SCHOLARSHIP AND GRANT RECIPIENTS ~
Exchange Scholarships 2025
- Joel Meredith, Bangor University
- Ethan Lambridge,
- Luke Lambert,
- Jarrod Trinqu, Cardiff University
- The Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project
Exchange Scholarships 2024
- David McBride, Aberystwyth University
- Joel Meredith, Bangor University
- Abigail Larson, The University of Wales Trinity Saint David
- Anastasia Llewellyn
- Birmingham Sister Cities
- Red Dragon America
- Urdd Gobaith Cymru
Exchange Scholarships 2023
- Joel Meredith ~ Lansing, Michigan, is pursuing an MA in Arthurian Studies at Bangor University. Joel has received an MA in French literature and anticipates to pursue a PhD in English literature, focusing on Arthurian literature and post colonial studies.
- Claire Lober ~ Canal Fulton, Ohio, is pursuing her PhD Astudiaethau Celtaidd at Bangor University researching how medieval redactors of Brut Brenhenydd used prophecy to counter Ango-Norman.
- Brendan Conn ~ Indianapolis, Indiana, seeking a second Masters degree by attending Bangor University, his first, a Masters in Science in School Counseling and a License in Mental Health Counseling, practicing cognitive therapy, a key component to his research interests. Specifically choosing Bangor to research inner speech and language processing.
Exchange Scholarships 2022
- David McBride from Westampton, New Jersey is pursuing a Ph.D. at Aberystwyth University after receiving an MA in Welsh and Celtic studies. His doctoral research analyzes how poets addressed Welsh kings and their kindred in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
- Megan Kimmelshue from Jacksonville, Oregon is entering the second year of her doctoral research at Bangor University after receiving a master's degree in Celtic archeology. Her field work is allowing her to conceptualize childhood life in the Celtic Iron Age.
- Heddwch Nain/Mamgu ~ The grant supports a visit to descendants of Elined Prys, one of three delegates who a century ago brought a peace petition signed by 390,000 Welsh women to America urging the US to join the League of Nations.
Exchange Scholarships 2021
- Andrew Edwards – Zeeland, Michigan, graduated (in Welsh) from Bangor University and will continue there in a master’s program, studying linguistic policy, focusing on sociolinguistics (in Welsh) in the field of the Welsh language for adults.
- Kelly Evans – Santa Barbara, California, will read for her master’s degree in the forestry program at Bangor, focusing on environmental and climate issues.
- Megan Kimmelshue – Jacksonville, Oregon, received her master’s degree in Celtic archaeology at Bangor and will continue there in a PhD program studying the role of children in historic Celtic cultures.
- Brooke Martin – continues in her final year of PhD research at Bangor examining Welsh opera between 1875 and 1928, especially 42 little-known or studied works by Welsh composers.
Exchange Scholarships 2020
- Brooke Martin will receive the $5000 award to continue her PhD studies on Welsh opera at Bangor University. She has recently made great progress and new discoveries in the area of Welsh musicology, uncovering several Welsh and Welsh-American composers whose music output had not been uncovered.
- Andrew Edwards will receive a $5000 award to continue his studies in Welsh at Bangor University. He will begin writing his BA dissertation on the abolitionists of German and Welsh communities in America before and during the Civil War and the radical beliefs of both groups expressed in the German and Welsh newspapers of the time.
- There were no applications for this scholarship.
- Peniel Welsh Chapel Association in Ripon, Wisconsin, will receive a full grant of $1000 to be used towards the cost of exterior renovations to the building.
- Mari Morgan will receive a full grant award of $1000 towards publication of her PhD thesis on Welsh-American composers Daniel Prothero and Joseph Parry. The work is titled Braids of Song ~ Gwead y Gan and is to be released in the United States. This award is contingent upon the acquisition of additional funding towards publication costs.
Lloyd Family Travel Scholarship 2019
- Hope Kohtala (Received the Lloyd Family Travel Scholarship + partial Exchange Scholarship) from Mechanic Falls, Maine, spent spring semester 2018 studying at Bangor University and realized how similar Wales and Maine were in physical beauty and cultural experiences. She earned her BSc in Parks, Recreation and Tourism at University of Maine and will continue studies towards her MA in Tourism at Bangor University. Building upon her previous research project from her study abroad experience, Hope will compare similarities and differences between New England and Wales in the seasonal tourism industry.
- Rebecca Blok from Kalamazoo, Michigan, will study at Bangor University towards her MA in Welsh. In preparing for her thesis, Rebecca will identify the complex structure of the Four Branches of the Mabinogi and how this structure communicates the message of the work as a whole.
- Brooke Martin from Clarkesville, Georgia, continues her studies, now towards a doctorate, at Bangor University, researching contemporary minority and Welsh-language opera. In the summer of 2018, she presented two papers, one at Wales Research Conference and the other at NAASWCH. Brooke has become a fluent Welsh speaker; this past March competing for the Chair in Eisteddfod y Dysgwyr (Learners) and was placed third. he Year.
- Kelsey Weber from Portland, Maine, received her BFA in Ceramics from the Maine College of Art. Her next step is to complete a Masters in Ceramics at Cardiff Metropolitan University, researching the history, myths and folktales of Maine and Wales to find commonalities and historical links. She will then illustrate these tales on pottery.
- Andrew Edwards from Zeeland, Michigan, continues his studies in Welsh Literature at Bangor University. He is passionate about his Welsh heritage and has fallen in love with Wales and the beautiful Welsh language. Andrew has become a fluent Welsh speaker and his courses are in the Welsh language. He has received much attention from the Welsh media as an American thriving in Wales.
- Hope Kohtala-(Lloyd Family Travel Scholarship + partial Exchange Scholarship) see above.
- The Avondale Mine Disaster Preservation Committee will utilize NAWF funding to hold the 150th anniversary of the Avondale Mine Disaster on September 6-8, 2019. The Avondale disaster, which occurred in 1869, stands as the one of the deadliest anthracite mining disasters in history, with 110 victims, 69 of which were of Welsh descent. Ceremonies will be held at the disaster site in Plymouth Township and at the Washburn Street Cemetery. A full conference will be held at the Anthracite Heritage Museum as well, with featured speakers Professor Bill Jones and Professor Richard Healey, both from the UK.
- Rimrock Opera Foundation utilized funding from NAWF to support the considerable expense to mount the American production of Joseph Parry’s opera, Blodwen, which was performed in Welsh from May 11-19, 2019, at the NOVA Center for the Performing Arts in Billings, Montana. Welsh native, Dr. Dulais Rhys, adapted the opera for chamber ensemble, and conducted the orchestra. Blodwen has already received universal praise for its creation and performance. Dr. Rhys hopes to find other venues in North America for the opera.
NAWF Grant Award 2018
- Slate Valley Museum, Granville, NY. Concerts and lectures featuring Welsh musical performances and history
- Congregants of the Welsh Church New York, NY. Casting and professional direction of a community reading of Dylan Thomas’s Under Milk Wood.
- Gwenan Davies, Abergele, Wales. An artist studying for her Master of Fine Arts at the Milton Avery Graduate School of the Arts at Bard Co.
- Mackenzie Hornsby, Rio Grande, Ohio. Study Performing Arts at the University of Wales Trinity St David’s Carmarthen.
- Anna King - Guysville, Ohio. Inspired by her grandparents, she will research the creation, documentation, and history and of Welsh lovespoons. Department of Fine Arts Trinity St David’s University Swansea Campus.
- James Sevitt - City University of New York. Doctoral research examining how individuals in Merthyr Tydfil are experiencing and coping with long-accumulating divisions and inequalities, recently exposed and exacerbated by Brexit.
- Andrew Edwards - Zeeland, MI. Pursuing a degree at Bangor University, majoring in Welsh, Intercollegiate Welsh Learner of the Year.
- Coral Lumbley - Champaign, Illinois- Doctoral studies on Medieval Welsh Culture and Literature. Intensive Welsh language course at Aberystwyth University
LLOYD JONES ENDOWMENT RECIPIENTS
A successful businessman, and an active member of his community, Lloyd Jones saw an opportunity to contribute to the development of others by establishing a charitable endowment in the 1986. The charitable endowment has provided an award grant each year to outstanding young entrepreneurs graduating from Bangor University since 2000.
2025 Lloyd Jones Award for Young Entrepreneurs at Bangor University
- Ela Jones ~ "has experience of running her own business and previously set up her own jewellery company. She went on to launch her own specialist clothing business “Y Sgubor” selling agricultural hoodies for farm workers, especially female employees."
- Ethan Jones ~ "worked at a local bicycle shop “Cogs y Gogs” and it inspired him to invent the Drill-Mate bicycle cassette removal tool which he hopes in time to launch onto the market."
- Courtney Turner ~ Developed Space Cadet, "a VR learning tool which
allows young learners to be able to fully immerse themselves in a stem
learning environment." - Gwion Peris Roberts ~ designer and creator of "long lasting functional products that will help create a more sustainable future."
- Lois Williams ~ "In addition to excelling in her individual endeavours, Lois actively hones her leadership and motivational skills through various team projects, showcasing her capability to guide and inspire others. "
- Daniel Roberts ~ "As a designer, Daniel possesses remarkable competence and a clear vision of his own path, which revolves around establishing sustainable businesses rooted in Anglesey."
- Elinor Jones ~ Elinor studied at Abbey Gate Collage in Chester. She is passionate about building design and sustainability and has been influenced by programmers such as Grand Designs and George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces. The lockdown offered Elinor time to think about her future. She invested in a shipping container and refurbished it into a summer house. As part of the family business Flintshire Fabrications, she generated her first “proper” sale of a shipping container converted into a summer house. This experience inspired her major design project, to set-up her own company “Hubbox” that designs and manufactures prefabricated, flat pack and modular garden rooms with a clear focus on sustainability. The future plan is to grow “Hubbox” into an independentarm of the family business to become a strong competitor on a commercial level as demand for housing, hospitals and schools grows rapidly.
- Ben Lewis ~ Ben came to study Product Design in Bangor University following his studies in Ysgol Glan Clwyd and Deeside Sixth College. During his third year, in addition to his major design project, Ben along with his fellow Product Design student, Dan Barry set-up a start-up business called UTILITY, founded out of hatred of rubbish products. To combat this, UTILITY takes everyday products back to basics and redesigns them properly. Having been successful in accessing support from Business Wales Accelerated Growth Program, the company has already manufactured its first product and engaged with customers in a beta test.
- Bridie Dimelow – Penley, Wrexham, Wales, partnered successfully with a local metal fabrication company, AWR Engineering, to produce and supply her product and is in the process of designing further products which are going to improve the welfare of horses during transportation.
- Ciron Hywel – Llanrug, Gwynedd, Wales, secured a post as a design engineer with The Fifth Wheel company in North Wales that will pay his fees at Bangor University while he studies part-time for a postgraduate MSc in Applied Innovation Design. He hopes that the product he has initiated will be adopted by the company for further development.
- Elliot Goddard is an Industrial Design student from Bangor University. He is designing and manufacturing a sea kayaking wing paddle specific to the ‘Rockpool Taran’ Kayak, that must be robust and reasonably priced.
- Lois Gwenllian Griffiths is a Product Design student from Bangor University. She is working to expand The Calendar King product/service range into app design to help Firecracker Design and Print keep up with increasing competition.
- Steffan Jones achieved first class honours and has based his research projects around environmentally friendly products. Steffan developed the “Hybrid Range” of furniture which offers a recyclable solution for the future of the upholstery furniture industry to mitigate the 750,000 tonnes of materials discarded every year.
- Phoebe Sinnot also gained first class honours. She concentrated on reducing packaging at fast food outlets by introducing environmentally friendly alternatives to reduce plastic use and increasing recycling
- Hari Tidswell - Project to bring awareness of the negative effects of technology overuse to parents and teach them how it is changing and effecting the children of this generation and the next.
- Victoria Pulo - Project to create a solution to reduce the impact of redundant furniture in landfill. The aim is to create a brand that uses redundant furniture products and recreate sentiment towards the item, resulting in less wast.
- Rhiannon Haf Quirk and Richard Gabriel Noakes. The scholarship recognizes the entrepreneurial accomplishments of graduates of Bangor University, North Wales. Rhiannon designs and manufactures soft toys and decorative furnishings for her proposed on-line business. Meanwhile, Richard designed and manufactured a prototype camera system to increase visibility for tractor drivers reversing attached trailers on farms in mid-Wales. Rhiannon and Richard graduated from Bangor in 2016 with a B.Sc. in product design.
- 2015 Ceri Mair Roberts & Ieuan Rees
- 2014 Jac Parry, Glynwen Davies & Bethan Roberts
- 2013 Catrin Lloyd Hicks & Daniel Sion Owen
- 2012 Zoe-Marie Hallsworth & Tom Purnell
- 2011 Sara Roberts & Shem ap Geraint
- 2010 Dyddgu Hywel & Sam Jones
- 2009 Sioned Williams & Wil Donaldson
- 2008 Elen Ritchie
- 2007 Sam Parry
- 2004 Celfyn Wynn Roberts
- 2003 Clair Roberts & Ross McEwing
- 2002 Bethan Britt Compton, Sarah M. Jones
- 2001 Mari Lois Williams
- 2000 Charlotte Mathews