Local Student Julia Mazzarella of Columbia Earns Academic Recognition at Skidmore College

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (06/21/2013)(readMedia)-- Julia Mazzarella, a member of the Class of 2013 at Skidmore College, completed her academic career with distinction, earning a Fulbright research award for study in Germany. The award will enable her to attend the Justus-Liebig Universität in Giessen, Germany, where she will focus on two topics in visual perception of the three-dimensional world: shape estimation and shape representation.

She is the daughter of Frank and Michelle Mazzarella of Columbia, Conn.

Mazzarella earned a B.A. degree summa cum laude with honor in psychology and in neuroscience at Skidmore's 102nd commencement in May, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the national honor society that exists to encourage and recognize outstanding individual achievements in liberal education.

She received two academic awards: the Caren Lane Sass '35 Award in Psychology, named in honor of an alumna and awarded to the senior psychology major who shows great promise for future achievement; and the Tim Brown Scholar Athlete Award, named in honor of a former professor and presented annually to a senior who exhibits outstanding accomplishment in academic and athletic pursuits at Skidmore.

Mazzarella earned honors for academic work completed during the spring 2013 semester.

During her Skidmore career, Mazzarella was elected to the Skidmore Thoroughbred Society, for student-athletes who have maintained a strong academic record. Mazzarella was a member of the Skidmore Riding Team, which won its seventh Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (ISHA) national championship this spring. In addition to contributing to the team title, Mazzarella won an individual national title in the Open Over Fences division.

Founded in 1903, Skidmore College is a coeducational, liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The college grants the bachelor's degree in some 60 majors, including both traditional liberal arts disciplines and preprofessional programs. Skidmore also awards the master of arts in liberal studies degree.