May 2003 Stories

Willamette Grad Named Fulbright Scholar

Erin Dougherty, who graduated in 2000 cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in politics and history from Willamette University, has been named a Fulbright Scholar for 2003-2004. Established in 1947 and sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright program offers opportunities for scholars, professionals and artists to conduct study and research abroad. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,000 grants each year and currently operates in 140 countries worldwide. Dougherty will use the grant to travel to Tromso, Norway, where she will study the Sami, indigenous people who live in the polar regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula of Russia. The unique culture of the nomadic, reindeer-herding Sami has been dramatically altered by political upheavals, especially the Alta conflict of the 1970s. Dougherty’s project will provide insight into how the Sami and other indigenous peoples can preserve their way of life.

Since graduating from Willamette, Dougherty served for a year as a Truman Fellow with the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP) in Washington, D.C., working as the strategy manager and webmaster for the Women in Rural American Task Force. In 2001, she moved to Sitka, AK, as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. She is currently serving a second year with the Sitka VISTA program as a program coordinator for ANDVSA, a statewide program that helps find pro bono attorneys to represent victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. She’s also the pace-setter in Kadulshkx’l, the Sitka Traditional Canoe Club, where she has traveled to remote villages in the Alaskan bush to participate in traditional canoe races, celebrations and food harvests.

Willamette Student Interns Are a Mainstay at Capitol

The cross-the-street relationship is mutually beneficial.

John Turner, beet-faced and glistening, reaches for his can of Diet Coke — even before he can catch his breath.

“This is the drink of choice around here,” said Turner, wiping off shiny beads of sweat forming from his 5-minute sprint from Willamette University to the Capitol.

His coffee mug sits empty on his small but tidy desk, leading the 21-year-old to chug, not sip, his soda, as if desperate for his daily fix of caffeine. He then begins to talk of his daily routine as a Capitol intern, detailing his passion for politics — and his love for audit reports.

“It’s just this amazing insight into the process,” Turner said, with enthusiasm he attributes to his boss, Rep. Alan Bates, D-Ashland.

This wide-eyed and ambitious excitement is exhibited not only in Turner but in many of the 47 Willamette interns working at the Capitol.

For as long as many legislators can remember, Willamette interns have been a continuous presence at the Capitol. Bates has hired five Willamette interns in his two terms.

Traditionally, students from the private college dominate the crew of interns working in the building and the number continues to grow each session.

Willamette professors say it is due to a budding interest in politics. Interns say location is their incentive and a quality work environment is its appeal.

The comfort level between interns and their respective employers is high, especially for Turner, who gets his boss’ attention with “Hey, Bates.” Bates has nicknamed his intern “Rock Star.”

Bates said the interns are a lot of fun to have around, and when it comes to working, they are great.

“They’re bright young kids interested in policy, and we get to take advantage of that by having them help,” he said.

For many politics junkies at Willamette, getting one foot in the door of government while keeping the other grounded in classwork is what makes the internship worthwhile.

Working close to the college was not a fluke for Sarah Sutton. It was a calculated decision to further her career aspirations.

“The reason I chose to go to Willamette is because it was right across the street from the Capitol,” she said.

Sutton, 22, said she knew of her love for politics at age 12, when she began writing random letters to President Clinton. Now, she writes proclamations for Gov. Ted Kulongoski.

But Sutton said she still is getting used to people wanting things as soon as they ask.

“People are here with a mission and are pushy — but that’s part of public service,” she said.

During a dramatic session such as this one, Turner said it can be hard to not debate issues among peers, though most of the interns he associates with are Democrats.

Among the youth politicking, the more heated issues have been the budget, abortion and Measure 28. Personal values also can weigh in for some.

A registered independent, Turner said he would not consider working for a Republican, based on many of their decisions this session.

He said his views are more parallel to Bates.

Sutton, a Democrat, was exposed to working in an all-Republican office her sophomore year, when interning for Sen. Steve Harper, R-Klamath Falls, last session. She was affectionately nicknamed “Dixiecrat,” a political cliche referring to Democrats who stick around Republicans.

Interns work on average 20 hours per week. They start in January and are warned about the uncertainty of an end-of-session date.

Politics senior Emily West said that stretching the hours between school and work is easier with the Capitol being so close. Bringing a dose of reality politics into her learning gives her an advantage in class, she said.

Many of the students are preparing for a future in politics. Turner said his next step is law school. Sutton is weighing her choices, and West expects to stay with public service.

This article was written by Joanne Yuan and appeared in the Statesman Journal on May 10, 2003.

Joanne Yuan can be reached at (503) 399-6663.
Visit the Statesman Journal online at www.statesmanjournal.com

This story was reprinted with the permission of the Statesman Journal
© Copyright 2003 Statesman Journal, Salem, Oregon

Lucas Honored by American Psychological Association

Gale Lucas, a sophomore majoring in psychology at Willamette University, has been selected by the American Psychological Association to be one of this year’s Summer Science Institute fellows. From the 400 plus applications it receives from across the nation, the APA selects 32 sophomores to participate in a nine-day intensive research experience in the field. Students are selected on the basis of college GPA, SAT scores, experience in psychology and dedication to the science of psychology. Lucas is the third Willamette University psychology major to apply for and be accepted to the program.

Lucas, whose parents Scott and Linda Lucas are both physicians, has always been interested in science and thought she’d pursue a career as a doctor or a veterinarian. “In high school, I explored biology, chemistry and physics,” says Lucas. “At Willamette, I took my first class in psychology and knew I’d found my passion. In psychology, I can mix my love of the scientific method while exploring the human mind.”

This year, Lucas and other SSI fellows will gather June 14-22 at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. Students must review a thick packet of materials before they arrive for the Summer Institute.

“At SSI, I will learn from some of the top professors in several areas of psychology,” says Lucas, who plans to pursue a Ph.D. in psychology after she graduates from Willamette University. “I’m really excited to dive into this opportunity.”

Presidential Scholars Named

Brandon B. Smith and Lori Northcraft have been named Willamette’s Presidential Senior Scholars for 2003. The Presidential Senior Scholar Awards enable outstanding students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.7 and higher to pursue a substantial research project in their senior year. In addition to grade point average, Presidential Scholars are selected on the strength of their research proposal, intellectual caliber and independence of character. The scholarships provide a $2,500 summer stipend and a full semester’s tuition in the senior year and or a $5,000 graduate fellowship.

“The application process for the Presidential Scholar Award was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve had,” says Smith. “This scholarship makes it feasible for me to do some intense research.”

Smith’s proposed project is entitled “An Investigation of the Solvation Shell Structure in the Methanol-Carbon Disulfide Binary Liquid System.” Smith, currently a junior chemistry major, will study the interactions between molecules in a methanol and carbon disulfide liquid mixture using Laser Raman spectroscopy.

“There are many unanswered questions about liquids,” explains Smith. “For instance, we know that Italian dressing left to sit will separate into two separate layers, but we don’t know why. My research will help us better understand the ways liquids interact on the molecular level and may help facilitate advances in the chemical industry.”

After graduating from Willamette, Smith plans to pursue a graduate degree in physical chemistry.

Northcraft, a junior with a major in exercise science and a minor in Spanish, is studying the socioeconomic and cultural influences of the occupational health care decisions of Hispanic farm workers. According to Northcraft, Hispanic farm workers are particularly susceptible to on-the-job back injuries. She’s interested in finding out what factors influence whether or not they seek medical treatment. She plans to create an informational booklet on preventing occupational injuries for farm workers. To help remove barriers to seeking medical care, she will also share her research findings with area health care providers.

“Studying abroad in Spain increased my interest in utilizing my Spanish language skills and in learning more about the Hispanic subculture in the United States,” says Northcraft. “This award will allow me to work on a personal level with Oregon’s growing Hispanic population and enable me to study first-hand the debilitating effects of untreated labor-related injuries.”

After graduating from Willamette, Northcraft plans to pursue a doctor of physical therapy degree. She wants to work as a physical therapist and use her Spanish skills to work with Spanish-speaking clients and their families.