Watson Fellows Named, Indian American Divya Gudur Among 2021 Cohort
Divya Gudur of Middlebury College was named among the latest cohort of Watson Fellows. (Divya Gudur/Facebook photo)
India-West Staff Reporter
The Watson Foundation recently announced its 53rd cohort of Thomas J. Watson Fellows, with Indian American Divya Gudur among the group.
Gudur, of Middlebury College, was among the 42 individuals named to the class, who hail from 22 states and eight countries.
The class, according to the foundation, exhibits a broad range of academic specialties, socio-economic backgrounds and project diversity.
The fellowship provides a year of international discovery for select graduating college seniors in any discipline. They will travel to 77 countries pursuing topics ranging from marginalized languages to community healthcare; from food sovereignty to Black women’s liberation through art; from computer science education to underground music production, the release said.
Fellows are selected from 41 private colleges and university partners across the United States. They receive $36,000 for 12 months of travel and college loan assistance as needed. Following the year, they join a community of peers who provide a lifetime of support and inspiration, according to the foundation.
Over 3,000 Watson Fellows have been named since the inaugural class in 1969. A Watson year provides fellows with the opportunity to test their aspirations and abilities through a personal project experienced on an international scale.
Watson Fellows are leaders in their communities and fields, including CEOs, college presidents, community organizers, Emmy-, Grammy- and Oscar-award winners, artists, diplomats, entrepreneurs, faculty, journalists, lawyers, politicians, physicians, researchers, and influential social advocates, it said.
