In a surprising turn of events, another Oberlin graduate has captured a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship for 2005. Some 50 fellowships are awarded annually, with only two in the field of music. This year, however, there are three recipients, all from Oberlin. Glenda Goodman '04, who was recently removed from the waiting list and awarded a fellowship, joins percussionist Ross Karre '05 and pianist Michael Bukhman '05 on this year's Javits rolls.

"Glenda was the quintessential Oberlin student," says Professor of Viola Peter Slowik of his former pupil, who earned double degrees in viola performance and religion at Oberlin. "It was a great joy to teach her because she was utterly responsive to my suggestions. What really sets her apart is her ability to master the many small steps necessary to achieve big goals. Glenda is gifted, with a tremendous individual intellect and desire and an unusually healthy and focused drive," says Slowik, who also directs the Conservatory's string division.

Goodman, who is from Silver Spring, Maryland, currently attends the Juilliard School, where she is earning a master of music degree. When she graduates in May 2006, she is considering pursuing a PhD in performance studies.

"I consider my undergraduate training at Oberlin, both academically and musically, to have been invaluable in preparing me for graduate school," she says. "Being at Juilliard has heightened my sense of how special Oberlin's double-degree program is; having such a high-quality liberal arts education in conjunction with conservatory training is one of my most cherished assets."

For her Javits project, Goodman says she is "exploring the intellectual and cultural implications and parameters of offering audiences a multimedia, multipurpose new-music ensemble, one that pushes at conventional boundaries in music and investigates new audiences." Goodman was a member of Oberlin's award-winning Contemporary Music Ensemble and performed with them at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall in 2004. This and other Oberlin experiences apparently paved the way toward her current efforts. "I especially appreciated the creative intellectual community at Oberlin," she says. "This community is largely intact in New York, and I find continuing inspiration and support from my friends and colleagues."

Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, Javits Fellowships provide financial assistance to students who undertake graduate study leading to a master's or doctoral degree. Candidates for the awards must demonstrate superior academic ability and achievement, exceptional promise, and financial need.