Purdue News

New Coca-Cola graduate fellowship awarded

Boulware, a graduate of Oberlin College and North Carolina A&T, is working toward a doctorate in African-American literature with a concentration on text or media.

The Coca-Cola fellowships, which are administered through the Graduate School, are awarded to Historically Black College and University students who have demonstrated superior academic achievements and want to attend Purdue University for graduate study, said Dwight E. Lewis, coordinator of minority affairs for the Graduate School.

The fellowships, worth $12,000 each, were established in 1994 with an initial grant of $36,000 from the Coca-Cola Foundation. The foundation has continued its support, most recently with a $50,000 gift. A recognition luncheon for the students and local Coca-Cola distributors is scheduled for Oct. 29.

"Financial assistance is often the deciding factor in recruiting and retaining students," Lewis said. "The gift last spring is crucial in helping new and continuing students at Purdue's Graduate School continue their studies and earn their degrees. The administration and the students truly appreciate what the Coca-Cola Foundation has made possible."

Other current Coca-Cola Fellows are:

• Kyle Maurice, Tallahassee, Fla., who has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Florida A & M University, and is continuing predoctoral studies following completion of his master's degree in electrical and computer engineering at Purdue;

• Darryl Scriven, Tallahassee, Fla., who has bachelor's degrees in mathematics and philosophy from Florida A & M University, and is working on a doctorate in philosophy;

• Roland Thorpe, Warner Robins, Ga., who has a bachelor's degree in mathematics, completed his master's degree in statistics at Purdue in May, and may continue work toward a doctorate following an internship at the Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Mich.;

• Teion Wells, Ocoee, Fla., who has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Spelman College and is working on a degree in clinical psychology.

All five Coca-Cola Fellows participated in Purdue's Historically Black Institution Visitation program. Started in 1988 with 25 students from four schools, the program has grown to approximately 60 students per year from 11 institutions. Ninety-one students recruited through the program have completed graduate studies since its inception and eight have completed doctorates.
CONTACT: Lewis, (765) 494-0945; e-mail, delewis@grad.purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu

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