May 10, 2023
Samantha Gabree ’23 awarded Fulbright for graduate study in the Netherlands
By Vicki-Ann Downing
Biology major Samantha Gabree ’23 will spend the next two years in the Netherlands, studying for a master’s degree in life science and technology at Delft University of Technology, after receiving a prestigious Fulbright partnership award for graduate education — the first such award offered to a Providence College student.
PC was named a top producing institution by the Fulbright Program this year, its third such designation in four years. Its previous Fulbright scholars received awards for independent research in a foreign country or English Teaching Assistantships to teach English for an academic year. Gabree is the first student to successfully apply for a Fulbright for graduate study. It provides round-trip airfare and a monthly living stipend, networking, and other benefits.
In addition, this year two PC students were semifinalists for the Fulbright graduate program: Justin Babu ’23, a biology/secondary education major from East Meadow, New York, was a semifinalist for the master of arts in social justice program at University College London, and Mariela Flores ’23, an English/creative writing major from Central Falls, Rhode Island, was a semifinalist for the master’s program in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, England.
“To do well in the competition, the applicant must demonstrate not only academic excellence in their field of study, but potential as a well-informed, culturally competent, and highly engaged U.S. ambassador in the nation they have chosen,” said Darra Mulderry, Ph.D., associate director of the Center for Engaged Learning and director of international fellowships and scholarships. “A Fulbright year demands initiative, independence, curiosity, and open-mindedness as one advances one’s knowledge and builds relationships in the chosen locale.”
Gabree, who also minored in sociology, is excited about returning to Europe, where she spent a semester abroad during the spring of 2022, and especially about the opportunity to live in the Netherlands.
“As important to me as advancing my knowledge of cell processes is immersing myself in the biotech ecosystem of the Netherlands,” Gabree wrote in her Fulbright application. “I believe that the potential for American-Dutch collaborations in biotech research is vast, and I want to gain the research and cultural experience that will enable me to engage in U.S.-Dutch biotech partnerships that serve both nations and the world.”
While in Copenhagen, Gabree studied Human Health and Disease, a course that included an introduction to clinical practices at hospitals in Denmark, Finland, and Estonia, and enjoyed electives in art and soccer.
“Until I was abroad, I couldn’t fathom that I could live anywhere other than the United States,” Gabree said.
She was back home in Farmington, Connecticut, fresh from her study abroad experience and missing it, when she received an email from Mulderry about the Fulbright Program. After attending a summer information session on Zoom, she decided to pursue the master’s program.
“It was evident that Samantha’s academic achievements in a premed science curriculum and in sociology made her a uniquely strong candidate for any program that combined advanced studies in the life sciences,” Mulderry said. “Additionally, Samantha had spent a semester abroad in Denmark and so had a demonstrated ability to assimilate to life in the region. Her graciousness, intelligence, openness, and good humor are all evident upon first meeting, and I am thrilled that Fulbright chose her for the opportunity.”
Gabree has been interested in science since middle school. For a time, she thought that meant a career in medicine. Her interest in the medical profession deepened during high school, when her mother became seriously ill. She died in 2018 during Gabree’s junior year.
“I would sit with the doctors, listening to them discuss her vitals and MRI scans, and by the time I had started college, whenever a relative would ask, ‘What’s next?’ I had an answer locked and loaded: medical school,” Gabree said.
To explore whether she wanted to become a physician assistant, Gabree became a certified nursing assistant and worked with Alzheimer’s patients at LiveWell, a nonprofit in Southington, Connecticut. She learned about the health challenges faced by an older population, a step toward realizing she could use her science knowledge to help others without pursuing a medical degree.
Gabree applied to Providence because it met her criteria as a small liberal arts college. She learned about it from a guidance counselor and from a student from her high school who attended.
“The student told me, ‘I would marry this school.’ I was amazed at how everyone I spoke with seemed so extreme in their love for the college,” Gabree said. “Now I understand. I would marry this school, too.”
Gabree was invited to join the Honors Program and received a merit scholarship. In her first year at PC, she was accepted into Friars Club, the college’s signature service organization. Its members are known for the distinctive white jackets they wear while leading prospective students and their families on campus tours.
“It’s ironic, because I hated college tours,” Gabree said. “I didn’t tour PC until after I was accepted.”
She is a teaching assistant and tutor for Physiology, a course taught by Pamela Snodgrass-Belt, Ph.D., adjunct faculty in biology, that integrates knowledge students have acquired in previous courses in biology, chemistry, and physics. Because their studies were interrupted by the pandemic, some students had gaps in their understanding of the concepts. But Gabree’s grasp of the information was obvious in both classroom discussions and lab, Snodgrass-Belt said.
“In class she demonstrated intellectual curiosity by asking questions and participating in classroom discussions,” Snodgrass-Belt said. “In lab, she worked well with her lab group, demonstrating patience with her lab partners and helping them understand the material at a deeper level. It was this ability to communicate with her peers that prompted me to reach out and ask her to work with me.”
“Sam is a special student who is wonderful with her peers. They trust her and look up to her,” Snodgrass-Belt said. “She is funny, warm, and approachable, which is why it works so well having her as a tutor. She is proactive and gets things done before I even ask.”
In mid-August, Gabree will arrive in Delft, a city in South Holland known for its blue pottery, as the home of painter Jan Vermeer, and for its contributions to science. Delft University of Technology is one of the top-ranked universities of engineering and technology in the world.
“In addition to pursuing advanced knowledge in biology, I want to become a topnotch science communicator,” Gabree said. “I want to further biotech progress by blazing better communication channels among scientists, policy makers, and the public.”
Studying in another country presents an opportunity to learn more about oneself as well, Gabree said.
When she was in Denmark, a friend asked whether she considered herself a person of color, since her mother was born in Vietnam. Gabree said no but began to think more about her answer. Her mother was 13 when she fled Vietnam with her family, then quickly worked to assimilate to life in the United States.
“Stories from my mother’s childhood and the practice of Vietnamese traditions were scant even before she passed, and then became almost nonexistent,” Gabree said. “I realized that all my life, my half-white, half-Asian descent had been reduced to just white.”
After her return from Copenhagen, Gabree began visiting her grandmother to learn about her culture, including how to cook Vietnamese dishes.
“Immersing myself in my Vietnamese culture has helped me understand how my own identity differs from my ancestors,” Gabree said. “It is my goal to continue learning about my heritage to commemorate more fully who my mother truly was and to continue learning who I am. Our world is so diverse. We can learn so much from experiencing new things, whether in our own culture or those of others around the world.”
