In December, 2004, for the third year in a row, when the Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriations Resolution for FY05, it included a provision recommending that the Department of State provide $500,000 to the George J. Mitchell Scholarship program. Nearly 50 Members of Congress — from both parties — supported the initiative.

The funding recommendation was provided in the Commerce, Justice State Appropriations subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) with Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) as the Ranking Member. Sen.r Edward Kennedy (D-MA) initiated support on the Senate side. He was joined by Republican Sen. Susan Collins (ME) and Democratic senators Patrick Leahy (VT), Chris Dodd (CT), Jack Reed (RI), Hilary Rodham Clinton (NY), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Maria Cantwell (WA), Max Baucus (MT), Jon Corzine (NJ), John F. Kerry (MA), Frank Lautenberg (NJ), Charles Schumer (NY), Joe Biden (D-DE), and Paul Sarbanes (D-MD).

Congressmen Peter King (R-NY) and Joe Crowley (D-NY) initiated support in the House, working with Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), chairman of the relevant subcommittee. House members who supported the successful initiative were: Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Thomas H. Allen (D-ME), Xavier Becerra (D-CA), William Lacy Clay (D-MO), William Delahunt (D-MA), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Sander Levin (D-MI), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Karen McCarthy (D-MO), Jim McDermott (D-WA), James McGovern (D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Michael McNulty (D-NY), George Miller (D-CA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Richard Neal (D-MA), Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Jack Quinn (R-NY), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Ted Strickland (D-OH) and Jim Walsh (R-NY).

The Mitchell Scholarship program was inaugurated in 1998 with an endowment from the Government of Ireland. Other significant financial support is provided by the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, Automsoft, BD (Becton Dickinson & Company), Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, The Crucible Corporation, and the McDonnell Charitable Foundation.

USIT, Ireland’s premier student travel organization, provides a travel stipend to each Scholar. Universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland contribute housing and tuition to the Mitchell Scholars. In just five years, the Mitchell Scholarship program has become one of the most sought after scholarships for young Americans. More than 200 individuals apply annually for the 12 scholarships.
Applicants have often dropped out of the Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright competitions to pursue the Mitchell.

Corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include: CRH, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo Ireland, IONA Technologies, and the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.
 

Mitchell Scholars Announced

A composer who has written and staged operas; a firefighter; a researcher committed to attacking infectious disease epidemics; and a college coed who underwent basic training with the Israeli army are just some of the wide-ranging, diverse stories of the twelve George J. Mitchell Scholars selected for a year of post-graduate study at universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Launched in 1998, the Mitchell Scholarship recognizes outstanding young Americans who exhibit the highest standards of academic excellence, leadership and community service. The Scholarship, administered by the US-Ireland Alliance, a non-partisan, non-profit organization based in Washington, DC, is named in honor of the pivotal role the former Maine Senator played in the Northern Ireland peace process. The Mitchell scholarship program links future American leaders to the island of Ireland.

The Mitchell Scholarships have quickly become one of the most prestigious, intensely competed fellowship programs in the United States. Recipients have withdrawn from the long-established Rhodes, Marshall and Fulbright competitions to pursue a Mitchell Scholarship. There were 220 applicants, from 166 colleges and universities, for this year’s 12 awards.

The Mitchell Scholarship program was inaugurated in 1998 with an endowment from the Government of Ireland. Other significant financial support is provided by the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning, the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Automsoft, BD (Becton Dickinson & Company), Bombardier Aerospace (NI) Foundation, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, The Crucible Corporation, and the McDonnell Charitable Foundation. USIT, Ireland’s premier student travel organization, provides a travel stipend to each Scholar. Universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland contribute housing and tuition to the Mitchell Scholars.

The Mitchell Scholarship Selection Committee included Dr. Ian Brick, a retired senior business executive born in Belfast; The Honorable Noel Fahey, Irish Ambassador to the United States; The Honorable Mitchell Reiss, the Director of Policy Planning at the State Department; Professor Maureen Murphy of Hofstra University; the Honorable Emily Reynolds, the Secretary of the United States Senate; Mark Ein, founder and CEO of Venturehouse Group; Julia Rowland, Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at the National Cancer Institute; and Kathleen Stephens, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs.

Corporate sponsors of the US-Ireland Alliance include: CRH, Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Diageo Ireland, IONA Technologies, and the Jurys Doyle Hotel Group.

The Mitchell Scholars for 2005-2006 with their hometowns, US universities, university assignments and programs of study are:
 

Elizabeth Anderson (St. Joseph, Michigan)
Swarthmore College
Trinity College Dublin - Ecumenics

Elizabeth (Liza) Anderson. A prospective 2005 graduate of Swarthmore College with a degree in Christian History and Theology, Liza already has been active on the frontiers of easing sectarian barriers and differences. She has worked with the interfaith program at Swarthmore College for four years, and serves on the Diocesan Interfaith Committee for the Episcopal Church in Pennsylvania. While a student in Cairo, she helped develop a program to educate Christian expatriates about Islam and to foster dialogue between Christians and Muslims. In the Philadelphia area, Liza collaborated with a Muslim student to visit Episcopal churches and make presentations about Muslim-Christian understanding. She has also researched interfaith relations in Denmark and the Philippines, and has been a fellow with Humanity in Action, the Fund for Theological Education and the Pew Younger Scholars Program. A native of St. Joseph, Michigan and a graduate of Armand Hammer United World College in Montezuma, NM. Liza hopes to become a priest or a nun and will pursue a degree in Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin.
 

Melissa Boteach (Reisterstown, Maryland)
University of Maryland - College Park
University College Dublin - Equality Studies

Melissa Boteach. A native of Reisterstown, Maryland, Melissa will graduate in the spring from the University of Maryland-College Park with Bachelor degrees in Government and Spanish. She established the Fair Trade Advocacy Club at College Park to educate students about the inequities of the global trading system and to promote certified fair trade products at the university. She studied in Argentina and wrote her senior thesis on social movements related to unemployment in South America. Melissa has also been a leader in the Jewish Student Union and Jewish Excel Team. a new organization in promoting outreach with Jewish and non-Jewish students. She spent two months in basic training with the Israeli military and participated in a dialogue between Jewish and Muslim women. She received the prestigious national Harry S. Truman Scholarship as well as the Oppenheimer Scholarship awarded to a University of Maryland student committed to public service. Melissa is concerned about the inequalities in the process of international development and will pursue her Master’s degree in Equality Studies at University College Dublin.
 

Benjamin Cote (Scarborough, Maine)
Georgetown University
University of Ulster - Peace & Conflict Studies

Benjamin Cote. In 2005, Ben will graduate from Georgetown University with a degree in Mathematics and Political Economy. Motivated by a friend’s experience being raped on the Georgetown campus, Ben founded and directed GUMARR, GU Men Advocating Relationship Responsibility, an organization committed to address the problem of gender violence. He coordinated the group’s RU Ready sexual assault education programs for new students at Georgetown. A Grand Knight in the university’s Knights of Columbus, Ben created the organization’s Catholic Schools Initiative working with four D.C. elementary schools. Ben is a member of the board of Georgetown’s newspaper, The Hoya. A native of Scarborough, Maine, Ben is the recipient of the William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship and coincidentally also plays the saxophone. He interned in the office of Representative Mike Michaud (D-Maine) and worked on the campaign of a Maine candidate for the US Senate. As a Mitchell Scholar, Ben will study Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Ulster.
 
 

Alex Greninger (Austin, Texas)
Stanford University
Michael Smurfit School of Business, University College Dublin - Management Science

Alex Greninger. An Austin, Texas native, Alex has undergraduate degrees from Stanford in Biological Sciences and International Relations as well as a Master’s in Biological Sciences. While completing all three Stanford degrees in just four years, he produced three honors theses on biological security, immunology, and on the political economy of a possible European Super League in football. Alex is the recipient of a Churchill Scholarship awarded to only 11 Americans for scientific study at Cambridge University where he will earn an MPhil in Epidemiology in 2005. While at Stanford, he was a Genentech Scholar and the recipient of the Firestone Medal for the best thesis in International Security. One professor described his thesis on biodefenses to anthrax and smallpox as ‘both scientifically sophisticated and on the cutting edge of policy.’ Alex already has substantial research experience working at the World Health Organization in Geneva, the Spanish National Cancer Center in Madrid, the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, the Imperial College of Medicine in London, and the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. As a Mitchell Scholar, Alex will attend University College Dublin. A Masters degree in Management Science from the Michael Smurfit School of Business will help prepare him to direct major global health initiatives.
 

Lily Jeng (Cary, North Carolina)
North Carolina State University
University of Limerick - Biomedical Engineering

Lily Jeng. Graduating this spring from North Carolina State University with a degree in biomedical engineering, Lily was a research fellow at the Mayo Clinic’s Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory and the University of Pittsburgh’s Musculoskeletal Research Center. She is the recipient of the Park Scholarship, a four-year, all-expense undergraduate award, the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship, and the Barry Goldwater Scholarship for America’s top students in mathematics, science and engineering. She serves as Vice President of the university’s Chinese Club. In the Raleigh community, she initiated the Towels for Shelters project to arrange donations of a badly needed item at homeless facilities. Her volunteer activities include helping seniors, the blind and working at a hospital. A native of Cary, North Carolina, Lily plans to be a researcher and is especially interested in tissue engineering. She will pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Limerick.
 

Aaron Rabinowitz (Owings Mills, Maryland)
Haverford College
National University of Ireland Galway - Economics

Aaron Rabinowitz. A 2003 graduate of Haverford College and native of Owings Mills, Maryland, Aaron aspires to a career in health policy. While in college, his younger brother underwent a heart transplant. The outstanding care his brother received at Johns Hopkins Hospital stood in stark contrast to the lack of quality care he witnessed during a visit to Cuba. Aaron is active in spreading awareness among college students of the need for organ donation. The captain of the baseball team at Haverford, he wrote his thesis on the economic determinants of team revenues. His adviser called the thesis ‘among two of the finest empirical economic theses’ she supervised in 13 years of teaching at Harvard, Stanford, Princeton and Haverford. Aaron now conducts economic analysis of antitrust cases for the Charles River Associates consulting firm. He previously worked for former Secretary of Defense William Cohen at the The Cohen Group, completing research on emerging markets in the defense technology and homeland security fields. As an intern for Senator Charles Hagel (R-Nebraska), he carried out research of prescription drug costs. Aaron will study for a Master’s degree in Economics at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
 

Brittany Schick (Yorkville, Illinois)
University of California at Irvine
Dublin City University - International Relations

Brittany Schick. Brittany will graduate from University of California, Irvine with a degree in Political Science and International Studies. Inspired by her father, who was a fighter pilot, she also plans a career in the Air Force. Brittany attended college on a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and also received several Air Force Association, American Legion and Allied Pilots Association awards. While participating in AFROTC at the UCLA detachment, Brittany has occupied a number of top leadership positions, including Vice Wing Commander, Flight Commander, Arnold Air Society Squadron Commander, and Director of Training. She was also the AFROTC Liaison to her church’s Military Family Ministry, providing support to U.S. Marine families at Camp Pendleton. Brittany is a member of the College Republicans Club at her university. A native of Yorkville, Illinois, she was an intern in the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois). Her supervisor described her as one of the best interns to have worked in the office. Brittany plans a career with the Defense Intelligence Agency and aspires to be Secretary of Defense. As a Mitchell Scholar, Brittany will study for a Master’s degree in International Relations at Dublin City University.
 

Mike Solomon (East Brunswick, New Jersey)
Stanford University - Music Composition
Queen’s University Belfast

Mike Solomon. Mike will graduate from Stanford University with undergraduate degrees in both Music and Public Policy. A composer since the age of eleven, he has many performing arts credits as a producer, performer and composer. He was the Director of the Stanford Fleet Street Singers, an internationally recognized a cappella ensemble which performed at Lincoln Center and on the Late Night with David Letterman show. Mike composed four original musicals, and directed two of them, for the Ram’s Head Theatrical Society, Stanford’s oldest theatrical organization. A native of East Brunswick, New Jersey, he founded the Young Adult Charity Players to raise funds for disabled children in the community. Mike was the president of the Cadet program in the East Brunswick Rescue Squad. He will pursue a degree in Music Composition at the Queen’s University in Belfast where he can focus on both acoustic and electric works. Mike plans a career composing theatrical works that incorporate electronic media.
 

Geoffrey Swenson (Washington, DC)
Grinnell College
Queen’s University Belfast - Comparative Ethnic Conflict

Geoffrey Swenson. A 2003 graduate of Grinnell College with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies, Geoffrey now works for the National Democratic Institute in Washington, DC, assisting political party development in emerging democracies around the world. Last year he was awarded a Junior Fellowship for research at the Carnegie Endowment. At Grinnell, Geoffrey founded the parliamentary debate program that has become one of the school’s largest organizations. He was president of the Grinnell Debating Union and led his team to a third place showing in the National Parliamentary Debate Championship contested by 268 schools from North America and Europe. He was a student representative on the college’s Board of Trustees. A native of Havre, Montana, Geoffrey was an intern for Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) and a member of Grinnell College Democrats. Geoffrey has been involved in his college’s alcohol task force and sexual assault prevention group. He will pursue a degree in Comparative Ethnic Conflict at Queen’s University.
 

Richard Waters (Morehead City, North Carolina)
University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
University College Cork - Applied Science

Richard Waters. A resident of Morehead City, North Carolina, Richard will graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with undergraduate degrees in both mathematics and chemistry. At the university, he was Cabinet Coordinator of the Campus Y organization, an umbrella for 16 different groups dedicated to community service and social justice both locally and globally. Coordinator of the La Casa Espanola (Spanish House) at UNC Chapel Hill, he was co-founder of a program that worked with area high schools to bring Latino students to the campus for orientation on admissions, academics, and life at college. Richard also directed the Conexion program to arrange tutoring of local Latino students by UNC students. He is actively involved in the Catholic Church and his campus ministry program. He volunteers as a translator for Spanish clients at a local medical clinic. He was a member of UNC’s varsity fencing team and played trombone for the UNC symphony band. Looking eventually toward medical school, he will study for a Higher Diploma in Applied Science at University College Cork.
 

Markus Weisner (Midlothian, Virginia)
University of Virginia
Trinity College Dublin - Fire Safety Practice

Markus Weisner. While working to complete his degree in Systems Engineering at the University of Virginia, Markus has been an active firefighter with the Charlottesville, Virginia and Nags Head, North Carolina Fire Departments. He is founder and president of the Association of Student Firefighters at the university. He is developing rescue equipment and has incorporated Fire Hardware, LLC. Markus also has been a Disaster Action Team member for the Red Cross in central Virginia, responding to natural and man-made disasters in the region. A recipient of a Harry S. Truman Scholarship, he spent a semester studying at the Universitat Konstanz and also conducted scientific research in Germany for the Daimler Chrysler company. A native of Midlothian, Virginia, Markus was an intern in the office of Senator George Allen (R-Virginia) and the Senate Commerce Committee. He is a ski instructor and a member of the UVA crew team. He will study for an MSc degree in Fire Engineering at Trinity College Dublin.
 

Carolyn Windham (Coats, North Carolina)
North Carolina State University
University of Ulster - Irish History & Politics