Press Release, Global, Honors & Scholars

August 4, 2022 | By Cole Hatcher

Each fall, Ohio Wesleyan selects a small number of first-year students for admission into its Global Scholars Program. The scholars take special classes, receive funds for global projects, complete a faculty-supervised thesis, and graduate with a global certificate. (Photo by Brian Rellinger)

2022-2023 Global Scholars

Ohio Wesleyan Selects 19 First-Year Students for Admission into Competitive Program

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University is welcoming 19 first-year students into its Thomas W. Palmer ’69 and Susan Palmer Global Scholars Program in recognition of the students’ potential for high academic achievement and passion for international issues.

The selective four-year program is part of Ohio Wesleyan’s Global Studies Institute, a hub where faculty and students from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and fine arts come together to explore issues from all academic disciplines and work toward real-world solutions.

Ohio Wesleyan’s 2022-2023 Global Scholars are:

  • Max Baker of Santa Monica, California
  • London Brooks of Grove City, Ohio
  • Eli Burgeson of Delaware, Ohio
  • Jacob DeMaggio of Webster Groves, Missouri
  • Jocelyn Fedoush of Radnor, Ohio
  • Ava Giese of Groveport, Ohio
  • Charlotte Graham of Zanesfield, Ohio
  • Anna Haines of Reynoldsburg, Ohio
  • Julia Hearne of Chatham, New Jersey
  • Salma Khettat of Columbus, Ohio
  • Max Kidd of Abilene, Texas
  • Arianna Morris of Mansfield, Ohio
  • Emma Pieterse of Pretoria, South Africa
  • Melody Rapela of Danville, California
  • Anya Robinson of Belleville, Illinois
  • Isabela Rodriguez Ortiz of Columbus, Ohio
  • Madelyn Seibel of Ontario, Ohio
  • Graci Semptimphelter of Franklin, Tennessee
  • Garrett Smith of Fishers, Indiana

All new Global Scholars participate in a team-taught course during their first semester in which they explore a single issue in depth.

This year’s seminar, “Exploring Identity,” will be co-taught by Global Scholars co-directors, Nathan Rowley, Ph.D., associate professor of Environment and Sustainability, and Eva Paris-Huesca, Ph.D., associate professor of World Languages and Cultures.

The seminar will introduce Ohio Wesleyan students to a variety of global topics connected to identity – how it is defined, how it changes over space and time, and how it can be studied through various academic lenses – from the natural sciences to the humanities and the arts.

“While identity may seem simple and straightforward,” Rowley said, “there are significant implications through how people view themselves and others through their identities – from colonialism and today’s issues surrounding multiculturalism, to eugenics and nationalistic movements, past and present.”

The Global Scholars also take as a group the university’s first-semester course, “The OWU Experience.” This year, the course will be taught by Paris-Huesca.

In “The OWU Experience” course, the scholars learn about the liberal arts, the role of education in shaping both skills and character, and how to make the most of their educational experience over the next four years.

In their junior or senior year, the Global Scholars receive a $4,000 university grant to pursue an approved, semester-long study abroad experience of their choice.

As seniors, the Global Scholars complete a faculty-supervised thesis or capstone project, which they present during a year-end conference. Students who successfully complete all requirements of the Global Scholars Program graduate with a Global Studies Institute certificate.

The Global Scholars Program is endowed with $2 million in gifts from Ohio Wesleyan graduate and university Trustee Thomas W. Palmer, Class of 1969, and his wife, Susan Palmer.

“This program not only enables experiences of global connection for those directly involved but also for others in sharing interaction,” the Toledo, Ohio, couple said. “In this, OWU continues to differentiate itself as a university dynamic in affording distinctive learning opportunities.”

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan’s Global Scholars Institute at owu.edu/globalscholars.


Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 70 undergraduate majors and competes in 24 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through its signature program, The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives” and included on the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “Best Colleges” lists. Connect with OWU expert interview sources at owu.edu/experts or learn more at owu.edu.