USA Graduate Wins Prestigious Fellowship

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Posted on June 30, 2016

Joy Washington

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Catherine Zivanov, 22, of Semmes, Ala., is the first University of South Alabama student to win the Phi Kappa Phi Marcus L. Urann Fellowship.

Phi Kappa Phi fellowships are given nationwide to just 57 college students, 51 of whom receive $5,000 each and only six, including Zivanov, who receive the $15,000 Urann fellowship. The fellowships are presented annually to Phi Kappa Phi members entering the first year of graduate or professional study.

“I am honored to receive this prestigious fellowship,” she said. “Thank you to Phi Kappa Phi for its support of my academic pursuits.”

Zivanov was nominated for the fellowship by the South Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, where she served as a member. She had to complete an application as well as submit a sample of research work, transcript, and her MCAT test score. She will also be featured in an upcoming issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education and on the Phi Kappa Phi website.

Zivanov, who maintained a 4.0 grade-point average, recently graduated with her bachelor of science degree in chemistry with a minor in biomedical sciences. The former South Honors Program participant will begin studying at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine on July 25.

In addition to her Phi Kappa Phi fellowship, Zivanov, who was a 2014 Goldwater Scholar, is also the recipient of the Cornelius Vanderbilt scholarship, which will cover 75 percent of her tuition. She has also received numerous other awards and recognitions for academic excellence.

“I will be able to take the Marcus L. Urann Fellowship award and pay for the rest of my medical school expenses for the first year,” Zivanov explained. “It’s amazing to have the financial burden alleviated so I can focus on my studies and my dream of becoming a physician.”

 

The Marcus L. Urann Fellowship is named after one of the founders of Phi Kappa Phi, which was founded in 1897 at the University of Maine. The organization was created to honor excellence in all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest all-discipline collegiate honor society.

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