APPLETON – Lawrence University senior Charlie Wetzel is the latest Lawrence student to be chosen for a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship.
Wetzel will travel to Iceland, India, Thailand, Mexico, The Netherlands, and Germany over the coming year, pursuing a project titled “The Art of the Transgender Life,” where she explores the intersections between art, gender, national identity, and public policy.
Wetzel, a studio art major from Madison, is the 78th Lawrentian over the past 53 years to be awarded a Watson, which provides $40,000 in funding for a year-long wanderjahr of independent travel and exploration. She is one of 42 graduating college seniors selected as part of the 2023 Watson class.
“How do trans people use art to express their gender identity?” Wetzel asks in her Watson proposal. “How does national identity and public policy impact their work and lives? To answer these questions, I will engage and collaborate with transgender artists and arts organizations across the world.”
Watson Fellows are selected from 41 private colleges and universities across the United States that partner with the Watson Foundation. More than 3,000 Watson Fellows have been named since the inaugural class in 1969.
The Watson Foundation dates back to 1961, created as a charitable trust in the name of Thomas J. Watson Sr., best known for building IBM. It works with students to develop personal, professional, and cultural opportunities that build their confidence and perspective to be more humane and effective leaders with a world view.
This year’s class comes from 20 states and four countries and exhibits a broad range of academic specialties, socio-economic backgrounds, and project diversity. They will travel to 54 countries pursuing topics ranging from climate refugees to pediatric cancer; from contemporary African art to disability care innovation; from entrepreneurial inclusion to urban animals; from coastal resilience to modern opera.
