C.W. Post Student Wins Fulbright Grant
As a child, Phoebe Loris-Fishelson was mesmerized by rocks - their texture,
their different shapes, how they looked, and the way they reflected light.
As an adult, she is turning this fascination into a career. Phoebe Loris-
Fishelson, a resident of Brooklyn and a 1997 graduate of the C.W. Post Campus
of Long Island University, has been granted a Fulbright scholarship to conduct
research with geologists in New Zealand.
In February, Loris-Fishelson will enroll in the University of Canterbury
to study the tectonic history of New Zealand, Marie Bird Land and Eastern
Antarctica. Loris-Fishelson will work with Dr. John Bradshaw from the University
of Canterbury taking samples of rocks, performing geologic surveys of sites
and completing a stratigraphic reconstruction of the region. She estimates
that her study will take eight months to a year to complete.
"Rocks have been my passion for as long as I can remember,"
said Loris-Fishelson. "I was first attracted to rocks by the way the
crystals sparkled in the sun-light, their hard, defiant exterior and the
layered bands of light and dark minerals, which as a child, I likened to
an Oreo cookie."
Loris-Fishelson credits her parents as the most influential forces in
her life. Their dedication to learning, their deep respect for mother nature
and her father's profession as a nature photographer inspired her to seek
out new discoveries.
"I have rock samples from every place I have ever visited. While
most children collect T-shirts and trinkets, I have always brought home
bags of rocks. My parents sought comfort in the thought that the pile of
rocks accumulating in our basement would serve a greater purpose, rather
than simply remaining a private rock quarry."
"Phoebe is one of the brightest scholars in our university,"
said Maithili Schmidt-Raghavan, C.W. Post's Fulbright advisor. "Her
commitment to excellence and impressive academic accomplishments set a fine
example for all our students."
The principle purpose of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship
is to foster mutual understanding among peoples of the world through educational
and cultural exchange. Participating governments and host institutions in
many countries and the United States contribute financially through cost-sharing,
as well as through indirect support such as supplementary salary, tuition
waivers, university housing and other benefits.
C.W. Post has a total of 21 faculty and administrative Fulbright scholars,
as well as nine student Fulbrights, including Loris-Fishelson who has a
bachelor of science degree in geology from C.W. Post.
For more information call the C.W. Post Public
Relations Office at (516) 299-2333 or e-mail cwpostpr@aurora.liunet.edu | 
