Cameron Bechtold ’20 and Danielle Pinney ’20 are the latest Union students who will travel the world next year as part of the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program.
The two are among 46 students selected as finalists after nominations from private liberal arts colleges and universities in the U.S.
This marks the fifth time in the last eight years that the College has two Watson fellows. The program was established in 1968 by the children of Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of IBM, and his wife, Jeanette, to honor their parents’ longstanding interest in education and world affairs.
Since the program’s inception, 60 Union students have been awarded fellowships.
This year’s fellows receive a $36,000 stipend to cover a year of independent study and travel outside the U.S. They will visit more than 80 countries, exploring topics ranging from rare diseases to female filmmakers to nuclear energy.
Among his numerous activities, Bechtold is president of Campus Kitchens and vice president of his class. Last year, he was awarded a Goldwater Scholarship, the premiere undergraduate award for students pursuing careers in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. He plans a career in urban ecology.
Pinney is co-captain of the Dance Team and a member of the Yoga and Meditation Club. Last year at Steinmetz Day, she was awarded the Edward Villella Fellowship, which allows exceptional students to expand their dance studies beyond campus. She plans to pursue a career in the book publishing industry.
To learn more about this year’s Watson Fellows and their projects, visit the Watson website.
CAMERON BECHTOLD ‘20
Hometown: Middleburgh, N.Y.
Major: Environmental science
Project title: Staying Afloat: Community Responses to Water Management
Countries: The Netherlands, Italy, Vietnam, Tuvalu, and Mexico
Description: “I plan to explore the various connections between community, policy and science in countries that are working to solve water-related crises. Each community I will visit functions as an ecosystem that can easily be disrupted by the mismanagement of water, which is both an increasingly valuable resource and danger. As a result, tensions have arisen between various community members, and sound water management practices are needed if communities are to stay resilient. This project will tie together both my personal and scientific background with the reality of climate change that communities are dealing with every day.”
DANIELLE PINNEY ‘20
Hometown: Westfield, N.J.
Major: English, and Spanish and Hispanic Studies, with a minor in Dance
Project title: Moving Stories: Crafting Narratives Through and About Dance
Countries: Japan, Indonesia, Brazil, South Africa, India
Description: “To explore narratives told through dance worldwide, I will travel to five countries with a storytelling dance tradition. While abroad, I intend to discern how and why communities come together to develop, shape and tell their personal narratives through various dance styles. By examining written, oral and movement-based storytelling traditions within each of these five countries, I hope to understand what a society is about—and what it believes—to interpret the subconscious of society through its cultural dance roots.”
Union’s previous Watson fellows:
Vito Potenza ‘69
Study of East Asian Contemporary Society
Arnold Drogen ‘70
Dance and Theater in East Africa
Eugene Kokot ‘70
Regional Problems of Development in Northern Scandinavia
Steven Cole ‘71
Study of Voice and Opera
Steven David ‘72
Analysis of Chinese and Israeli Aid Programs in East Africa
William Dobishinski ‘73
Economic Cooperation The Way to Political Peace
Vincent Foster ‘73
Economic Development
Michael Vanhatten ‘73
Folk Roots of European Jazz
Charles Goodwin ‘74
Photography
Robert Cable ‘75
Child Development
Jayne Greenwald ‘75
Martial Arts and Dance
Joseph Bedell ‘76
Blue-collar Workers in Industry
Kit Singh ‘76
Research for Novel
David Hopkins ‘77
Energy Regulation
Laura Shore ‘78
Goethe's Italian Journey
J. Peter Donlon ‘79
Sociology of Amusement Parks
Peter Hooper ‘80
Communal Agriculture
Edward Horstmann ‘80
Symbol and Ritual in Coastal Villages
Michele Beaulieu ‘81
Midwifery
Tamara Wood ‘82
Cultural & Economic Factors Influencing Engineering Career Choices
Jonathan Titus ‘83
Management of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Liesel Golden ‘85
Women in the Military
Melinda Zumski ‘86
Political Theater
Daniel Gordon ‘87
Cross-cultural Study of Baseball
Susan von Reusner ‘87
Women Textile Workers
Vincent Nicotina ‘88
Cultural Formation and Folk Music
Eddy Remy ‘88
African Dance Westernization and Tradition
Yeshaya Poyurs ‘89
Role of Religion in Revolution
Anna Allen ‘90
Comparative Study of Drug Legislation Policies
Gregory Angus ‘90
Role of Toys in Childhood Development
Shelley Szymko ‘91
Changes in the Work Ethic: Integration of Capitalist Ideas & Socialist Ideology
Katherine Rawstron ‘93
Photographing the Disabled
Elisabeth Tripp ‘93
Ancient Engineering
Jacques Etienne ‘94
Effects of Modernization on Traditional Markets
William Wolff ‘94
Writing Poetry in Eliot's Europe
Rebecca Gergely ‘95
Influence of Culture on Educational Goals
Trinh Thai ‘96
Technological and Social Aspects of Ancient Bridges
Jessica Bernstein ‘97
Female Tae Kwon Do Artists
Zane Riester ‘97
Exploring Renaissance & Baroque Churches & Train Stations
Scott Stedman ‘99
Past & Present: A Screenplay on Walter Benjamin
Anastasie Prokhorova ‘01
The Cultural Phenomenon of the "Wunderkind"
Louisa Stephens ‘01
Photographic Explorations: Pursuing the Sun
Nori Lupfer ‘03
Circuses & Stunts: Photography of Entertainment in Motion
Adam Grode ‘05
Long-Necked Lutes from Baku to Bishkek: A Musical Journey in Central Asia
Noah Eber-Schmid ‘06
The Kids Are Alright? Punk Subcultures as Community and Movement
Andrew Krauss ‘08
In the Pursuit of Speed: Evolution in Outrigger Canoeing
Frederick Franke ‘10
Out of the Kitchen and Into the Fire: Exploring Open-Fire Cooking Methods
Burleigh Morton ‘10
Large Format Cargo: Photographing the Shipping Industry
Joshua Anderson ‘13
Holistic Self-sufficiency: Exploring the Intersection of Community, Innovation, and Self
Shilpa Darivemula ‘13
Of Medicine and Mudras: Exploring Healing Through Traditional Dance Cultures
Sean Day ‘14
What Moves You: Exploring The Value of Human Motion Through Cultural Perceptions of Disabilities
Shiqing He ‘14
The Fading Color: Natural Dye Production around the Globe
Karlee Bergendorff ‘15
The Dirty Archeology of Alternative History
Warren Thompson ‘15
Flute Music Across the World: Exploring Expression, Ritual, and Healing
Htoo Wai Htet ‘16
Jugaad Innovation: Making Technological Empowerment Affordable
Riley Konsella ‘17
Stuck in Traffic: Steering Offbeat Transportation Solutions through Human Pushback
Samantha Miller ‘19
Poignant Nostalgia: Investigating Architecture through Abandoned Spaces
Emmanuela “Ella” Oppong ’19
Social Entrepreneurship: Empowering Local Minds, Finding Healthcare Solutions