Bryn Mawr Scholars Win Mellon Mays Fellowships

Bryn Mawr College Scholars Gissell Montoya and Jessica Bernal, both sophomores, were awarded Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowships. The competitive research fellowships are given to Ph.D.-track students to prepare them for professorial careers and to increase faculty diversity in higher education. As fellows, Gissell and Jessica will receive programming intended to enhance their scholarship, faculty mentoring, and stipends to fund their research.

Gissell, an international studies major with a focus on global health, will examine how Latino communities view and treat disease, their approaches towards health, and the health disparities that result from these social determinants. Gissell hopes that her research will help foster a more culturally competent workforce that will be better able to serve the health of these unique communities.

A sociology major, Jessica will explore the how development, structure, and functioning of human societies is depicted in media. Drawing on her studies of sociology, education and Spanish, she hopes to demonstrate how telenovelas serve as a medium to understanding and analyzing social differences in Latino culture.

Both Gissell and Jessica plan to pursue advanced degrees after graduating from Bryn Mawr.