Hamilton College Senior Komissar Receives $30,000 Bristol Fellowship

CLINTON,NEW YORK – Ashland resident and Hamilton College senior Josef Komissar is one of two students awarded Hamilton’s Bristol Fellowship in 2022.

Each Bristol Fellow receives a $30,000 research grant to spend a year after graduation studying an issue of personal interest.

Komissar is a computer science and mathematics double major at Hamilton, and his research topic is “The Language of Juggling: Cultural Exchange Through Performance.”

Komissar’s project will take him to Australia, Germany, and Mexico where he plans to examine how different landscapes and cultures have impacted the development of juggling and juggling communities around the world. By visiting schools, attending festivals, and watching circuses, he hopes to understand how culture is communicated through the art of juggling.

“I am especially interested in youth circuses and their ability to engage and uplift children from all walks of life,” he noted. “One of the most exciting prospects is the opportunity to meet so many new people from completely different backgrounds than myself. Juggling will provide me a basis for meeting new people, even if it means just standing around in a public park and juggling for passersby.”

Komissar is an Ashland High graduate.

The Bristol Fellowship is funded by the family of William M. Bristol, Jr., Class of 1917, who served as a Hamilton trustee, president of the Alumni Association, fundraiser, and benefactor. He was one of seven generations of Bristol family members to attend Hamilton, dating back to the chartering of the College in 1812. Mr. Bristol’s great, great-grandfather became one of the College’s first trustees after helping to found the Hamilton-Oneida Academy, which later became Hamilton College in 1793.

Hamilton College, a leading liberal arts institution located in Clinton, New York, is where exceptional students explore passions through an open curriculum and robust research, internship, and off-campus study opportunities. Students graduate ready to lead purposeful lives thanks to highly regarded faculty mentors, generous resources that support each student’s interests, and a loyal alumni network. The College’s need-blind admission policy ensures access for talented students with limited financial means.

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Editor’s Note: Photo and press release were submitted to SOURCE media.