A COMMENTARY appeared in the Telegraph Journal on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 titled Foundation Funds Best and Brightest.  Introductory paragraphs were as follows:

The Best and the Brightest

What would Measha Brueggergosman (World Renowned Soprano), Sheree Fitch (Canadian Children’s Author and Roger Lord (World Renowned Pianist) have in common? What would the CEO of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, a Research Astronomer at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. and a distinguished lawyer in Saint John, New Brunswick have in common?

They are all proud New Brunswickers and all are Fellows of the O’Brien Foundation. 

The O’Brien Foundation may be one of New Brunswick’s best kept secrets.  It is one of the very few sources of financial support for New Brunswick graduate students.  Each one of the personalities identified above was successful in applying for funding to assist in achieving their distinguished careers.

Between 1975 and 2012, the Foundation has granted 280 Fellowships.  The total value of the awards granted in these years was $1,382,000.00.

Dr. Lynne Gouliquer is a first for St. Thomas University and for New Brunswick with her recent award of a Social Science and Humanities Research Council Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. The fellowship, one of 23 in Canada, is a professional triumph for Gouliquer and recognition of the work taking place on aging at St. Thomas University.

Gouliquer is studying the resiliency of the aging population, particularly people over the age of 90, a group she refers to as the ‘elder elders.’  “I think there are many things we can learn from them. I will be doing a qualitative study, and I believe St. Thomas is a great fit for this research.”

The deadline for applications was November 1, 2012.  This year there are 52 applications. There are 24 at the Doctoral level, 25 working toward a Masters Degree and 3 Post-Doctoral Candidates.  The competition is extremely keen.

Selection Committee Members are in the process of receiving copies of the applications.