Six Michigan State students recipients of homeland security awards

Contact: Kristin K. Anderson, University Relations, (517) 353-8819, ander284@msu.edu

11/2/2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Six Michigan State University students are winners of national scholarships and fellowships from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

The awards are given to students pursuing degrees in engineering, math and science fields. The program encourages and supports them in developing a scientific foundation upon which technological breakthroughs resulting in improved homeland security can occur.

“They are prestigious because they only give a small number throughout the country,” said David Foran, an assistant professor of criminal justice at MSU who helped oversee a winning application. “MSU has done a good job of helping their students attain them.”

The six students are Anne Coburn of Traverse City, who was selected to receive an undergraduate scholarship; and Angela Soler of Rockville, Md., Kristy Bachus of Madison, Wis., Colleen Milligan of Mount Calvary, Wis., Aggie Ostrowski of Rochester Hills, and Kimberly Cervello of Greece, N.Y., who were selected to receive DHS fellowships.

The undergraduate scholarships include full school tuition and fees, a $1,000 monthly stipend for nine months and $500 weekly for a summer internship at a DHS-affiliated facility between their junior and senior years. The graduate fellowships include full tuition and fees, a $2,300 monthly stipend for one year and are renewable for a total of three years. Graduates also participate in an internship at a DHS-affiliated facility.

Coburn, a junior dual-majoring in international relations and political theory and constitutional democracy, is the daughter of William and Linda Coburn. She is a member of the James Madison College (JMC) and MSU Honors College. Her extracurricular activities include serving as a student senator within the JMC and as a member of the International Relations Organization at MSU and the university’s Model United Nations.

“While I can't be sure where I will end up working in DHS, as there is such a wide variety of opportunities there, I would love to pursue a career within DHS that would allow me to further study and analyze security issues in the context of U.S. policy,” Coburn said.

Soler is a 2004 graduate of George Washington University. The daughter of Janice Parker-Callaghan and Tomas Soler, she is currently pursuing a graduate degree in physical anthropology in the College of Social Science.

“I want to show other specialties what forensic anthropology can contribute to our society and to the identification of individuals involved in crimes, mass disasters or acts of terrorism,” Soler said. “I also want to learn how the many different aspects of law enforcement and forensic science can better work together.”

Bachus finished her undergraduate work at MSU in May 2005. The daughter of Gary and Rebecca Bachus, she is currently pursuing a degree in forensic science with a specialization in forensic biology in the School of Criminal Justice in the College of Social Science.

“I am very interested in working on a project during my internship that involves the detection of bioterrorism agents such as anthrax,” Bachus said. “I have a strong research background in microbiology and I would like to apply that to the field of forensics in investigating bioterrorism.”

Milligan graduated from Marquette University in 2004. The daughter of Tim and Sue Milligan, she is a second-year graduate student in anthropology and the master’s program in forensic science within the College of Social Science.

“The faculty has provided, and continues to provide, both the encouragement and the resources to pursue a number of opportunities at MSU and outside of the university setting,” Milligan said.

Ostrowski’s undergraduate work at MSU concluded in 2005. The daughter of Artur and Ewa Ostrowski, she is currently seeking a graduate degree in forensic chemistry through the College of Social Science.

“I believe in supporting the legal system, and forensic chemistry specifically, because it is probably the most varied forensic discipline; you work with something different every day,” Ostrowski said.

Cervello is a 2005 graduate of State University of New York at Geneseo. The daughter of Barbara and Douglas Cervello, she is pursuing a graduate degree in mathematics in the College of Natural Science.

“The graduate program in mathematics here at State is challenging and rewarding and I feel it will prepare me for my internship and my future career,” Cervello said. “This program helps refine my time management skills and my self-discipline.”

The Homeland Security Scholarship and Fellowship program is coordinated for the DHS Science and Technology directorate by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, a U.S. Department of Energy facility focusing on scientific initiatives and educational programs.

For more information about the Homeland Security Scholarship and Fellowship Program, visit www.orau.gov/dhsed