May 13, 2021

Whiting, Fulbright Honors Go to Guzmán, Bronk

Whiting Foundation (left) and Fulbright Alumni Association logos

For their research in the humanities and behavioral sciences, CGU faculty members Romeo Guzmán of the School of Arts & Humanities and Kendall Cotton Bronk of the Division of Behavioral & Organizational Sciences have been selected for two prestigious academic honors.

In recognition of his work in the field of public history and efforts to recover the lost or overlooked history of the city of El Monte (which is just 20 miles from Claremont Graduate University), Guzmán has been honored with a 2021 Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship.

In recognition of her post as a Fulbright Scholar, during which she researched political purpose in the lives of Greek youth, Bronk has been chosen to serve as a Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador.

This scholarly attention comes during a season in which several CGU faculty made the cut in a recent Stanford report on the top 2% most-cited scientists. Such academic awards and distinctions are a reminder that the graduate experience at CGU involves multiple opportunities for students to work with leading scholars on cutting-edge research and applications in the field.

 

Romeo Guzmán

Guzmán: Creating a Fuller Picture of a Southern California City

Guzmán, who joined CGU last fall as an assistant professor of history, is a 2021 recipient of a Whiting Public Engagement Fellowship from the Whiting Foundation, which supports several prestigious awards and fellowships across the humanities.

The public engagement fellowship, which includes a $50,000 award, supports public-facing work connected with the humanities. In Guzmán’s case, that work involves developing new high school curricula celebrating El Monte’s diverse history, from the Tongva (the area’s original inhabitants) to 21st-century globalization, along with art installations and bike tours exploring the city’s unique, special history.

Guzmán is also a co-editor—with wife Carribean Fragoza, Alex Sayf Cummings, and Ryan Reft—of an acclaimed collection of cultural and sociological essays, East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte.

 

 

Kendall Cotton Bronk

Bronk: Studying Meaning and Purpose for Youth

Bronk, a psychology professor and a 2016-2017 Fulbright Scholar in Greece, has been appointed to serve as a Fulbright Scholar Alumni Ambassador.

Alumni Ambassadors represent the best of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program and are selected through a competitive process. Ambassadors serve two-year terms and present information on their Fulbright experience at multiple events on college campuses and academic conferences each year.

During her Fulbright year, Bronk’s research project was titled “Political Purpose Among Greek Adolescents.” At CGU, Bronk also runs the Adolescent Moral Development Lab, which investigates ways to help young people thrive and find purpose. She is a widely-cited scholar and frequent contributor to various media outlets, including CNBC and the Greater Good Magazine.