Sources: Matt King, 316-304-6288, mdk1719@gmail.com;
and Jim Hohenbary, 785-532-6904
Note to editors: Matt King is the grandson of Bonnie Edwards, Biloxi, Miss.
News release prepared by: Beth Bohn, 785-532-1544, bbohn@k-state.edu
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
RECENT K-STATE GRADUATE NAMED MATT KING NAMED A FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR AND WILL STUDY AT OXFORD
MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Matthew King will be heading to the United Kingdom this fall as a Fulbright Scholar.
King, Wichita, has received a Fulbright Postgraduate Award and will work on a master's in environmental change and management at Oxford University. The award, one of only 10 presented for the 2007-2008 school year, was made by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission. For U.S. students who want to do graduate study in the United Kingdom, the award provides tuition and support for a year of study at one of the nation's 121 universities.
"To be selected from a field of more than 500 outstanding candidates is quite an honor," King said. "In addition to earning one of the world's best graduate degrees in environmental sciences, I hope that policymakers in the European Union, United Kingdom and the United States will benefit from the research I perform related to cap-and-trade systems designed to decrease greenhouse gas emissions."
Jim Hohenbary, assistant dean of nationally competitive scholarships at K-State, said, "Through the Fulbright, Matt will have the chance to work with researchers from the Oxford University Environmental Change Institute and gain a broader understanding of environmental policy issues. This opportunity definitely builds on his past experiences, and in an intensely competitive applicant pool, really reflects the quality of his accomplishments as a K-State student."
A May 2007 summa cum laude graduate of K-State, King earned a bachelor's in political science, with a secondary major in natural resources and environmental sciences. He was named one of K-State's outstanding graduating seniors for his leadership and efforts in improving campus life, which included the K-State Proud student fundraising campaign.
"Helping to start K-State Proud during my senior year was probably one of the most exciting and meaningful things I did while at K-State," King said. "Being able to help create such an extraordinary and successful program with so many talented and passionate K-Staters was a memorable experience. Plus, I know the $65,000 the campaign raised this year will benefit students who need it the most. I'm excited to see how K-State Proud develops throughout the coming years."
While at K-State, King also earned a 2006 Morris K. Udall Scholarship and was a finalist for a 2006 Truman Scholarship.
A K-State honors list student, King was named to Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi academic honor societies and Blue Key senior honor society. He was active in K-State student government, serving as chair of the K-State Student Senate's Governmental Relations Committee and as a College of Arts and Sciences student senator for three years.
He was campus involvement chair of his fraternity, Beta Theta Pi; president of the K-State Student Alumni Board; and was a student representative to the K-State Alumni Association's board of directors. He also was a member of Up 'til Dawn and was president of the K-State Student Union Corporate Board.
King's other honors include the McKelvie Scholarship for Public Service, Kassebaum Scholarship, Yamani and Samarrai Middle Eastern Studies scholarships from the K-State department of political science, and a Kansas State University Foundation Scholarship. He served internships with the Environmental Working Group and with Sen. Pat Roberts in Washington, D.C., as well as internships with Environmental Defense; Tigercomm, a communications firms that works with renewable energy companies; and Kansas Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson.
A 2003 graduate of Kapaun Mount Carmel High School in Wichita, King is the son of Don King and Beth King, both of Wichita.