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UND’s Robin David named one of only 24 to receive Bush Fellowships

Robin David
UND Associate Professor Robin David’s (above) makes a point during a discussion with students in her Honors class. David, this week, was named on of 24 Bush Fellowship recipients to support her efforts to make Grand Forks a model for New American integration. Photo by Tyler Ingham/UND Today.

Robin David, associate director of the Honors Program at UND, has received a Bush Fellowship.

She is one of 24 recipients named this week. A total of 751 applied.

The Bush Fellowship provides Fellows with up to $100,000 over 12 to 24 months to pursue learning experiences that help them develop leadership skills and attributes. The Fellowship is distinctive in its flexibility, allowing Fellows to articulate what they need to become more effective and agile leaders. Fellows can use the funding to pursue advanced education, networking opportunities, and leadership resources, workshops and trainings.

“The 2018 Bush Fellows are exceptional leaders who have made the most of the opportunities in their lives,” said Bush Foundation Leadership Programs Director Anita Patel. “We believe the well-being of our region is directly impacted by investing in individuals who will shape the future. We are betting on the potential of these 24 Fellows to make a significant impact in their communities.”

Meet Robin David

Robin David
Robin David

Robin David wants her community to become a national model for how to welcome New Americans and help them build the collective strength of the region. The founder of a refugee integration program, she has witnessed New Americans’ positive impact on the state and sees their great civic potential. Now, through her Bush Fellowship, she seeks to expand her influence by building a bigger base of knowledge and ideas through connections with national immigration experts and organizations. She will also grow her skills to more effectively foster understanding between New Americans and the elected officials, policy makers and business leaders in her state.

“I’m really thrilled for this opportunity to build more connections between people in Grand Forks,” David said. “I’ve been working for years to cultivate the civic capacity of Honors students here at UND, and now I’m eager to work on the same issues—in both similar and very different ways—with New Americans.  This community, and this world, have so much to benefit from their contributions.”

A UND graduate, David has been with the University’s Honors Program since 2001, and has received awards for excellence in teaching and service. Her primary interest areas include refugee/immigrant integration, socioeconomic class, war, politics, and consumption. She teaches social science and humanities courses on these subjects, employing service-learning techniques and community partnerships. In addition to teaching, she serves as associate director of the Honors Program.

About the fellowship

A total of 751 people applied for the 2018 Bush Fellowship. The 24 Fellows were selected through a multi-stage process involving Bush Fellowship alumni, Bush Foundation staff and established regional leaders. Applicants described their leadership vision and passion and how a Bush Fellowship would help them achieve their goals.

The Bush Foundation will accept applications for the 2019 Bush Fellowship beginning August 7, 2018. The Bush Fellowship is open to anyone age 24 years and older who lives in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that shares the same geography.

More than 2,300 people have taken advantage of the Fellowship to become better leaders through a self-designed learning experience, academic program, or travel and research across the country to build connections with thought leaders on topics critical to their community. The Bush Fellowship counts among its alumni playwright August Wilson, Oglala Lakota painter and educator Arthur Douglas Amiotte, former Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, author and storyteller Kevin Kling, South Dakota poet laureate Lee Ann Roripaugh, Minneapolis City Council Member Andrea Jenkins, and former special assistant to President Obama for Native American affairs Jodi Gillette.