Two Davidson Seniors Win Prestigious Watson Fellowship
The 2003 Watson Fellowship Winners Bill Neville and Kristine Grayson
|
3/19/2003
Contact: Bill Giduz 704/894-2244 or bigiduz@davidson.edu
by Amy Poe
Two Davidson seniors have been awarded Thomas J. Watson Fellowships. Kristine Grayson and Bill Neville have both received $22,000 awards to travel the globe pursuing their interests. Grayson will study the environment and terrestrial and freshwater turtle habitats, while Neville explores the roots of classical theater.
They are among 48 Watson Fellows from 36 colleges and universities nationwide announced this week by the Thomas J. Watson Foundation.
Sixty-nine Davidson students have won Watson Fellowships since the program began here in 1969.
Grayson, a biology major from Harrisonburg, Va., will examine terrestrial and freshwater turtle species in a variety of habitats. Her project, "Extreme Turtles," concerns the ecology of "extreme" turtles, including the largest, the rarest, and the most threatened populations. She will also study areas with the highest diversity in the number of turtle species. Her interest in this project grew out of her work in the herpetology lab under Mike Dorcas, assistant professor of biology.
Grayson says "I really enjoy learning about turtles and studying their behavior, but I have only had the opportunity to do so within the United States, mainly in the southeast. When I learned about the one-of-a-kind turtles and ecosystem on the island of Aldabra in the Seychelles, I knew I had to design a proposal that would enable me to study there as well."
Her travels will begin in Brazil, where she will present her honors thesis on turtle ecology and attend a symposium on fresh water turtle ecology. She will then travel to Australia, South East Asia, South Africa, and Aldabra.
Grayson said, "Traveling to some of these locations has been a life-long dream. I'll get to experience new ecosystems and biodiversity not found in the states, as well as study turtles species I've never studied before."
Neville is a theater major from Salt Lake City, Utah. His project, entitled, "What's Past Is Prologue: Contemporary Stages and the Classical Western Canon," focuses on the performance of classical drama in the settings that made that type of theatre famous.
Neville will combine his love of Shakespeare with his interest in Greek theater, traveling to Greece, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and France. Neville has been heavily involved in acting and directing theater at Davidson, including his leading role in the current college production of "Angels in America." He studied with the Royal Shakespeare Company during its residency here last winter, received a summer grant to attend an international symposium for directors in Spoleto, Italy, and has held an internship with the Charlotte Repertory Theater.
He said his Watson proposal stemmed from a realization of "the gap that exists between modern acting traditions and classical theater culture, and how the actually staging of plays is what often eludes directors."
Neville wants to study the director's role in finding a connection between the works of playwrights who are no longer living, and actors who are being trained in modern acting methods. He said, "I often learn more from watching others direct than actually directing myself. Then I can apply what I've seen to my own productions."
Since he plans to pursue acting and directing as a career, Neville anticipates the experience as an opportunity to interact with some of the greatest directors, theater companies, and theater festivals in the world. He will spend his first month at the Helenic Theater Festival in Athens, then work with Trinity Theater in Dublin, the RSC and the BBC in England. He will conclude with an apprenticeship under Peter Brook, a revolutionary Shakespearean director in France.
Mrs. Thomas J. Watson, Sr., founded the Thomas J. Watson Foundation in 1961 as a charitable trust in honor of her late husband. The Foundation initially used its resources in support of a variety of programs. In 1968, in recognition of Mr. and Mrs. Watson's long-standing interest in education and world affairs, their children decided that the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program should constitute the major activity of the Foundation. Since that date, the Fellowship Program has granted more than 2,000 Watson Fellowship awards with stipends totaling approximately $23-million. The foundation invites 50 institutions to submit nominees each year.
Davidson is a highly selective independent liberal arts college for 1,600 students. Since its establishment in 1837, the college has graduated 23 Rhodes Scholars and is ranked among the top ten liberal arts colleges in the country by U.S. News and World Report magazine. Davidson is currently engaged in "Let Learning Be Cherished," a $250 million campaign in support of student financial assistance, academic resources, and community life.
|
