O'Hara Grad Awarded Fulbright Scholarship

SCRANTON–Anna DiColli, of Broomall, was among four University of Scranton graduates awarded Fulbright U.S. Student Program scholarships for the 2012-13 academic year.

DiColli was the valedictorian of her graduating class of , in Springfield.

DiColli, a graduate of the University's class of 2010, was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in Public Health to Spain. Members of the University's class of 2012 earning Fulbright scholarships are: Ellen (Maggie) Coyne of Stony Point, NY, who won a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea, and Kathleen Lavelle of Avoca, PA, who won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Spain. In addition, Class of 2010 graduate C.J. Libassi, a native of Dalton, PA, now residing in Washington, DC, won a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Spain.

The scholarships were announced recently by the United States Department of the State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The four were selected from a pool of more than 9,000 applicants.

"The Fulbright scholarship is the U.S. government's premier scholarship program for overseas graduate study, research, teaching and volunteer work," said Susan Trussler, Ph.D., Fulbright program advisor and associate professor of economics/finance at The University of Scranton. "These students are outstanding not only in their academic and research credentials, but in their longstanding commitment to service, which each intends to continue as Fulbright scholars in their host country."

Since 1972, a total of 138 University of Scranton graduates have received grants in the competitions administered by the Institute of International Education. For seven consecutive years, The Chronicle of Higher Education has listed The University of Scranton among the "top producers" of Fulbright awards for American students.

DiColli graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from The University of Scranton in 2010, with minors in Spanish, management and history. Prior to receipt of the Fulbright, she served as director of volunteer programs and global operations at the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children in Philadelphia.

As a Fulbright scholar in Spain, DiColli will conduct her research at the Center for Intercultural Documentation within the Migration Institute at the University of Granada to explore health resources for immigrants.

"I will evaluate what resources are available in response to the health needs of the diverse immigrant population and investigate how health workforces are developed to meet their specialized needs," said DiColli. "With the consistent influx of immigrants to the United States and Spain, the intersection of culture and health has proven to be a contemporary, relevant issue in both countries that affects politics, healthcare and policy."

Community service will continue to play a large role in DiColli's life while in Spain. She plans to volunteer with Granada Acoge, a nonprofit group that provides support to immigrants by assisting them with navigating social systems and accessing services.

At The University of Scranton, DiColli received the outstanding service/leadership award from the Panuska College of Professional Studies in 2010.

A dean's list student, DiColli is a member of Alpha Sigma Nu (the national Jesuit honor society), Nu Rho Psi (the neuroscience honor society), Alpha Mu Gamma (the foreign language honor society), Alpha Epsilon Delta (the national health pre-professional honor society) and Pi Gamma Mu (the social sciences honor society).

As a recipient of the University's full-tuition Presidential scholarship, Dicolli was selected as the student representative to speak at the University's Presidential Business Council's annual award dinner in 2009.

While at Scranton, DiColli also founded and co-directed EFFORT, the Excess Food for Others Recovery Team. She also volunteered as coordinator of the food pantry and clothes closet at the Leahy Community Health & Family Center on campus. She served as president of the Scranton Neuroscience Society and helped to organize the University's annual Brain Bee contest. She contributed photos to Esprit, the University's literary and art magazine, while still finding time for research. She presented her research at the Celebration of Student Scholars on campus and at the Business and Health Administration international conference in Chicago, Ill.

Already a veteran in traveling abroad, DiColli has studied in Italy, Mexico and the Philippines. She has volunteered in Nicaragua and El Salvador, and served as a teaching assistant to a medical school course for four weeks in Uganda.

Upon her return to the U.S., DiColli plans to pursue a master's in public health and an MBA. Her ultimate goal is to train health professionals in cultural competence and equip them with the tools and expertise they need to provide quality healthcare to culturally diverse populations.

She is the daughter of Margaret and Rich DiColli of Broomall.

The University had seven national Fulbright finalists for 2012-2013, three of whom were awarded scholarships and one graduate, Nicole Linko of Lake Ariel being selected as an alternate to Estonia and still awaiting final designation. While working in Maryland, Libassi applied for his Fulbright "at large."

This press release was provided by the University of Scranton.