Michelle Cook, Ph.D.
Written by Karen Templeton
Michelle Cook, Ph.D., has been named the director of UAB’s Office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships, which supports students and recent alumni applying for nationally competitive funding for education abroad, research, graduate school and other academic enrichment opportunities.
Cook began at UAB as the assistant director of the program in 2015 and has served as interim director since July 2020. She has guided UAB students through highly competitive awards processes including Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Goldwater Scholarship, Udall Scholarship, and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.
Since her appointment in 2015, the university has achieved a record numbers of Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients, and under her leadership as interim director, eight UAB students were selected as Gilman recipients — more than any other institution in the state — and the first students in the UAB history were chosen as a Schwarzman Scholar and Brooke Owens Fellowship recipient.
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“We are so fortunate to have Dr. Cook in the leadership position and are looking forward to her continuing to help students access opportunities that develop intercultural, academic and other competencies through fellowships and scholarships.” |
“The process of researching potential awards and then navigating the application process can be daunting, and that is why the office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships is so important,” said Pam Benoit, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are so fortunate to have Dr. Cook in the leadership position and are looking forward to her continuing to help students access opportunities that develop intercultural, academic and other competencies through fellowships and scholarships.”
In addition to mentoring nationally competitive scholarship applicants, Cook has taught honors seminars and coordinated undergraduate research initiatives within the Honors College, including trips for more than 50 students to regional and national research conferences. She also has served as a national reviewer for the Critical Language Scholarship and for the Gilman Scholarship.
