Matthew White

White will travel through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, and Greece by bike, spending two to three weeks in each country, learning to cook and play music according to local customs.

Alumni Reflections

How did the Bonderman impact your life?

“Prior to my Bonderman travel experience I was very reserved and self-conscious, and I can pinpoint the exact moment that changed for me. I was sitting in my tent in the Dolomites in northern Italy having biked more than half the length of the country on this wonderful, fully-funded experience… and I was absolutely miserable. Moreover, I felt an overwhelming guilt about feeling miserable because I was living my dream and everyone I knew was excited for my opportunity. Thinking deeply about it, I identified the source of my misery was not having engaged in a conversation with virtually any person for days on end, in an attempt to stay on schedule with my travel. Right there I made a commitment to speak with every person I could, even if I only knew four words of the language, My Bonderman experience and indeed my entire life was forever changed.”

What are you doing now?

“I’m currently a professor of Physics at the University of Vermont, focusing my research efforts on photonic crystal organic light emitting diodes and solar energy harvesting technologies. Passing forward the spirit of the UW Bonderman fellowship, I lead two projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation that send a cohort of undergraduate students from around the US to Japan each summer for an 8 week international research and cultural experience.”

Photo of Matthew White in 2002 on his Bonderman.