Melissa Frick '12 of the Swarthmore College women's track & field team has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year.

Frick (Swarthmore, Pa./Strath Haven), who recently graduated from the College with degrees in Biology and Economics, will use her scholarship to conduct research in the laboratory of Anne-Marie Schmitt-Verhulst at the Centre d'Immunologie Marseille-Luminy (CIML) in Marseille, France. The Schmitt-Verhulst lab focuses on cancer immunology and how immune cells act to benefit or harm melanoma tumor tissues. Frick plans to analyze whether or not differences exist in the dynamics and extent of immune cell-attack against resistant and sensitive tumor cells.

Frick capped her four-year career at Swarthmore with high honors on the track and in the classroom. Frick excelled for both the cross country and track & fields teams, earning All-Region Cross Country honors after finishing 17th (23:39) at 2011 Mideast Regional and earning a Centennial Conference bronze medal as part of the 4x800 team at 2012 Indoor Championships (9:44.97). During the outdoor season, Frick ran the second fastest outdoor 5,000 meter run in school history (17:34.58) at Princeton Distance Meet and finished fifth in 5,000 at 2012 Centennial Outdoor Championships (17:42.85). Frick's achievements away from the track are just as remarkable. A six-time member of the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll, Frick was recently named to the Capital One/CoSida Academic All-District IV Women's Track & Field First Team.

The Fulbright Program is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries." Fellowships are awarded to American students, young professionals, and artists selected through a national, open, merit-based competition for study, research, internships and/or service abroad. With a broad academic focus including the social sciences, humanities, and the sciences, the program emphasizes leadership development.