Trinity Alumnae Huguley '15 and Davidson '16 Receive Fulbright Grants

GILLIAN REINHARD ’19
NEWS EDITOR
Taniqua Huguley ’15 and Lauren Davidson ’16 were recently announced as recipients of the distinguished Fulbright research grants. The two alumnae, both actively involved at Trinity, will receive sponsorship to pursue academic exploration. The Fulbright Program, founded in 1946, sponsors international educational exchange for eligible American citizens. Each year, the prestigious program provides over 8,000 grants, which are extremely difficult to obtain. The alumnae will travel to different corners of the world, will embark on research inspired in part by their time at Trinity.
Recent graduate Lauren Davidson ’16 will travel to Munich, Germany to study “Bioremediation of Environmental Bisphenol, a Contamination Using Innovative Model Enzymes.” She will conduct her research at Ludwig Maximilian University. The grant combines two of Davidson’s passions and studies at Trinity. She majored in German Studies and Chemistry with a minor in Environmental Science. Davidson spent her junior year abroad at the Eberhard Karls University of Tubigen in Germany and wrote her senior thesis in language and cultural studies. In addition, Davidson participated in the Interdisciplinary Science Program and conducted research in chemistry with Professor Timothy Curran.
While abroad for ten months, Davidson will work with academics at the University of Tubigen to create a model of enzyme laccase to ultimately discover how to make drinking water safer to consume. Davidson will also work at the Rachel Carson Center for Environment and Society, which works to make science accessible to the general populace. Davidson was quick to praise Trinity for helping her achieve her accomplishments. “I’m really grateful and really blessed to have been here at Trinity and to have had the support of both the Chemistry Language and Culture Studies Departments. Trinity has amazing faculty, and they’re all very approachable.”
Taniqua Huguley ’15 M’17 is seen on campus today as a graduate student and Trinsition Fellow, tasked with helping first-year students adjust to life at Trinity. She oversees the Nests based in North Campus Hall, the Minty Nest and the Roosevelt Nest. While an undergraduate at Trinity, Huguley pursued a major in sociology and a minor in legal studies. In addition, she participated in a wide range of extracurricular activities, including serving as president of the Trinity College Black Women’s Organization, establishing a girl scout troop in Hartford, working as an event coordinator for the networking team Small Business Night Out and joining the citywide chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Huguley will be spending ten months in Trinidad and Tobago to investigate the nation’s juvenile justice system for girls. On the island, girls are imprisoned for crimes considered to be non-offensive in the United States. In her analysis, Huguley plans to understand and combat the problems that face young women who are arrested. This project perfectly compliments Huguley’s work at Trinity, where she currently pursues a master’s degree in public policy. “I hope to bring my own cultural knowledge back to the States and work with juveniles in various nonprofit organizations and on policy issues in the juvenile justice system here,” she explained. “I think Trinity has provided me with skills and resources to be able to go out in the world.” Overall, both alumnae will contribute to Trinity’s continued involvement in the global academic community.