Fourth member of Fairfield's Class of 1997 awarded Fulbright Scholarship | Press Releases

Eric Roland, an analyst for Anderson Consulting in Hartford and formerly of North Attleboro, Mass., has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for study and research in Uruguay starting in February. A graduate in May of Fairfield University, he became the 12th student or alumnus of the University is the past five years to receive the award, created by Congress and considered the most prestigious awarded by the United States for study overseas.

Currently a resident of Manchester, Conn., Eric says his parents impressed upon him the value of an education coupled with learning outside the classroom. His father, Charles is a high school English at Barrington High School in Barrington, R.I., and his mother Loretta is a kindergarten aide at the Woodcock School in North Attleboro.

As a student at Fairfield, Eric was an arts and sciences major in international studies with minors in economics, marketing and Spanish. In addition, he was a market researcher in the university's Center for Global Competitiveness and served as an intern in New York with Vidal, Reynardus and Moya, a Spanish advertising agency.

While an undergraduate, he traveled to Ecuador as a Mission Volunteer and assisted impoverished families by teaching classes in Spanish and English and vocational subjects including graphic arts. Eric has also studied abroad in Spain where he spent a semester in Seville during his junior year.

For his Fulbright project, he has been granted a leave by Anderson Consulting starting in February and he will research "The Role of Uruguay in Mercosur," a trade bloc comprised of Uruguay, Argentine, Brazil and Paraguay. Eric will analyze the economic and political stability of Uruguay and will intern in the office of the secretary of Mercosur in the capital city of Montevideo while taking courses at the Jesuit Catholic University of Uruguay.

At Fairfield University, he joined in a wide variety of activities as co-captain of the cross-country team, a member of the All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Academic Team and was the Alumni Association's male Scholar-Athlete of 1996. Other projects include service as floor representative for his residence hall's government, a member of the class of 1997 council, a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon (Economics Honor Society), tour guide for the Admission Department, Eucharistic minister for the Campus Ministry Program, and coordinator for the Residence Hall Government.

Meanwhile, Dr. Beverly Kahn, the faculty advisor to students applying for Fulbright Scholarships, reported Christhy Vidal '97 is researching democratization in Argentina where she recently attended a reception with President Clinton and a lecture by Hillary Rodham Clinton. Christhy was admitted to Harvard Law School with deferred admission until the fall 1998.

Jae Jun '97 is in Seoul, South Korea, conducting neuroscience research; Dan Cook '97 is in Chile researching the wine industry; and Mike Allison '96 is in El Salvador completing his research on the politics of that country.