MFRI announces New women veteran’s Fellowship

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University on Tuesday (May 10) announced a new fellowship program that aims to help build skills, leadership and a sense of community among female student veterans.

The Focus Forward Fellowship program is designed for rising military-affiliated sophomores and juniors who are enrolled in four-year institutions and have an interest in professional, scientific or technology careers. The program will be held Aug. 11-14 in Indianapolis, with additional web-based activities scheduled throughout the 2016-2017 academic year.

Women veterans are invited to apply for the free, weekend-long residency program where they will connect with each other, increase personal effectiveness and build a potentially transformative community experience that can translate to their home campus and continue to impact them throughout their academic and professional careers. The program will engage military-connected women and build skills and confidence through interactions with other successful students, faculty members and advocates. Fellows also will learn and improve their academic skills so that they can thrive in the university setting.

This program will address a unique population of college students, said Lauren Runco, MFRI’s director of education and employment.

“Women currently account for 16 percent of active-duty service personnel, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics,” she said. “We know that 82 percent of post-9/11 female veterans joined the military to receive education benefits. At MFRI, we’re committed to helping these leaders transition to the next phase of their lives by connecting them with resources that strengthen and guide them. We are confident the Focus Forward Fellowship program can do that.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Focus Forward Fellowship program, contact Runco at lrunco@purdue.edu or call 765-496-3403. You can also connect with MFRI online at @MFRIPurdue and use #FWDFellows to join the conversation.

Sponsorship opportunities for this fellowship also are available. To learn more, contact Jennifer Shirley at JTShirley@prf.org. 

About MFRI

The Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) conducts research on issues that affect military and veteran families and works to shape policies, programs and practices that improve their well-being. Founded in 2000, MFRI envisions a diverse support community that understands the most pressing needs of military and veteran families and collaborates to create meaningful solutions for them. This nationally-recognized organization is located within Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

Contact: Beth Johnson, director of external relations, Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University, 703-927-7429, bethjohnson@purdue.edu 

Source: Lauren Runco, lrunco@purdue.edu