Three Colorado State University Rams are among a select group of 100 doctoral students in the U.S. and Canada to receive significant scholarship awards from a leading organization dedicated to supporting scholarship and research for women.
The Philanthropic Educational Organization has awarded Ph.D. students Brittany Lynner, Marina Rodriguez of the College of Natural Sciences and Christina Welch of the Warner College of Natural Resources with P.E.O. Scholarships. The scholarship program — which provides a maximum award of $25,000 — recognizes female students who have demonstrated their ability to make significant contributions in their chosen field of study.
“I am so pleased to have another cohort of P.E.O. scholars recognized at CSU,” said Colleen Webb, vice provost for graduate affairs and dean. “Congratulations to Brittany and Marina, who have both made significant contributions in their fields and furthered our community of graduate students during their time at CSU.”
Brittany Lynner, Department of Psychology
Lynner is a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in the Industrial-Organizational Psychology Program and is also an Occupational Health Psychology trainee supported by the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center, funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
“I’m incredibly thankful to P.E.O. International for their tireless dedication to supporting women’s higher education."
Her research interests are at the intersection of equity and wellness in the workplace, the assessment and prevention of burnout and the workplace experiences of vulnerable workers. Prior to beginning her M.S./Ph.D. program in 2020, Lynner earned her M.A. in higher education and student affairs and B.A. in Psychology from The Ohio State University.
As an I-O psychologist, Lynner wants to help organizations cultivate a culture that prioritizes employee health and well-being, develops leaders, and engages in equitable practices.
Lynner said that she was deeply honored by the scholarship and immensely thankful to the P.E.O. Sisterhood for their tireless dedication to supporting women’s higher education. She added that she was grateful to her recommenders: Webb, Assistant Professor of Psychology Josh Prasad and Professor of Psychology Gwen Fisher.
“I’m incredibly thankful to P.E.O. International for their tireless dedication to supporting women’s higher education,” she said. “I hope Fort Collins will be my forever home, and meeting members of the local P.E.O. chapter who are cheering me on makes me feel even more connected to the community. I look forward to continuing my academic journey, fueled by the encouragement and support of the P.E.O. Sisterhood and countless others who have believed in me along the way.”
Marina Rodriguez, Department of Biology
Rodriguez’s research uses whole-genome sequencing techniques to better understand current and future adaptation to climate change in migratory songbirds. This involves trying to better understand the effects of maladaptation as well as determining what traits are allowing birds to adapt to specific environmental conditions.
“To be a PEO scholar is not only amazing because it funds a year of graduate school, but also because my local network has increased to include numerous women who are supportive, caring and invested in my success."
Rodriguez was the first person in her family to earn a college degree and was also part of the Graduated Research Fellowship Program awarded by the National Science Foundation, which funded three years of her graduate education. Among her research projects, she conducted fieldwork during the summer of the pandemic in 2020, which included driving and camping across nine states in the West for three months.
Rodriguez said her advisor, Associate Professor Kristen Ruegg, was among the many faculty members who helped her and provided mentorship throughout her career. She added that
Barbara Bailey, a member of the local PEO chapter, was crucial in helping her throughout the process of applying for the national award.
“Being named a PEO scholar is a huge honor that I am extremely grateful for,” she said. “To be a PEO scholar is not only amazing because it funds a year of graduate school, but also because my local network has increased to include numerous women who are supportive, caring and invested in my success. I have met the women in the local PEO chapter a couple of times, and they already feel like family and people who genuinely care about me and my future.”
Christina Welch, Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Welch is a Ph.D. student in the Warner College of Natural Resources, whose research interests focus on international water diplomacy.
In the past four years, Welch has also worked for CSU Extension in the Ag Water Quality Program, which inspired her to pursue a Ph.D., having collaborated with scientists who kindled her passion for research.
“Now, I'm going to be taking three classes in the fall and three in the spring. I'll be able to completely finish up my class requirements.”
Welch explained that she had previously been taking one class a semester as part of CSU’s employee study privilege program. But now with the PEO Scholarship, she can focus full time on her studies.
“Now, I’m going to be taking three classes in the fall and three in the spring,” she said. “I’ll be able to completely finish up my class requirements.”
Welch has wasted no time and is in the process of starting her research, conducting one-on-one interviews with farmers and ranchers across Colorado to better understand how they are coping and adapting to the changing climate.
Philanthropic Educational Organization
The Philanthropic Educational Organization has been celebrating women and helping them reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 122,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $415 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.
The Sisterhood also owns and supports Cottey College. Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together more than a half million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education while supporting and motivating them. What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America, with close to 5,800 chapters.
