Allison Park resident Rebecca Tisherman awarded Fulbright fellowship

NEW LONDON, CT (05/16/2013)(readMedia)-- Rebecca Tisherman, a senior environmental studies major and East Asian studies and mathematics double minor at Connecticut College, has been selected to receive a U.S. Fulbright Student Program grant to live, conduct research and teach abroad for an academic year.

Tisherman, a 2009 graduate of Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh and a resident of Allison Park, Penn., has been awarded a Fulbright Research Award to China. She will be working with Professor Tang Ya at Sichuan University in Chengdu, China, to research the effect of shale gas drilling (commonly referred to as "fracking") on groundwater resources there.

"Connecticut College students are educated to be active citizens in today's global society, which makes them excellent candidates for Fulbright fellowships," said Connecticut College President Leo I. Higdon Jr. "Nine of our recent graduates are currently teaching and conducting research all over the world as 2012 Fulbright scholars, and I am very proud of our 2013 winners, including Rebecca, who will soon join their ranks."

Fulbright fellows receive round-trip transportation to the host country, a living stipend, research allowances and medical insurance. Connecticut College is consistently recognized as a top producer of Fulbright fellows, with 36 winners in seven years.

Tisherman, who will graduate from Connecticut College on Sunday, May 19, studied Chinese and had the opportunity to study abroad and complete an internship there. As an environmental studies major, she has also been preparing herself for graduate study of water management.

"Fulbright combines both of my interests and gives me an amazing opportunity to study how humans are impacting water systems while immersed in Chinese culture and society."

Following her Fulbright Fellowship, Tisherman hopes to work in environmental consulting, specifically in the field of hydrology or hydrogeology, before pursuing a graduate degree.

About Connecticut College

Connecticut College is a private, highly selective liberal arts college with 1,850 students and more than 40 majors in the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities, as well as the option for students to self-design majors. The College offers a high level of intellectual challenge, a campus culture that supports students to tailor their educational experience to their own interests and goals, and a four-year career development program that teaches students how to translate a liberal arts degree into a first job or graduate school admission. Connecticut College is situated in the small New England seaport of New London. For more information, visit www.connecticutcollege.edu.