Victoria “Tori” Davis, an Elon University political science and international studies double major, has been named the recipient of a 2009 Fulbright U.S. Student Grant, one of the premier fellowships for post-graduate international study.
Davis will use the grant to conduct research at a Japanese university on modern Japanese diplomacy and whether efforts to address terrorism are undermining the government’s professed concern for “universal values” and human rights. Her Fulbright covers full tuition, research costs, a living stipend and health insurance.
The Fripp Island, S.C., native has research interests that include culture and politics, and international human rights. She has published research on the United States’ anti-human trafficking policies in Virginia Policy Review, and she presented her Honors thesis research on terrorism and diplomacy in October 2008 at the International Studies Association Conference.
“The Fulbright will provide the means for me to delve deeper into the issues I’m passionate about, and I am grateful to be given the opportunity,” Davis said. “The faculty here at Elon encouraged and accommodated me as I pursued these interests. Professors gave me their time and advice, which opened the door for me to opportunities for presentations and hands-on experiences.”
Davis is an Elon University Honors Fellow and a member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. She is also involved with the Intercultural Relations Club and has acted as co-director of awareness programs for Elon Volunteers! during her time at Elon. The 22-year-old served as treasurer of the Asian Studies Club, played club tennis and traveled to Cambodia in May 2008 for a university service trip she initiated.
“Tori is exceptionally well qualified to carry out the proposed project. She is among the top students in her graduating class at Elon and has consistently excelled in coursework across the board, including demanding Honors courses,” said Janet Myers, an associate professor of English and the fellowship coordinator at Elon. “Her double majors, her minor in economics, and her extensive Japanese language study provide the interdisciplinary expertise that she will need to complete a project of this scope.”
Davis’ selection represents the second time since 2007 that an Elon student or alum has been named a Fulbright recipient. Jennifer Romano ’07 received Elon’s first Fulbright award in late 2007. She traveled last year to Argentina to teach English through a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Fulbright was established in 1946 by Congress to “enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”
The program awarded about 6,000 grants in 2006 at a cost of more than $235 million.