by Marci E. Hersh

Mark Gondree, a Case Western Reserve University senior, has received a Fulbright Scholarship to study mathematics at the Independent University of Moscow (IUM) in Russia.

Mark Gondree

Gondree, a resident of Buffalo, N.Y., received both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in computer science from CWRU this spring. He graduated summa cum laude with a 3.88 cumulative grade point average and a 4.0 grade point average in his master's work.

The Fulbright award allows students to study overseas for one academic year. Gondree will travel to Moscow in September to study abstract algebra, number theory and cryptography, which is the study of codes and ciphers used for communications and other computer protocols.

"This award is an honor and surprise because it's been a long process," Gondree said. "The IUM was formed to teach mathematics, so there is no real department separation within it. Well-known Russian mathematicians, who had otherwise been teaching abroad in English-speaking countries, returned to Moscow to form the University in 1991. Honors students from nearby Moscow State University take their math classes at the IUM, so it is a great honor for me to attend."

Selection for the Fulbright Program , which was established to build bridges between countries through the mutual exchanges of culture and knowledge , takes place through a review of an application, essays, three letters of recommendation and an interview.

Gondree has been a student of professor David Singer in the department of mathematics and professor Gultekin Ozsoyoglu in the department of electrical engineering and computer science at CWRU. His master's thesis focused on cryptography, specifically the hardness of certain ciphers proposed for use in databases.

Traveling abroad to pursue academics is new for Gondree, who has been overseas only for vacations. In 1988, he traveled to Moscow, then the U.S.S.R., as part of a family vacation.

"I am both excited and curious to return to Moscow," he said.

He will spend the summer preparing to apply for graduate schools to follow his Moscow experience.

The Fulbright Program, established in 1946, is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries. The program has provided more than 230,000 participants chosen for their leadership potential with the opportunity to observe each others' political, economic and cultural institutions; exchange ideas; and embark on joint ventures of importance to the general welfare of the world's inhabitants. The Fulbright Program operates in 140 countries.

Since its inception, 86,000 students from the United States and 144,000 from other countries have participated in the Fulbright Program. The program awards approximately 4,500 new grants annually and is primarily funded with an annual appropriation from the United States Congress. Foreign governments and private organizations contribute through cost-sharing and indirect support, including salary supplements, tuition waivers, university housing and more.

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State.

 

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