Four University of Maine students have received Killam Fellowships to help fund their studies at
various Canadian institutions of higher learning during the 25-26 academic year.

The Killam Fellowships Program provides undergraduate students in Canada and the U.S. with
opportunities to spend a semester or full academic year in the other country as exchange students.
Recipients receive a $6,000 stipend per semester, an allowance to offset health insurance costs, and a
grant of up to $800 for an educational field trip. The Killam Fellowship operates under Fulbright
Canada and provides students with academic and cultural connections with the Canadian Fulbright
community. 91���� students awarded the Killam Fellowship enroll for one or two semesters at one
of the participating Canadian universities.

The four 91���� students who received a Killam Fellowship for the 2025-2026 academic year are:

• Blake Getchell, Anthropology – University of Prince Edward Island
• Hannah Peak, Anthropology – University of Ottawa
• Autumn Perley, Microbiology, Maine Top Scholar – McMaster University
• Carly Philbrook, Secondary Education and Honors, Maine Top Scholar – Memorial University of Newfoundland

The support offered by the Killam Fellowship opens up a world of opportunities for students who
have always wanted to expand their horizons.

“I’ve always known that I wanted to study abroad because I’ve wanted to experience the world
beyond Maine,” said Carly Philbrook. “Even though I had originally hoped to go to Spain, Canada is
an exciting opportunity to see a new part of North America and to learn some French.”

Blake Getchell shared, “I wanted to study away specifically in the Canadian Maritimes so I could
have the opportunity to take a Mi’kmaq language course!”, “I’m First Nations Mi’kmaq and learning
the language has been a big goal of mine. I hope to learn about Canadian and Indigenous relations
and make friends I can later come visit after my exchange is over! I have some family in Cape
Breton, Nova Scotia and will definitely be coming back up North again soon.”

Hannah Peak, who will start her experience in Canada in Spring ‘26, offered the following, “I’m an
anthropology major, so I’ve been planning on studying abroad for a while, I’d like to have some sort
of diplomatic role in my future career, so studying abroad is helpful. I chose Canada in particular
because I am currently taking French, and I would like to be able to put that to use in the future.”

“As someone who has always lived at home and rarely had the opportunity to travel, I wanted to
experience living away from home for the first time – and in a city. Canada (and McMaster
University) was the perfect place,” said Autumn Perley. “It was different, but not too far from my loved ones. I was excited for independence and experiencing the diversity of the people and cultures
that populate Canadian cities and academia. While the University of Maine is a large research
university, and our small department has a great curriculum focused on authentic research
experiences,” Perley continued, “there are many areas of biology that I would like to explore. I’m
eager to broaden my research experience to other areas of biology at McMaster … and I look
forward to gaining the skills and knowledge that working in a lab here will provide.”

Of course, while studying and academics are important, they are not the only exciting aspects of
study abroad. It’s also about the experiences.

“The biggest highlights for me so far are the friends I’ve made and the amazing views from Signal
Hill in St. John’s, Newfoundland where I am studying,” Philbrook said.

“I’m most looking forward to being in the center of everything (I’ll be going to UOttawa),” said
Peak. “There are a lot of museums and government buildings close by, so I will constantly be
immersed in what I am interested in. I’m also looking forward to the experience of being in Canada
in general. I hope to gain experiences that I cannot have at 91����.”

“[I’m] beginning to explore the many communities of Mi’kmaq there are here in Canada, and
meeting Inuit and Métis people as well,” Getchell said. “It’s been nice to go to the beaches and
coasts here without many tourists around. It’s been a bit foggy as of late October and I really enjoy
the fog, too.”

“I hope to broaden my horizons and develop new perspectives and skills that will help me learn how
to adapt to different situations, groups of people, and aspects of life,” said Perley.

These students’ applications were supported by the Canadian-American Center, the Office of
International Programs and the Office of Major Scholarships.

The 91���� deadline for applications for the 2026/27 academic year is January 18, 2026.

For more information on the Killam Fellowship Program and how to apply, use this .

If you are interested in applying for a Killam Fellowship, please contact Marie-Joëlle St-Louis
Savoie (mariejoelle.stlouis@maine.edu) prior to applying.

University of Maine undergraduate student, Meaghan Caron, of Bangor, Maine, is the recipient of a Killam Fellowship to study French in Canada this fall for the 2024 academic year.

The Killam Fellowships Program provides undergraduate students in Canada and the U.S. with opportunities to spend a semester or full academic year in the other country as exchange students. Recipients like Caron receive a $6,000 stipend per semester, an allowance to offset health insurance costs, and a grant of up to $800 for an educational field trip, according to the program website. The Killam Fellowship operates under Fulbright Canada and provides students with academic and cultural connections with the Canadian Fulbright community. 

Caron, a student with three majors; a dual-degree for a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Molecular & Cellular Biology, and a Bachelor of Arts in French, plans to attend McGill University in Montreal for the Fall 2024 semester where she’ll study advanced French as well as reproductive endocrinology & infertility.

“After studying abroad in France and Costa Rica,” Caron says, “I fell in love with everything travel has to offer. It presents the opportunity to meet people from around the world and form lifelong connections in the process. Furthermore, studying abroad pushes you out of your comfort zone: allowing you to acquire new skills, experience new cultures, and discover yourself through change. This I knew from my previous experiences abroad, but I did not expect to apply for the Killam Fellowship until I realized my ultimate career goals. While 91���� has given me so much valuable research experience, it does not possess the program in reproductive endocrinology that I’m looking to pursue for the rest of my life. When I read about the Killam Fellowship Program, I saw a golden opportunity to perform my capstone research at an institution which does specialize in that field. What more, McGill University—located right in Montreal—was one of the institutions I could study at, presenting an irresistible chance to speak the French language I love.”

Caron’s application process was supported by a host of faculty and staff alike, including Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler (from the Office of Major Scholarships), Erika Clement and Yijie Ren (from the 91���� Office of International Affairs), and Emma Schroeder (outreach coordinator at the Canadian-American Center).

Caron noted that “Dr. Robert Wheeler and Dr. Melissa Maginnis each provided a letter of recommendation and supported me endlessly throughout the process.” Both Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Maginnis are Associate Professors of Microbiology in the department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences. Caron also credits Dr. Edward Bernard of the Molecular and Biomedical Sciences Department (Vice Chair, Co-Graduate and Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Senior Lecturer of Microbiology) with lending a helping hand during the advising process.

We spoke to Caron more about her goals for the Killam Fellowship and experiences at 91����:

Outside of academics, what do you look forward to from this experience?

When I’m not in the classroom I will be running, not walking, through the streets of Montreal, taking in as much culture and language as possible. I know my voice will hurt by the end of the day from how much I spoke. How can I pass up opportunities to use and improve my French? It will just fill me with so much joy to meet new people, make friends, and explore the city with them as my tour guides. I also look forward to doing some solo exploring as I train for my next marathon on the cobblestones of Old Montreal. And while I’m sure I’ll be raving about my experience in the lab to everyone I meet, I’ll be listening for all their favorite things that Montreal has to offer, from music and art festivals to farmers markets and bakeries.

Why did you choose to come to 91����? 

The Maine Top Scholars (MTS) program offered me the chance to attend school without worry of cost while performing annually funded research with a mentor of my choice. Being the only Division I school in Maine, it also allowed me to participate in athletics at the highest-level. It was an opportunity I could not pass up, incomparable to all the other schools I had explored. While I did not expect to end up so close to home, I soon realized 91���� gave me access to the world. I can’t imagine that had I chosen another school I would have had the same, endless opportunities to study abroad, nor even close to the same level of support along the way.

Describe any research or internships in which you have participated. 

This summer I am at the University of Michigan with a SURF fellowship researching how psychosocial stress impacts ovulation in a mouse model. I spent last summer in France performing coinfections of Bulkholderia cepacia and Candida albicans in zebrafish to characterize their interactions in a host. This research experience was funded by the Phi Kappa Phi Study Abroad Award. Previously, I spent two years in Professor Rob Wheeler’s lab at 91���� where I was first introduced to zebrafish as a model organism. In the Wheeler Lab, I was funded by MTS, the Center for Undergraduate Research, and the Frederick Radke Undergraduate Research Fellowship to investigate the gene RBT1. However, my research experiences track back all the way to the Bangor High School STEM Academy where I first realized my passion for science.

What other on-campus activities occupy your time?

Outside of academics I spend my time in Maine Bound bouldering as frequently as I can, or you’ll catch me running the trails in and around campus to get my daily dose of mud in. Additionally, the Center for Student Involvement always does a great job with organizing events, so I’m always rallying up friends for trivia nights and cultural, or seasonal, celebrations. As a volunteer for the University Volunteer Ambulance Corps (UVAC), I may also be working a sporting event or hanging out at base with the amazing individuals that make up the UVAC team.

91���� students interested in applying for the Killam Fellowship can reach out to Nives Dal Bo- Wheeler at the Office of Major Scholarships (nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu).  The Office of Major Scholarships also offers support for other national merit-based scholarships, such as Fulbright, Gilman, Goldwater, etc. 

For a full list, visit the Office of Major Scholarships website: /majorscholarships/

This May, sponsored by the Canadian-American Center, director Frederic Rondeau and center staff took students to Quebec for a week long francophone language immersion course. Students visited important cultural sites throughout the region, including the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, the Assemblée nationale du Québec, the Wendake indigenous site of the Huron-Wendat Nation, and more.

The 91���� College of Liberal Arts and Sciences shares the full story here.

This award competition is open to all graduate students who wish to improve their French proficiency in Canada. 

The Award covers tuition up to $5000 and offers a $2500 stipend, and all credits earned can be transferred to 91����. 

For more information, visit this link.

OR

Contact Dr. Frederic Rondeau via email at frederic.rondeau@maine.edu.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS 

To be eligible to apply for a Summer FLAS fellowship, students must meet the following criteria: 

• Be a US citizen or permanent resident 
• Already be at the Intermediate or advanced level in French
• Be enrolled or accepted in a full-time graduate program at 91����
• Be enrolled in a 6 weeks intensive summer language study (140 contact hours) in French

Application Deadline : March 15

Dr. Stefano Tijernina, Canadian Studies Faculty at Maine Business School, will be conducting a field trip to Montreal, Quebec November 10-13, 2022 with students from his courses that focus on Canadian-U.S. economics and business. They will network with Concordia University’s business school and explore the business culture of Montreal via customer service, use of space, local business dynamics, bilingualism and business, marketing, public relations, and the adaptability of foreign businesses inside Québec and Canada. They will also visit cultural sites such as the Chamber of Commerce and Québec International.

Dr. Mark McLaughlin, department of History, and professor for the Introduction to Canadian Studies course at the University of Maine recently lead a course-related, weekend field trip to Fredericton, the capital of New Brunswick, Canada. Joining Dr. McLaughlin were students from his course, Dr. Howard Cody (professor emerita), and Dr. Hollie Adams from the department of English.

After over two years of being unable to travel due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions, the Canadian Studies program and the Canadian-American Center were pleased to offer a new field trip to Maine’s neighboring Canadian province and capital city of Fredericton, New Brunswick on October 28-30, 2022. The trip was an exciting opportunity for 91���� students to travel to a foreign country and experience Canadian geography, history, culture, politics, and society first-hand.

University of Maine undergraduate student, Patricia Andersen, of Durham, New Hampshire, is the recipient of a Killam Fellowship to study French in Canada this fall for the 2022 academic year.

The Killam Fellowships Program provides undergraduate students in Canada and the U.S. with opportunities to spend a semester or full academic year in the other country as exchange students. Recipients like Andersen receive $5,000 per semester, an allowance to offset health insurance costs, and a grant of up to $800 for an educational field trip, according to the program website. The Killam Fellowship operates under Fulbright Canada and provides students with academic and cultural connections with the Canadian Fulbright community.

Andersen, a student with a double major in Secondary Education and French with a minor in Spanish in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, says she plans to attend the University of Laval in Quebec City for the Fall 2022 semester, where all of her courses will be taught in French. Taking courses in French will help Andersen improve her proficiency in the language as she works toward her goal of teaching French at the high school level in the U.S.

“The main reason that I am planning to study abroad,” according to Andersen, “is to be in an immersive French environment so that I can become a fluent speaker of French. I am also excited to study abroad to get the travel and culture experience. I haven’t often been far from my hometown in New Hampshire, and I’m excited to experience a different culture from the one that I grew up in.”

Andersen’s application was supported by the Office of Major Scholarships at 91����. She says she received guidance from Betsy Arntzen, recently-retired outreach coordinator for the Canadian-American Center, but that the director of the Office of Major Scholarships, Nives Dal Bo-Wheeler, was integral in helping her with her application submission. Frédéric Rondeau, associate professor of French, and director of the Canadian-American Center at 91����, also played a role in Andersen’s application.

Andersen shared that, “Nives helped me a lot during the two months leading up to January, writing essays, and generally helping me figure out what I needed to do. Betsy Arntzen was also an invaluable help during this process. She coached me through the application process and helped me to revise my essays. I am incredibly glad that I got the wonderful help that I did, and that I was able to apply for the Fellowship. Lastly Frédéric Rondeau has been really helpful in not only clarifying the French emails that I get from ULaval, but also navigating the various hoops I’ve had to jump through.”

We spoke with Andersen more about her goals and experiences at 91����:

What inspired you to study abroad?
I was inspired to study abroad by my desire to further my language studies. Immersion is incredibly important in order to become fluent in a target language. It is a perfect time to go abroad while I have the support of my university, and I’m really interested in taking classes in my target language so that I can gain a professional level of language proficiency. I am also someone that loves new experiences, so study abroad is perfect!

Outside of academics, what do you look forward to from this experience?
I’m looking forward to figuring out how to navigate a new culture and place on my own. Though it is a daunting challenge, I hope to travel later on in my life, so I’m excited to gain the skills required to travel and live in other countries. I’m also excited to change my daily routine. I love to do different things with my life, and I’m excited for a new experience.

Why did you choose to come to 91����?
I chose to come to 91���� for several reasons. First, I love the friendly atmosphere, second, I love that it is in in a small town so near to nature. I love to be outside, so it’s wonderful to have nature accessible. 91���� was also one of my most affordable options which was really important to me.

What other on-campus activities occupy your time?
Because I work to support myself, I don’t have much time for extra-curriculars. That being said, I do have two jobs on campus. I am the French tutor, and I work at the Franco-American Centre where I help to create a website that has the resources for people to learn French at home on their own time.

91���� students interested in applying for the Killam Fellowship can reach out to Nives Dal Bo- Wheeler at the Office of Major Scholarships (nives.dalbowheeler@maine.edu).�� The Office of Major Scholarships also offers support for other national merit-based scholarships, such as Fulbright, Gilman, Goldwater, etc.

For a full list, visit the Office of Major Scholarships website: /majorscholarships/