Electrical engineering student receives scholarship to study Mandarin in China

Thomas Nudell, a graduate student in electrical engineering at NC State, has been awarded a US Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Mandarin this summer in China.

The CLS Program provides fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences. Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

The 2011 CLS Program received more than 5,200 applications. The 575 recipients represent all 50 states and were chosen through a merit-based selection process from a range of academic disciplines and US colleges and universities. The program is part of a wider US government effort to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical languages.

After his summer in China, Nudell plans return to NC State to pursue his PhD in electrical engineering.