President Nancy Y. Bekavac, of Scripps College, announced Stefani Crabtree as this year’s recipient of the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
Beginning this summer, Scripps senior Stefani Crabtree of Bend, Oregon, will travel to India, Vietnam, Samoa and New Zealand to conduct independent research on women and alternative medicine, courtesy of the prestigious Watson Fellowship. Crabtree was awarded this one-year $22,000 grant to fund travel, living, and research expenses that will enable her to study Ayurvedic treatments, work with female shamans, and examine the effectiveness of traditional medicine hospitals.
Crabtree, an anthropology major, applied for the Watson because she wanted to experience other cultures, and she says, “The grant is close to the entry-level salary I would make in the United States, and I couldn’t think of a better way to earn it than through this research.”
Crabtree is one of 48 students from select colleges across the nation to earn the Watson Fellowship. Recipients are selected based on several criteria including demonstrated integrity, imagination, strong ethical character, intelligence, the capacity for vision and leadership, the promise of creative achievement and excellence within a chosen field, and the potential for humane and effective participation in the world community. The one-year $22,000 grant will fund travel, living, and research expenses for independent study outside the United States.