar, graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in history, and an enhanced Spanish minor. He worked with a family law practice and Children and Youth Services in Brookville and was a co-founder of the Penn State Music Service Club. He plans to attend the University of Virginia School of Law, where he will apply to the Program in Law and Public Service.
"I am extremely honored to have been selected for a John W. White Graduate Fellowship," Lingwall said. "As I reflect on my collegiate record of service, the fellowship both validates the importance of service at Penn State and helps propel me toward a legal career dedicated toward serving others."
Zomorodi, a Schreyer Honors Scholar, graduated with a bachelor of science degree in life science. She conducted biomedical research on rotator cuff injuries at the Hershey Medical Center and wrote her Honors thesis on the relationship between influenza vaccination coverage and disease outbreak across demographic factors. Zomorodi, a graduate of the Penn State Harrisburg campus, will attend Penn State Hershey College of Medicine to become a physician.
“I feel incredibly honored and grateful to have received the John W. White Fellowship,” Zomorodi said. “Through the opportunities I have had as an undergraduate student at Penn State, I have been able to find and pursue a passion in medicine. I am appreciative that Penn State will continue to support me as I follow my dream of becoming a physician.”
The John White Fellowship is one of the oldest fellowships at Penn State. The award was established in 1902 by James Gilbert White to honor his father, Rev. John W. White, of Milroy, Pennsylvania.