Three UMaine Students Named Killam Fellowship Exchange Scholars

Contact: Betsy Arntzen, (207) 581-4225

ORONO — For the first time in recent Killam Fellowship history, the University of Maine is the only North American university to have three qualified undergraduate students accepted as 2010 Killam fellows, a Canadian-United States exchange program that awards $10,000 scholarships to study at a Canadian university.

The students are Kristen Brown of Bangor, a sophomore majoring in elementary education, who will attend University of Prince Edward Island this fall; Mallory Lavoie of Madawaska, a sophomore majoring in journalism and French, who will attend the University Laval in the winter-spring term; and Kristin Kirouac of Augusta, a sophomore majoring in political science and French. She will attend University Laval this fall.

They are among 30 undergraduates in North America and only 15 in the United States to receive the prestigious award, according to Betsy Arntzen, outreach coordinator for the Office of Canadian Studies Outreach at the UMaine Canadian-American Center. The Canadian-American Center and Office of International Programs coordinate UMaine’s participation in the program.

In addition to scholarships of $5,000 for each of one or two semesters in Canada, the Killam Fellowship Program provides students up to $800 in mobility awards, to help students undertake an educational field trip to enhance understanding of their host country.

The program is administered by the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States, and supported by the American Killam Trusts, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the International Trade Canada, and the Foundation. It is part of the Foundation’s multidimensional strategy to foster mutual understanding between Canada and the United States. Additional supporters include a consortium of Canadian and American government and trade entities, in addition to corporate sponsors, charitable trusts and university partners.