Successful Start
Ohio Wesleyan Announces 2026-2027 Woltemade Economics and Business Fellows
DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University has selected 16 first-year students as 2026-2027 Woltemade Economics and Business (WEB) Fellows. The competitive, four-year fellowships are awarded each fall by OWU's Woltemade Center for Economics, Business and Entrepreneurship.
The fellows are selected based on their high potential for success at Ohio Wesleyan and their interest in business-related studies. OWU's newest Woltemade Economics and Business (WEB) Fellows and their hometowns are:
- Robert Beatty of Wadsworth, Ohio
- Caitlin Culler of Olmsted Falls, Ohio
- Quinton Dardinger of Westerville, Ohio
- Aiden Dwyer of Sewickley, Pennsylvania
- Colin Dwyer of La Grange Park, Illinois
- Ruben Escalante Jr. of Phoenix, Arizona
- Mya Farrelly of Seaford, New York
- Elliot Gebhardt of Warren, Ohio
- Sarah Gerber of Hilliard, Ohio
- Nadia Giannetti of Austin, Texas
- Sera Kunimoto of Osaka, Japan
- Jerome Lehoux of Québec City, Canada
- Avi Ruiz of Chantilly, Virginia
- Richard Spigelmire of Wooster, Ohio
- Zearria "Zee Zee" Watterson of Frederick, Maryland
- Ryver Woodall of Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Being selected as a WEB Fellow ensures that the first-year students are assigned an academic adviser from the Department of Economics and Business, receive sophomore or junior peer mentors as freshmen, and are paired with professional mentors as seniors.
The fellows also are eligible for a $250 academic scholarship during their second semester and are enrolled in a first-year seminar open only to them. The seminar is team-taught by the entire Economics and Business faculty, helping the students to build relationships with their new professors quickly and learn about the fields of economics and business.
In their second year of the program, the WEB Fellows take a fully paid, faculty-escorted study trip to a major U.S. city, such as New York, where they meet with distinguished Ohio Wesleyan graduates and other professionals working in the city in business or government.
To be considered for the fellowship program, students must have earned a high school grade point average of 3.25 or higher and indicate an interest in accounting, business administration, economics, finance, international business, management economics, or quantitative economics on their application for admission. They also must have a high school record that indicates the potential for high achievement at Ohio Wesleyan and complete a personal interview with OWU professors from the Department of Economics and Business.
The Woltemade Economics and Business Fellows program is supported by the McGinty Family Endowment, in recognition of Kevin J. McGinty, OWU Class of 1970, and his long-standing service on the Woltemade Center's Advisory Council.
Learn more about The Woltemade Center, WEB Fellows program, and Department of Economics and Business at owu.edu/Woltemade and owu.edu/economics.
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 experience, the OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan teaches students to understand issues from multiple academic perspectives, volunteer in service to others, build a diverse and global perspective, and translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience through internships, research, and other hands-on learning. 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.