Jeep wins a Watson!

Hot off the press: Veerasak "Jeep" Srisuknimit (you can read about his nickname here) is Mudd's latest Watson winner.  The Watson is one of the niftier fellowships in existence -- awardees travel to four or five countries over the course of the year studying a particular topic.  Past Mudd recipients have focused on tango, martial arts, perceptions of the cosmos, sustainable cities, and earthquake resistant structures.  Jeep's topic is totally Mudd: unicycles!

Where is the Other Half? Exploring the Connections among Unicycling, Cultures and Science
Italy, Ghana, India, Brazil, Japan

"Unicycles are more than just bicycles with a missing wheel. Without gears, brakes, or handles, unicycles free their riders to enjoy the thrill of balancing in all possible ways. Though humans have known how to ride on one wheel for over a century, unicycling has enjoyed its rise in popularity only recently. I intend to investigate what causes some people to ride a unicycle and others not to. I will explore how the decision to unicycle is affected by cultures and people's understanding of physics."

A chemistry major at Harvey Mudd College, Jeep is also a President of their 40-year-old unicycling club. As a freshman who had never seen a unicycle in his home country of Thailand, he initially wondered whether he could ride the strange one-wheeled vehicle farther than a meter. Now he can ride more than thirty miles in a day, backwards, and up stairs. A literal vehicle for explaining physics, chemistry and myriad scientific principles he plans to earn a Ph.D. with a full scholarship from the Thai government and become a university professor in Thailand, where he hopes to teach chemistry and start a unicycling club.