“The Watson Fellowship is the
most fantastic thing you can do after college,” says Haverford
senior Ethan Roland, one of 50 recipients nationally of this year’s
award. Created in 1968 by the Thomas
J. Watson Foundation, this prestigious fellowship “gives college
graduates of unusual promise the freedom to engage in a year of independent
study and travel abroad,” according to the foundation’s
website. Unlike typical academic work, a Watson Fellow’s project
is completely self-run. They must conceive of and carry out their research
independently.
For Roland, the award is more than an opportunity to engage in his academic
interests. It is a chance to carry out his family legacy. Roland’s
mother, a 1976 graduate of Swarthmore, was also a Watson Fellow, making
him the first second-generation recipient. All throughout his childhood,
he heard stories of his mother’s global travel. Adds Roland, “My
mom definitely persuaded me to apply for a Watson.”
Roland will study the genetic diversity of apples around the world.
A genetic trait known as extreme heterozygosity has allowed apples to
thrive in diverse climates. Heterozygosity is the possession of multiple
versions of a single gene. This diversity allows the apple to match
itself to ecosystems around the world. His project will take him to
Sweden, Kazakhstan, Japan, New Zealand, and Chile. Says Roland, “Kazakhstan
is really the heart of my project.” An apple tree forest there
is believed to be the origin of the domesticated apple.
“This topic came out of a couple of things,” Roland states.
He cites The Botany of Desire, a book by Michael Pollan that
retells the story of Johnny Appleseed. “It changed how I thought
about apples. Roland, a biology major with a special interest in computer
science, adds, “I wanted to include hard science in my Fellowship.”
He believes the emphasis on genetics distinguished him from other applicants
and helped him secure the Fellowship. Last summer, he worked alongside
food experts at UC Davis, which increased his interest in biodiversity,
organic farming, and sustainability.
Besides studying their genetic components, Roland will also work with
apples as a food and as a source of income internationally. “I
will get to know the people who work with apples everyday.” These
include scientists, independent growers, and small orchard owners, and
mass producers. He credits his father, a former restaurant owner, for
his role in inspiring this aspect of his research. “In terms of
getting me to think about food, my father was influential.”
When he returns, Roland will plant the apple seeds he gathered on his
journey in his home in upstate New York to see if they thrive. He also
plans to collect his travel journals into a publication. However, Roland
is most excited about a website for apple researchers he intends to
design. The site will include international research, along with the
recipes he obtained during his travels. It will connect people who study
apples around the globe, because, “there is not as much communication
between countries as there could be,” Roland says. He anticipates
the challenges of adjusting to foreign cultures and attempting to communicate
with the local populations. He also recognizes, “This experience
will shape me more than my career.”
