Press Release, Global

August 26, 2019 | By Cole Hatcher

Each fall, Ohio Wesleyan selects a small number of first-year students to join the Global Scholars Program. The scholars take special classes, receive funds for global projects, complete a faculty-supervised thesis, and graduate with a global certificate. (Photo by Brian Rellinger)

2019-2020 Global Scholars

Ohio Wesleyan Enrolls 13 First-Year Students in Prestigious Program

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University is welcoming 13 first-year students into its Global Scholars Program in recognition of their potential for high academic achievement and passion for international issues.

The selective four-year Global Scholars Program is part of Ohio Wesleyan’s Global Studies Institute, a hub where faculty and students from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts come together to explore issues from all academic disciplines and work toward real-world solutions.

OWU’s 2019-2020 Global Scholars are:

  • Ethan Grimes of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
  • Alyssa Kassebaum of Westerville, Ohio.
  • Jolie Lagger of Waterville, Ohio.
  • Elizabeth Mushaben of Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Elizabeth Nebel of Evanston, Illinois.
  • Drake Ogden of Powell, Ohio.
  • Jennifer Paul of Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • Haley Pero-Favazzo of Delaware, Ohio.
  • Eliza Richardson of Lakewood, Ohio.
  • Daniel Sanders of Atlanta, Georgia.
  • Brittani Stiltner of Tiffin, Ohio.
  • Nate Stockham of Cotati, California.
  • Mikayla Watts of Geneva, Ohio.

All new Global Scholars participate in a team-taught course during their first semester in which they explore a single issue in depth. This year’s course, “Language and Place,” is co-taught by Nathan Rowley, Ph.D., assistant professor of geology and geography, and D


avid Counselman, Ph.D., associate professor of modern foreign languages.

“Our co-taught seminar shows our students’ place and role in an ever-connected world, explores the processes and patterns that have guided the development of languages and cultures through time, and introduces students to the field of global studies,” Rowley said.

“Throughout the semester, we explore aspects of global significance, for example, the spread of ideas and language through colonialism, nationalism, and the physical barriers that stop the flow of these ideas and cultures,” he continued. “To best understand these differences and commonalities, we work through the lenses of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.”

In their junior or senior year, Ohio Wesleyan’s Global Scholars receive a $4,000 university grant to pursue an approved international research or study project of their choice.

As seniors, the Global Scholars complete a faculty-supervised thesis or capstone project, which they present to one another in a year-end conference. Students who successfully complete all of the requirements of the Global Scholars Program graduate with a Global Studies Institute certificate noted on their transcripts.

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Global Scholars Institute at www.owu.edu/globalscholars.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 25 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan’s signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.