SPORTS

 

Courtesy of College of Communication

DAVIDSON, N.C. — Kyla Roland ’19 and Natalie Connell ’19, both Davidson scholar athletes, have been awarded the prestigious Thomas J. Watson Fellowship as part of 51st TJWF class. Roland and Connell were among 40 fellows chosen from six countries and 18 states.

Fellows will travel to 76 countries exploring topics ranging from artificial intelligence to music subcultures; from food insecurity to island innovation; from neonatal to end-of-life care.

“I’m incredibly excited for Kyla to have the opportunity to be a part of the prestigious Watson Fellowship,” said women’s basketball head coach Gayle Coats Fulks. “She is a very dedicated, smart, enthusiastic scholar-athlete that embodies what Davidson is all about. I have no doubt she will make the most out of this opportunity and build a foundation that will set her up for future success in her career aspirations. I am so proud of Kyla and cannot wait to hear about the things she learns through the Watson Fellowship.”

Roland (Farmington Hills, Mich.) is a member of the women’s basketball team and is majoring in biology. She played in 98 career games and finished her senior season with several career highs including games played at 31, rebounds (126), assists (14), blocks (19) and steals (20).

Roland’s project is titled The Future is Female: Examining STEM Gender Disparities and she will travel to Jordan, Trinidad and Norway. “Globally, women account for less than a third of all science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals,” said Roland.  “I will investigate how a variety of external factors contribute to these gender disparities and identify methods for early intervention that could help bridge the gender gap.”

Check out a little more on Roland’s honor and what her plans are by clicking here.

THE THOMAS J. WATSON FELLOWSHIP
The 51st Class of Thomas J. Watson Fellows come from six countries and 18 states. Fellows will travel to 76 countries exploring topics ranging from artificial intelligence to music subcultures; from food insecurity to island innovation; from neonatal to end-of-life care.

Watson Fellowships allow scholars to pursue independent research projects while traveling for a year outside the United States after graduation. Fellows receive $30,000 for 12 months of travel, and college loan assistance as required.

The children of Thomas J. Watson Sr., the founder of International Business Machines Corp., and his wife, Jeannette K. Watson, established the Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program in 1968 to honor their parents’ long-standing interest in education and world affairs. In its 43-year history, more than 2,800 people have embarked on a Watson Year, which provides fellows with an opportunity to test their aspirations, abilities and perseverance through a personal project that is cultivated on an international scale.