Furman is one of nine schools nationwide invited to compete in the Compton Mentor Fellowship program, which supports graduating seniors as they “transform their academic studies into real world applications.”  The one-year fellowship, which has a stipend of $35,000, begins and ends at the annual June gathering of Mentor Fellows held in the San Francisco area.

       The fellowship program, which was started in 2002, has traditionally been focused in the areas of environment and sustainability, peace and conflict resolution, or population and reproductive health.  This year, however, the Foundation has added a focus on climate change and energy policy.

      Furman can nominate two graduating seniors per year for the fellowships, and the Compton Foundation expects the Furman candidates to be environmentally focused because of the university’s commitment to sustainability.

      “The invitation to compete for the Compton Fellowship awards is a most significant recognition of Furman’s academic commitment to environmental sustainability,” said Dr. Thomas Kazee, the university’s acting president.  “We are very grateful that the Foundation has selected Furman for this honor, and we are certain we can provide very strong candidates for the fellowships.”

      Each Mentor Fellow is responsible for implementing a self-directed project and choosing a mentor who will provide “guidance, encouragement, and impetus for continued learning and service.”  The fellows are expected to demonstrate “imagination, intelligence, integrity and leadership” as well as a “commitment to compassionate and effective participation in the world community.”  Successful candidates will begin their fellowships this summer.

       “Since its inception in 2002, the Compton Foundation's Mentor Fellowship Program has supported 27 Fellows from six colleges and universities in a wide range of independent and creative service projects,” said Edith Eddy, Executive Director of the Compton Foundation.  “This year, a matching grant has enabled the Foundation to expand the fellowship to include three new schools and enlarge the program to include a specific focus on energy and global warming.   We look forward with pleasure and anticipation to meeting the two candidates who will be nominated in 2007 by Furman University.”

       Based in northern California, the Compton Foundation’s history began with the far-sighted and compassionate vision of Dorothy and Randolph Compton, a vision they later passed on to their children.   The foundation focuses most of its grant-making activities in the areas of peace and security, population and reproductive health, and environment and sustainability with an emphasis on strategies that combine research and activism.

       For more information, visit the Compton Foundation website at www.comptonfoundation.org or call Furman’s News and Media Relations office at 864-294-3107.

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