Dominic Caristi, associate professor of communications, has been named one of 23 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors in the country for 2012.
In addition to his own Fulbright awards, Caristi serves as the Fulbright program adviser for Ball State. Since 1998, Ball State has had 18 Fulbright scholars. Eleven of those recipients have been awarded the honor in the past four years under Caristi's guidance, according to a Ball State press release. In addition to his own two Fulbright experiences, Caristi has taught American students in Italy on study abroad programs three times over the course of his academic career.
Each year, 23 Alumni Ambassadors are selected competitively to present information on their Fulbright experience at campus workshops, academic conferences and other venues nationwide. Over a two-year period, they play an important role in promoting the Fulbright grants and raising the visibility of the program nationally.
The Fulbright Scholar program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education.
Ball State University junior Ellen Weld has been awarded a 2012 Goldwater Scholarship, the nation's most prestigious scholarship for undergraduates pursuing careers in science, math, and engineering.
She is one of only 282 sophomores and juniors, out of a pool of 1,123 nominated students nationwide, to be awarded a Goldwater Scholarship this year.
Winners are selected on the basis of academic merit and potential for continued success in academic study and research in science or mathematics.