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Saturday, Nov. 19, 2005
Contact: Dave Wellman, Director of Communications, (304) 696-7153
Couple establishes fund to create student and faculty exchanges with France
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – JA Fred Brothers and his wife, Paula, of Naples, Fla., have established a fund to create student and faculty exchanges between Marshall University and University of Rennes 2 in France.
Their contribution to the Marshall University Foundation, Inc., was made in memory of Fred’s sister, Gloria Joan Brothers, a 1960 Marshall University summa cum laude graduate and a Fulbright Scholar who was killed in a car accident in 1963. They earlier established two scholarships at Marshall in her memory, one general undergraduate scholarship and one for Yeager Scholars.
Fred and Paula Brothers wanted to establish an award to encourage study abroad. The University of Rennes 2 was chosen because that was where Gloria was awarded a Fulbright to study French Literature.
One Marshall student and one student at Rennes 2 will be selected each year to receive a $5,000 award for one year or $3,000 for one semester of study to help defray the cost of their participation in the exchange program. In addition, up to $2,500 will be available each year for a faculty member at Rennes 2 to travel to Marshall, and a faculty member at Marshall to travel to Rennes 2 to help develop academic and cultural interchange between the two institutions.
“The unique scholarship will make it possible for Marshall students to pursue their dream to study abroad and will foster transatlantic collaboration between two universities,” Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp said. “This recognition is a fitting tribute to Gloria Brothers, who was one of Marshall’s first alumni to receive a Fulbright scholarship.”
Christine Soulas, a vice president at Rennes 2, will visit the Marshall campus in late August to finalize details of the student exchange, discuss areas of additional cooperation, and meet with Marshall faculty and students who are interested in participating in the exchange program.
According to Dr. Clark Egnor, executive director of the Center for International Programs, the University of Rennes 2 has much to offer students and faculty at Marshall. “In addition to a program for learning French, Rennes 2 also has strong departments of Art, Geography, and History,” Egnor said.
Persons interested in applying for the scholarship should be full-time, undergraduate students in their sophomore year or higher who have been accepted into Marshall University’s reciprocal exchange program with the University of Rennes 2. First preference shall be given to 1) female students; 2) French majors; 3) students with advanced fluency in French; 4) U. S. citizens; 5) and students who are from West Virginia. Advanced written and spoken French language skills are preferred, but not required.
“This is a wonderful way for alumni and friends of the university, such as the Brothers, to assist in the critical role of supporting the international mission of Marshall University – to prepare our students to live and work in a global environment,” said Lance West, vice president of alumni development. “This opportunity expands the theme of We Are … Marshall to a global level and I hope this will encourage others to follow in the Brothers’ footsteps.”
Award applicants must submit statement of purpose essays (1-2 pages) in both English and French describing the reason behind their decision to study abroad and the impact that it will have on them academically, professionally and personally. These essays, along with a cover letter describing their qualifications for the scholarship, and a completed application for study abroad, should be submitted by Aug. 15, 2006 for the spring 2007 term, and by Jan. 15, 2007 for the fall 2007 term. The deadline for spring 2007 may be extended if necessary.
Fred Brothers was the Executive Vice President at Ashland, Inc. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute with a B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. He has been a director on many boards including the Ameritrust Corporation, Society Bank, Key Bank, Columbus Chamber of Commerce, and a Trustee at the Columbus Museum of Art and Columbus Children’s Hospital. He also served on the board of the Society of Yeager Scholars at Marshall University.
The University of Rennes, located in Rennes with a population of about 300,000, was established in the 18th century. In 1968, the university split into two new universities: Rennes 1 and Rennes 2. The University of Rennes 1 enrolls about 23,000 students with colleges of Science and Technology, Health Science, and Social Science. Rennes 2 enrolls about 20,000 students and hosts the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Natural Sciences, Law and Medicine.
More information about this program can be obtained by contacting Egnor at the Center for International Programs at Egnor@marshall.edu or (304) 696-2465