Rebecca Bartley of Jamesburg Earns Prestigious Fulbright Scholarship

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Six University of Scranton graduates earn 2011/2012 Fulbright scholarships.

SCRANTON, PA (06/14/2011)(readMedia)-- Rebecca Bartley of Jamesburg is among the six University of Scranton graduates awarded a 2011/2012 Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarship – the U.S. government's premier scholarship program for overseas graduate study, research, and teaching.

Bartley earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Malaysia.

"As Fulbright scholars, our graduates will focus on research and teaching projects ranging from studying the successful sustainable technology cluster of the world's first carbon-neutral development in the desert outside Abu Dhabi to teaching English as a second language to middle schoolers in Delhi." said Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright program advisor and associate professor of economics/finance at The University of Scranton. "But of equal importance, each of these six graduates will immerse themselves in the local communities and continue their remarkable records of service by volunteering as coaches, small business advisors, and moderators of student clubs in their respective host countries."

For six consecutive years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed The University of Scranton among the "top producers" of Fulbright awards for American students. Since 1972, a total of 134 University of Scranton students have received grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education.

Other members of the University's class of 2011 earning Fulbright scholarships are: Melissa C. Beltz, Eagleville, Fulbright/Pädagogischer Austauschdienst English Teaching Assistantship to Germany; Kaitlyn L. Doremus, Tobyhanna, Fulbright/Pädagogischer Austauschdienst English Teaching Assistantship to Germany; Philip J. Kachmar, Kingston, Fulbright Scholarship to the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada; and Aileen M. Monks, Bellmore, N.Y., who earned a bachelor's degree in 2010 from Scranton and her master's degree in 2011, Fulbright-Nehru English Teaching Assistantship to India. The sixth graduate is Gian Peter Vergnetti, Brooklyn, N.Y., a native of Scranton and member of the University's class of 2008, who received a Fulbright to the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

A member of The University of Scranton's Honors Program, Bartley earned a bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, in management and marketing in 2011.

In addition to her main focus of teaching English as a second language at a high school in Terengganu State in Malaysia, Bartley plans to put her business background to use by starting a business club for the students and providing small business development advice to local artists and crafts persons.

Bartley worked at The University of Scranton's Small Business Development Center where she served as a junior consultant teaching the application of business principles to artists. She was the lead intern at the Kania School of Management's Women's Business Center. She also interned for Diversified Information Technologies in Scranton and will continue working for the company until she leaves for Malaysia.

Bartley excelled in the classroom, becoming a member of Beta Gamma Sigma (the national business honor society), Omega Beta Sigma (the national women's business honor society), and Alpha Lambda Delta (the national freshmen honor society). She was a dean's list student at Scranton.

On campus, Bartley volunteered with The University of Scranton's International Service Program and was a board member of the University's Habitat for Humanity. She was active with the women's rugby team and the Business Club. Off campus, she worked at construction projects for Habitat for Humanity in Almost Heaven, West Virginia, and Albany, Ga., and at an orphanage and health center in with the International Service Program in Guyana.

Bartley's future plans include pursuing an MBA, working in marketing and eventually working to encourage entrepreneurship in developing nations – once again, applying what she knows for the good of others.

A graduate of Bishop George Ahr High School in Edison, N.J., she is the daughter of Linda and William Bartley of Jamesburg, N.J.

Digital Image:

Six University of Scranton graduates earned Fulbright scholarships for 2011, bringing the total to 134 for University of Scranton students receiving grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education (Fulbright) and International Rotary since 1972. Standing from left are: Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright program advisor at The University of Scranton, and Fulbright scholarship recipients Gian P. Vergnetti, Philip J. Kachmar, Aileen M. Monks, Rebecca Bartley, and Kaitlyn L. Doremus. Fulbright recipient Melissa C. Beltz was absent when the photo was taken.