Okayama Castle
Senior Ford Rubel has become the first Mount St. Mary’s University student to receive a Critical Languages Scholarship. He will spend this summer fully immersed in studying Japanese in Okayama, Japan.
The U.S. Department of State program provides fully funded immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security, economic prosperity and engagement with the world.
“Only 10% of CLS applicants are accepted every year. It is not surprising to me, or Ford’s professors, that he is part of this select group,” said Director of the Office of Competitive Fellowship and Professor of Spanish Christine Blackshaw, Ph.D. “CLS applicants are chosen based on their readiness to embrace a new culture and language, adaptability, sensitivity, resilience, commitment to language learning and, lastly, unique background experience. Frankly, it is hard to imagine a student more deserving of this award than Ford.”
Rubel, a political science major with minors in criminal justice and Japanese, is also awaiting news on another competitive award for post-graduate study of Japanese. He is a semifinalist for the JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) Program. Rubel is the first Mount student to advance to semifinalist or finalist status for either of these prestigious awards.
As a middle school student in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Rubel was introduced to Japanese culture through films, food and photography, leading to his broader interest in Japan and the Japanese language. “The values of craftsmanship, honor, and discipline that I encountered in these mediums resonated deeply with my personal values, sparking a passion that has only grown stronger over time,” Rubel recalled. “This initial interest evolved into an academic pursuit, leading me to study Japanese language and culture both formally and independently.”
Rubel credits the Mount and its professors as being crucial in fostering his curiosity about the world. He began studying Japanese in his sophomore year with Professor Marco Roman, Ph.D., with no prior learning of this challenging language. He now has intermediate-level proficiency and serves as a peer tutor for Japanese.
In addition to his coursework with Roman, which includes three upper-level courses in Japanese language and culture, Rubel has been studying Japanese with a private tutor for over a year. He also completed several independent research projects about Japan with his advisor Assistant Professor of Political Science William Christiansen, Ph.D., and, most recently, as this year’s Morrison Fellow with Professor of English Indrani Mitra, Ph.D. This semester, Rubel delivered a standing-room-only lecture, “The Forgotten War: Diplomacy and the Russo-Japanese War of 1905.”
Through advising Rubel on independent research projects, Christiansen not only observed Rubel’s academic prowess but also his abilities as a servant leader. “In my time working as a professor at multiple universities, Ford is easily one of the best students I have ever had,” Christiansen said. “He exemplifies the University mission and is an extremely compassionate and service-driven student.”
Rubel has spent two semesters abroad in the Czech Republic and Greece with Associate Professor of History Michelle Patterson, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Spanish Elaini Tsoukatos, Ph.D., respectively. Seeking to maximize his experiences during these two semesters, Rubel planned and led several excursions and educational experiences outside of those offered by the programs.
The Office of Competitive Fellowship is led by Professor Blackshaw, with Assistant Professor Christiansen, and Associate Professor of Neuroscience Angy Kallarackal, Ph.D. as associate directors. In addition to Blackshaw, Christiansen and Kallarackal, members of the Faculty Advisory Committee are Associate Professor of Business Josey Chacko, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Krueger, Ph.D.; Assistant Professor of Philosophy Rika Dunlap, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Education Michelle Ohanian, Ph.D.; Director of the Palmieri Center for Entrepreneurship Garth Patterson, Ph.D.; and Assistant Professor of Science Eric Sakowski, Ph.D.c