The valedictorian of the Marist Class of 2009 and a magna cum laude graduate from the Class of 2007 have been named recipients of Fulbright scholarships that will allow them to continue their research in the medical field.

Nichole Boisvert '09, a biomedical sciences major from Merrimack, N.H., has been awarded a Fulbright grant to undertake research in Trinidad and Tobago for the 2009-10 academic year. Boisvert will study how culture influences the delivery of health care to individuals with HIV/AIDS. An aspiring physician, she chose Trinidad and Tobago because the country is among the most ethnically diverse in the Caribbean and has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS.

Boisvert completed minors in chemistry and creative writing as well as the Honors Program. She served as a laboratory teaching assistant and tutor for several science classes, was a volunteer for many charitable causes both on and off campus, and published her poetry in several outlets. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, she was selected for a competitive research internship at the National Cancer Institute. She has presented the results of that research, as well as sociobiological research conducted at Marist, at several conferences. Upon completing the Fulbright year, Boisvert plans to attend Georgetown Medical School.

Karl Minges '07 of Madison, Conn., has been awarded a Fulbright grant to conduct research evaluating Australia's Diabetic Health Promotion Program. Minges became interested in his research topic while at Marist when, during the summer between his junior and senior years, he held an internship at the International Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

In addition to his Australian internship, he completed internships with a doctor of osteopathy and a psychiatrist. At Marist, he majored in social work and completed minors in biology, Spanish, and sociology. A member of the Alpha Phi Delta fraternity, he was named to the Dean's List every semester of his studies and graduated magna cum laude. He is currently completing a Master of Public Health degree at Columbia University. Following his Fulbright year, he intends to pursue either a medical or doctoral degree in clinical psychology.