In case you missed the news over break, two Union students were named Watson Fellows, a prestigious honor granted to 40 college seniors nationwide from a competitive pool of 150 applicants.
As recipients of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship, Frederick Franke ’10 and James Morton ’10 will receive a one-year stipend of $25,000 to study independently outside the United States.
Franke, an interdepartmental history and political science major from Annapolis, Md., will research the intimate connection between food and culture in “Out of the Kitchen and Into the Fire: Exploring the World’s Open-fire Cooking Methods.”
He will apprentice himself to open-fire cooks around the world, studying the hangi method of cooking in New Zealand, tandoor in India, braai in South Africa, doner kebap in Turkey and jerk in Jamaica.
Morton’s project, “Large Format Cargo: Photographing the Shipping Industry,” will take him to ports and shipyards in Australia, India and South Korea. A history and environmental science major from Orient Point, L.I., and grandson of a merchant mariner, Morton grew up with a love of photography and the sea.
“We are so proud of our winners,” said History Professor Joyce Madancy, chair of the College’s Watson Fellowship Committee. “It’s especially thrilling to have two more Watson Fellows on campus.”
The newest fellows come from 23 states and three foreign countries. For a complete list of winners and their project, click here.