Cody Prang, a graduate of theWilmington campus of theAssociate in Arts Program, is nowpursuing his Ph.D. at New YorkUniversity. An anthropology majorwhile at UD, Prang is now affiliatedwith NYU’s Center for the Study ofHuman Origins and the New YorkConsortium for EvolutionaryPrimatology. In a recent emailinterview, Prang shared histhoughts on the Associate in ArtsProgram, his experiences with UD,and his future academic pursuits.

The Associate:Why did you choosethe Associate in Arts Program?

Cody Prang: I wasn’t a very goodstudent throughout high schoolbecause I was more interested inplaying music and skateboarding. Ialso thought high school was boring.The AA Program was simply mybest option and it greatly exceededmy expectations. I don’t know if Iwould have discovered anthropolo-gy, or pursued a graduate education,if it weren’t for the program.

TA: At what point did you decide tomajor in anthropology?

CP: I took Anthropology 101 dur-ing my first semester because it ful-filled UD’s multicultural require-ment. I had a good experience inthe class, so I decided to takeAnthropology of Human Naturethe following spring semester. Atthat point I began to realize that Ireally enjoyed learning about

Keep your permanentphone number andaddress updated inUDSIS. It is the only waywe know how to contactyou or send official mailto you. Also, be sure toupdate your emergencycontact info for the UDAlert System!

Continued on page 4

Important tip:

Danielle Levredge, a 2012 graduateof the UDAAP in Georgetown, is aSpring 2013 recipient of theBenjamin Gilman Scholarship. Theaward allowed Levredge to take partin a study abroad trip to northernAfrica, where she is taking leader-ship classes related to her PublicPolicy major. Her trip, which beganon Jan. 1, will include the Moroccancities of Casablanca, Rabat, Fez,Marrakech, Meknes, Ouarzazate,and Essaouira, before returning tothe U.S. on Jan. 30.

The Benjamin GilmanScholarship (BGS) is a congression-ally funded program created to offerundergraduate U.S. students theopportunity to participate in thestudy abroad experience, particularlythose students who have been tradi-tionally underrepresented in studyabroad programs in the past – thosewith limited financial means, com-

munity college students, stu-dents with disabilities, andthose of diverse ethnic back-grounds. Students must bereceiving Pell Grant funding tobe eligible.

The Associate reachedLevredge via email in Rabat,Morocco, to talk about herexperiences and her continu-ing work with the BGS.Levredge grew up in Seaford,Delaware, where she attend-ed high school. She enteredthe Associate in ArtsProgram in September 2010,and says she only discoveredthe BGS by chance.

“I actually saw the schol-arship in the tiny print on theback page of a flyer outside theGeorgetown academic office,”she said. “It’s so fortunate Ipicked it up!”

GEORGETOWN GRAD RECIPIENT OFBENJAMIN GILMAN SCHOLARSHIP

Continued on page 2

ALUMNI DIALOGUE: CODY PRANG

ADVISOR CONTACT INFORMATION

DoverMary Miller (T, W)mcmiller@udel.edu 302-857-1214

GEORGETOWNMary Miller (M, Th, F)mcmiller@udel.edu 302-855-1657

WILMINGTONHoward Fishmanhfishman@udel.edu 302-571-5331

Renee Fisher (M, Th)rfisher@udel.edu 302-571-5230

New ark Office Renee Fisher (T, W, F)rfisher@udel.edu 302-831-8108

Do you have news or a story idea for The Associate? Email editor Erin Tanner at etanner@udel.edu.

Important dates:Monday, Feb. 4:Classes begin at 8:00 a.m.

Monday, Feb. 18:Last day to register or add courses.

Monday, Feb. 18:Deadline for completion of deferred examinationsand incomplete work from Fall Semester 2012 andWinter Session 2013.

Friday, March 22:Spring Recess  begins after last schedule class. 

Monday, April 1:Classes resume at 8 a.m.

Tuesday, April 16:Last day to change registration or withdraw fromcourses without academic penalty.

Thursday, April 18:Registration for Fall Semester 2013 begins.

Tuesday, May 14:Last class day; classes end at 10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 15:Reading Day; no exams scheduled.

Thursday, May 16:Final exams begin.

Saturday, May 18:Reading Day; no exams scheduled.

Sunday, May 19:Reading Day; no exams scheduled.

Thursday, May 23:Final exams end.

Saturday, May 25:Commencement.

For the complete UD academic calendar, visit www.udel.edu/registrar/cal/main.html

2 Winter 2013

Levredge said that she completedthe application process but had littlehope that she would actually be selected.The application process was somewhatarduous, she said; it included standardquestions about her passport, previousschooling, and transcripts, as well asevaluative questions about how the pro-jected trip would be applied to hermajor. In addition, the applicationincluded an essay in which she had todevelop, and prove to be sustainable, aprogram that promotes the scholarshipin the future. Levredge’s project involvedsetting up (“more like volunteeringmyself,” she said) a BGS peer mentorshipfor the Student Support ServicesProgram on the Newark campus.

“As a mentor, I vowed to personallyassist any Pell Grant student who wantedfinancial aid for study abroad,” she said.

Her role will include assistingpotential BGS recipients with theapplication and essay process andhelping them collect the necessarydocuments, such as transcripts andfinance records. (For more informa-tion, see Levredge’s contact informa-tion and links to additional BGSresources at the end of this article.)

Levredge says she never imaginedthat the study abroad experience mightbe within her reach. The trip’s overallcost worked out to about $6,500, whichseemed – as it does for many students –simply out of the question.

“I never thought I’d get to goabroad,” she said. “My family, as well,pretty much assumed I was onlydreaming, since they were well awarewe couldn’t afford it. My grandmotherand guardian didn’t even believe I wasgoing until it got down to the finalweek before [the trip] and I managedto pay it off.”

Levredge said the BGS awarded1,000 scholarships of up to $5,000 forthe Spring 2013 semester; awards varydepending on student need and thelength of each trip. Her award paid

$4,000 toward her trip to Africa. As a recipient of the award and a

future peer mentor, Levredge hopes toget the word out to other students whomight think that the study abroad expe-rience is beyond their reach.

“My biggest concern was the mini-mal likelihood of it happening to me tobe chosen as a recipient, but it’s com-pletely possible. You don’t have to havea 3.8 GPA or be an astronaut, cancer-curing, genius, prestigious student to beawarded…you just have to try,”Levredge said.

“My biggest piece of advice for stu-dents who don’t even dare to thinkabout it is that money is out there,” sheadded, noting that there are billions ofdollars in federal and state grants, as wellas local and private scholarships, avail-able to students who take the time toseek them out.

“Even some UD offices and organi-zations offer money to their membersfor things like this,” she said. “In essence,free money waiting to be of use to you!”

Levredge also noted the importanceof talking to as many people as possibleabout wanting to take part in the studyabroad experience.

“Mention your ambition to at leastwant to go,” she said. “They will knowpeople to talk to for money or placesto look.”

Ultimately, Levredge said, studentsneed to take the initiative in seeking toachieve their academic goals.

“Even if someone close to youbelieves it’s unattainable…prove themwrong!” she said. “The world is outthere ready for you, and opportunitiesare begging to be found. They happenmuch more often when you go outlooking for them instead of waiting forthem to happen!”

For more information about the BenjaminGilman Scholarship, visithttp://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program. For more informa-tion about UD’s Student Support ServicesProgram, visit http://sssp.ae.udel.edu/. Tocontact Danielle Levredge for assistancewith the BGS application process, emailher at levredge@udel.edu.

Georgetown GradRecipient of BenjaminGilman ScholarshipContinued from page 1

Cassy Galon, a 2011 graduate of the Associate in ArtsProgram’s Georgetown campus and now a VisualCommunications major at the Newark campus, has beenworking on a volunteer basis with the Hockessin-basedSupporting Kidds: The Center for Grieving Children and

Their Families. Supporting Kidds is a non-profit organization thatoffers support, counseling, and education services for children whohave lost a close friend or family member. Galon lends her graphicdesign expertise for Supporting Kidds projects and maintains theorganization’s website, SupportingKidds.org.

“I got involved in working with the website of Supporting Kidds,The Center for Grieving Children and Their Families, and other proj-ects, such as their first magazine, after I was accepted into ServiceLearning,” Galon said in a recent interview. “Service Learning is a partof Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning that helps stu-dents apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world conditions,and it allows them to participate in addressing those needs throughcommunity service.”

Although her Service Learning commitment has ended, Galonsaid that she wanted to carry on with promoting SupportingKidds’ mission in the community and doing the graphic designwork she loves.

“I feel as if I’ve grown so much from the experience that I’vedecided to still continue working with them,” she said. “Someone oncetold me you’ll know when something is worth doing because it won’tfeel like ‘work’ at all, and I started to understand that more during myinvolvement with Supporting Kidds.”

Not only is she devoting her time to a worthwhile organization,she says, but she is also gaining more experience in the work she loves.

“Every time I go there, I get to invest my time on what I’m pas-sionate about: art and design. At such a young age, and still in school,I’m very fortunate to be able to take advantage of such opportunitiesplaced before me,” she said.

Galon grew up in Ellendale, Delaware. After middle school, shesays that she faced a difficult choice when she had to choose whichhigh school to attend.

“Despite most of my friends going to Milford High School, Idecided to attend Sussex Technical High School in Georgetown,Delaware. It was one of the best decisions I made because not only didI make some of my best friendships there, but I also met incredibleteachers that helped steer me onto the right path,” she said.

Choosing a different path for her high school experience preparedGalon for making the transition to the Newark campus, a move thatcan be difficult for some Associate in Arts students.

“Those who have spent time with me know that, for the mostpart, I am easily distracted,” she said. “This is not a good mix whenyou are trying to balance classwork and socializing at the same time,considering that there’s always something to do in Newark. But likeany adjustment, the main thing is time. It’s going to take time; youhave to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.”

Galon said that Associate in Arts students making the transi-

tion to Newark will find it easier if they get involved with socialevents and clubs; meeting new people, she said, is the key to makingthe adjustment.

“By the time you make your way up to the main campus, you’resurrounded by people who have most likely already spent at leasttwo years together, so it almost feels as if you’re the new kid inschool and you’re trying to make the most of an awkward situation”she said. “However, it doesn’t have to remain that way. There are somany opportunities to meet new people on campus, so get out thereand get socializing!”

To learn more UD’s Office of Service Learning, visit www.servicelearn-ing.udel.edu. For more information about Supporting Kidds: The Centerfor Grieving Children and Their Families, visitwww.supportingkidds.org.

Winter 20133

GEORGETOWN GRAD WORKING WITHNON-PROFIT GROUP FOR GRIEVING CHILDREN

4 Winter 2013

humans and how we came to be the speciesthat we are today. I took Introduction toArchaeology and Biological Anthropology inthe fall of my sophomore year. Around thattime, I also saw a documentary calledDiscovering Ardi about a 4.4 million-year-old fossil skeleton from East Africa that hadjust been published in the journal Science. Itsounds naive, but I didn’t know that peoplestudied human fossils and evolution for aliving. After a meeting with my anthropolo-gy professor, Michael Rosenberg, I decidedto major in anthropology.

TA:What was your adjustment period likewhen you began attending the Newark cam-pus? Were there any struggles that you faced?

CP:My transition to the Newark campuswent really well. While in the AA Program, Ihad the idea that the workload on theNewark campus would be much greater andthat all the students would be smarter thanme, but I didn’t notice a significant differencein workload or level of difficulty. In fact, Iearned my highest GPA during my firstsemester in Newark. I had a few classes thatwere larger, but I didn’t find them over-whelming. The biggest struggle that I facedwas my own personal uncertainty about myintellectual ability. After the first month or so,I started to learn that I was no different from

anyone else on campus. I knew that in orderto pursue a career in biological anthropology,I had to be a strong student and I was deter-mined to do well. Although I didn’t get asinvolved on campus as I probably shouldhave, I think it’s important for students tofind their place on campus.

TA: Your senior thesis examined the lateraltarsal morphology of the gorilla. What wasyour primary research focus in that area?

CP: I studied the shape and function of east-ern and western gorilla foot bones for mysenior thesis. I worked with Dr. KarenRosenberg at UD and Dr. Matt Tocheri of theHuman Origins Program at the SmithsonianInstitution. I’m broadly interested in the evo-lution of upright walking in humans, and onearea of the skeleton that differs markedly inhumans compared to non-human primates isthe foot. In my field, the study of non-humanprimates is very common and gorillas pro-vide a unique opportunity to study foot evo-lution because eastern gorilla feet haveunique adaptations for moving around onthe ground, while western gorilla feet retainadaptations for living in the trees.

During my time on main campus, I wasinvolved with the McNair Scholars Program. Iowe many of my achievements to McNair. It’sessentially a graduate school preparation pro-gram for low-income, first-generation collegestudents and groups that are typically under-represented in college. I suggest that anyone

eligible apply. Another great program is theUndergraduate Research Program. BothMcNair and the URP offer money for doingsummer research with a faculty member.

TA: You are now working with the Center forthe Study of Human Origins at NYU. Couldyou explain more about your currentresearch focus and your plans for the future?

CP: I’m currently in a Ph.D. program at NYUand I have affiliations with the Center for theStudy of Human Origins (CSHO) at NYUand the New York Consortium forEvolutionary Primatology (NYCEP). NYCEPis a consortium that includes NYU, CUNY,Columbia, and the American Museum ofNatural History. My research focuses on post-cranial morphological evolution in humans,our earliest ancestors, and our closest livingrelatives, the apes. I’ve just finished my firstsemester in graduate school and, after a briefbreak, I’ll be working on a manuscript tosubmit for publication before I start classesagain in February.

The McNair Scholars Program offers prepara-tion for doctoral study to low-income, first-gen-eration college students and students fromgroups underrepresented in graduate educa-tion. McNair Scholars participate in extensiveundergraduate research internships in theirfield of interest. To learn more about theMcNair Program or to fill out an application,visit http://mcnair.urel.udel.edu.

SEED ScholarshipsHave questions about your SEED Scholarship? Check out the following webresources. If you have additional questions, check with your student advisor.State of Delaware SEED Grants:

seedscholarship.delaware.govUDAAP: www.cas.udel.edu/associateinartsUD Admissions:

www.admissions.udel.edu/applySEED Grants at UD:

www.udel.edu/associateinarts/SEEDUD Scholarships and Financial Aid:

www.udel.edu/finaidFAFSA: www.fafsa.ed.gov

The Associate in Arts Program would like to remem-ber Peter DiSabatino, who passed away inNovember 2012. Peter, 20, was a graduate ofAppoquinimink High School in Middletown and wasa sophomore at the UDAAP Wilmington campus.Peter was on the dean’s list at UD and had plannedto major in business.

Peter’s family has created a memorial fund inhopes of creating a scholarship to be dedicated in hisname. Contributions may be made to the G. PeterMichael DiSabatino Memorial Fund, c/o Wells FargoBank, 240 Glasgow Ave., Newark, DE 19702.

Alumni Dialogue: Cody PrangContinued from page 1

“He was one of the students I could (and did) joke with during a lecture tolighten the mood because other students liked and respected him. He was atrue pleasure to teach – the type of student every professor wants to havein their class.”

– Dr. Tami Lunsford, in UDaily

In memoriam: Peter DiSabatino

5 Winter 2013

Erica B. AdkinsCorey Michael AlfonsoDavid James AndreBrett Matthew ApostolicoJordan Rebecka ArmstrongMaria Lizett AyalaDana Marie BardDiana Nicole BehrensAllan Roi BernabeJacob Ellsworth BlackstenLuke Claudio BonillaChristopher Allan BoothMiranda Lynn BowdenTereena Shanice BrooksRonald Guy BrulotteAshley Nicole BrysonRegine Erika Lim CalaquianMason Tyler CalvertJillian Suzanne CapaldoAlyssa Marie CarneyJessica Renee CarpenterJessi Faith CasellaYadira A. CastilloJesse Lee ClarkNicholas Keith ClarkAstrid Carolina ColonSamantha Anna ConstantineAaron CooperMatthew Niel CristelloJoseph George CzechowiczDominique DeLisiJaclyn Alise DisharoonGeorge Afif DoumitCameron Michael DukesReema Emad El-AzomAna Laura ElizondoJekeijra Adia EversonSara Ann FieldsMichael Francis GalloGerson Jonathan GarciaGaurav Kumar GautamMarjorie Fortune GeorgesSarah Catherine GispertJennifer Eileen GoldsmithAshley Renee GosnellAllison Marie GruwellJoseph Charles Guarni

Charlene Elaine GustafsonDerek Joseph Dever HealyEric Hayden HendersonHolly Elizabeth HomkaJamie Nicole HoodDaniel Glenn HorskyTierra Malikah HudginsTianna Nichole HutchinsTaylor Charlene JohnsonAnthony Bruce JohnstonDylan Chad JosephAleena Maria KaramaliChristopher Brandon KellyKevin P KerriganToni Marie KressDaniel LahijaniKathryne Anne Marie LangCalvin Blake LantzCherie Brianna LarkinAlex Robert LeinerTylor Daniel LennoxBradford Daniele LogueSonia Patricia LopezDouglas Wayne LowmanAndrew Tyler MacdowellEmily Julia MaguireNicholas Ryan ManucciMonica Marcial GutierrezSteven Edward MarshallBrylle Joseph MartinShaun Jarell MartinKyle William MarvelMichael H. MatimuJennifer Ann McCoyMichael Patrick McHughMadeline Elizabeth MeadeIsmael Medina LaraIsmael Medina LaraLila Amarilis MejiaCourtney N. MessinaMelodie Dawn MillerTony MokienkoDeeana Alexis MosherDanica Marie Lansang NahilDavid Wayne NatrinManpreet Kaur NijjarJoseph Edmund Ocalagan

Jennifer PadillaNicholas Rodrick PalmaSteven Nicholas ParentiNatalie Irene PesetskyRebecca Jennie PheifferTravis Robert PiserMichael Anthony PoolKenneth Scott PooleAlyssa Reese PrettymanBrendan Patrick QuinnEthan Xander Huntington RaysorJonathan William ReeceIsrael RiosTaylor Marie RolandWilliam Harry SchulerJennifer A SekyeraaSteven C. SellShea Alexander ShellEmily Renee ShermanSara Elizabeth ShoresNicholas Lee SlomanMegan Elizabeth SouderJoseph E. StancellJoseph Michael StevensonShannon Lee StoryKimberly Nicole StrainSarah Elizabeth TaylorCynthia Noelle TomeoCourtney Brooke TullJoseph Anthony TunellJessica Anne TylorAmanda ValdesJessica Nicole WaitesDavid Walter WallaceLloyd Matthew WallaceBeau Emmert WarringtonRobert Jay WeberKevin Brian WestBenjamin Andrew WhitesideYuhanna Vergill WhyeFrancis Charles WildermuthTara Christine WindelsDarrell L. WissemanLily Grace WojciechowskiSteve Kang WonJessica Erin YoungMatthew John ZaldivarAngela Marie Zielen

UD DEAN’S LIST: FALL 2012The following Associate in Arts Program students were named to the dean’s listfor the Fall 2012 semester. Congratulations, and keep up the good work!