July 17, 2001 For Immediate Release

Deborah Thien, a University of Northern British Columbia graduate from Parksville, has received a prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship to complete a PhD at the University of Edinburgh - all expenses paid.

The Scholarship will cover Deb's living expenses in Edinburgh, all student fees, return airfare between Canada and the UK every year, books, thesis preparation, and conference travel. The total value is just over $100,000, making Deb's award one of the largest ever received by a UNBC graduate.

Deb graduated from UNBC in 2000 with a master's degree in Gender Studies. At Edinburgh, she'll be studying women's organizations in rural areas: how they're set up, how the services they provide are affected by their location, and whether the location of services is an issue for women who use the services. Prior to attending UNBC, Deb received a bachelor's degree in English and Women's Studies from UVic (1995), after attending Ballenas High School in Parksville. Before leaving Prince George, Deb taught 1st year English at UNBC. She is currently teaching 1st year English at Malaspina University College in Nanaimo. She is leaving for Scotland in mid-September.

The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan was established in 1960 to provide students to pursue studies in Commonwealth countries other than their own. The program is highly competitive, particularly for the United Kingdom: in the last competition, less than 10% of all applicants were successful.

The University of Northern British Columbia's core campus is located in Prince George. The University opened in 1994 and currently has 3500 student enrolled in programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

A photo of Deborah Thien is available upon request