NCS Advisors
ABOUT NCS
The Duke NCS advisors support current Duke students and alumni in finding and applying for external scholarships. We offer group and one-to-one advisement sessions for students who would like to learn more about fellowships. In addition, our office recruits and nominates students for nationally competitive scholarships that require an endorsement. These scholarships and fellowships support a wide variety of opportunities during the undergraduate years and beyond.
Opportunities that Provide
Rhodes, Marshall, Knight-Hennessy, Schwarzman, Fulbright, Truman, and Goldwater
Once a student begins developing an application, we are available to support the process. This can include brainstorming on specific graduate programs, reviewing resumes and essays for select scholarships, and practicing for the interviews.
Duke is a member of and abides by the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA) code of ethics. As scholarship advisors we embrace and promote the core values of NAFA, which include integrity, collaboration, respect, and fairness.
Outside of NCS
If you are applying to Duke as a high school senior, learn more about our Merit Scholarship Programs, Financial Aid, and other sources of financial support for attending Duke. If you are applying to graduate or professional school at Duke, please see Duke’s Graduate School website to learn more about financial resources.
NCS Team
Karen Weber
Executive Director
Hometown: Red Wood City, California and Arlington, Texas
Hobbies: My favorite pastimes are exploring nature trails in Durham and Chapel Hill, watching my kids play sports, and listening to podcasts.
Why did you choose Duke OUSF?
I have a background in building, delivering, and assessing co-curricular programs for students. Being at Duke has enabled me to bring these skills to a dynamic group of merit scholars and nationally competitive scholarship applicants, which I thoroughly enjoy. One of the best aspects of my role is the broad range of students I work with--from graduating high school seniors to undergrads to graduate students and alumni.
My doctorate is in Learning, Design, and Technology, and my research focuses on the benefits of experiential learning and electronic portfolios for students, faculty, staff, and employers. Prior to arriving at Duke, I worked over 15 years in honors education.
The best thing about OUSF is the close-knit community. I am grateful for the amazing students and fantastic colleagues I have the opportunity to work with each day.
Gwen Volmar
Director, Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Hometown: Livermore, California and Port Jefferson, New York
Hobbies and Interests: Languages, baseball, animals, municipal politics, Indian food
Why did you choose Duke?
University towns are my favorite kinds of places, and the Research Triangle is a great university "town." Town-Gown relations is a major driver of my interest in municipal politics, and I've been a super volunteer or consultant on at least seven different campaigns! Mostly, though, I love college towns because I'm fascinated by the University phase of life, with all its challenges, growth, and newfound independence. I love talking with young people about the world and all that they want to do with it, and I'm excited to be part of Duke's effort to equip students to contribute, question, and change that world.
Anna Bernard-Hoverstad
Program Coordinator
Nationally Competitive Scholarships
Hometown: Stockton, California
Hobbies and Interests: I spend a lot of time crossword puzzle-ing, reading, baking, and hiking.
Why Duke?
The best thing about being at Duke is getting to be a part of OUSF! I am enjoying getting to know the Scholars, hearing about their interests and goals, and watching them tackle new challenges. I have great colleagues, and appreciate the OUSF community.
My background and degrees are in French. I lived in three different parts of France at different times in my life - I am a big advocate for study abroad and international experiences since it was such a formative part of my life. I love Durham, but I'm still hunting for a good baguette in the Triangle!
Shawn Svoboda-Barber
Staff Specialist
Hometown: Topeka, Kansas
Passions and Interests Outside of Work: Cycling and Social Justice
Why Duke OUSF?
As an employee, my time at Duke has been a rewarding experience for me.
You see and come into contact with students that really impress and give you hope for the world.
Fun Fact: I have been collecting comic books since the 6th grade. My collection contains over 12,000 books.