Regan Bowering

Fulbright Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Visiting PhD Student in Music – Columbia University

As a deeply personal, yet highly communicative art form, music unites disparate people, places, and historical moments and can articulate the most elusive aspects of human experience. These qualities inspired Regan to pursue a multi-faceted career of music performance, event management, academic study and teaching. Her current PhD research in Musicology (Goldsmiths, University of London) and practice as a percussionist, improviser and sound artist grapple with music's elusive qualities through a study of the relationships between rhythm, technology, and lived experiences of time in avant-garde music since 1960.

Regan graduated from Goldsmiths, University of London with a first-class Undergraduate degree in Music in 2019, and a Masters with distinction in 2020. Prior to beginning her academic studies as a mature student, she worked for eight years in music event management. Since then, Regan has used this experience to connect academia with the wider arts community through events, conferences, and the co-founding of an online journal for research and practice on audiovisual cultures.

During her Fulbright year as a visiting student at Columbia, Regan will complete her PhD archival research and develop two new practical projects under the supervision of Professor Seth Cluett, Director of the Columbia Computer Music Centre. This incredible opportunity will enable Regan to foster an international network of scholars, musicians, and sound artists and immerse herself in the unique creative histories and contemporary happenings of New York City.

Jasmine Brittan

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters of Transportation Systems - NYU

Jasmine Brittan, from Derby, is an ambitious engineering graduate of the University of Warwick.

During her undergraduate career, Jasmine worked on the sensor experiments team at the European Space Agency and was selected as a youth delegate to COP27. She also was involved in fundraising for the Warwick Boring Team, global finalists in Elon Musk’s Not-a-Boring Competition. Through this work, she was selected as an Engineering Leaders Scholar by the Royal Academy of Engineering.

In the US, Jasmine will pursue a degree combining her technical engineering background with policy. Her specific research ambitions pertain to the integration of urban air mobility transport within society.

Alongside her academics, Jasmine hopes to become involved in sport and entrepreneurship. More specifically, having already run the London Marathon she hopes to achieve the same feat in New York. She further hopes to become involved in dance as one of the passions she has followed since the age of three.

Amy Campbell

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Climate and Society - Columbia University

Amy is in the UK negotiations team to the UNFCCC COP, working in climate diplomacy, following a climate policy track in the UK's Civil Service Fast Stream stream for high potential graduates in government policy. Whilst on the Fast Stream, Amy led a climate and environment network that set up a climate and environment career anchor which is being rolled out across UK government.

The Fulbright in climate policy will give Amy skills and knowledge across adaptation and mitigation policy; she hopes to specialise in climate disaster preparedness at Columbia University. She applied to Fulbright to embed climate disaster preparedness in government policy and multilateralism. Amy hopes to work closely with Columbia's National Centre for Disaster Preparedness on climate vulnerable country disaster response. More recently, inspired by Laurie Laybourn, Amy was selected for the programme 'Cohort 2040' and has become interested in policy approaches to the polycrisis and derailment risk. Amy sees the climate crisis as a nexus - the most pressing threat implicating development, conflict, health, politics and migration.

Outside of climate policy, Amy is passionate about equal opportunity - having gotten onto the Fast Stream with the help of UpReach. She launched a mentoring scheme for public servants from disadvantaged backgrounds with a friend, and is a mentor for the Access: Climate and Environment project. During her undergraduate degree, she was funded to conduct research in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Israel and published a paper with Columbia University. Having grown up in Cornwall, she loves connecting with nature through surfing and long distance running.

Eleanor Clark

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Humanities - University of Chicago

Eleanor Clark is in her final year studying English at Merton College, Oxford. After three years reading and performing literary analysis on everything from Old English poetry to twenty-first century advertising campaigns, she is excited to study for a Master's degree in the US, specialising particularly in modern women's writing and rural modernity studies. Her research considers how conflicts of gender and nation interact with investments in land and place, and how these conflicts operate differently between modern Britain and North America. As an undergraduate, Eleanor met (online) some wonderful American scholars in this field through the International Virginia Woolf Society, for whom she wrote a prizewinning essay, and the Stanford-Berkeley Graduate Conference, where she presented on hallucinations as visions of authorship in mid-20th century British women's novels. She looks forward to continuing conversations like these in person.

As a writer of fiction and literary journalism, and outgoing Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford Review of Books, Eleanor hopes to get involved with the US's great tradition of student writing. Having grown up in rural South West England, where she enjoys hiking and outdoor swimming, she is also keen to continue these activities in the dramatically different scale and variety of the US landscape.

Mattie Denison

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Physics PhD - University of Pennsylvania

On the back of 4 years at Durham University, graduating this year with a MSc in Particles, Strings, and Cosmology; Mattie is looking forward to exploring the bigger and busier city of Philadelphia while studying for a PhD in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mattie will be joining the Center for Particle Cosmology studying how the smallest things in the Universe affect the structure of the Universe as a whole. She is very grateful for the opportunity Fulbright has granted her to work with leading researchers in this relatively young field, as well as the adventures she hopes to have travelling the beautiful natural parks of the US.

In parallel with her studies, Mattie aims to show how small actions make a big difference in increasing participation of women in Physics. With this in mind she is keen to continue her outreach efforts and volunteer with the Access Science programme at Penn, working with local schools to encourage science engagement.

Beyond the world of Physics, she is excited to see how the US lives up to the American literature she enjoys, and how easily her love of cricket and rugby will transfer to baseball and American football.

Rebs Fisher-Jackson

Fulbright-BAFTA Award, MFA Screenwriting - UCLA

Working in a Cornish pasty shop as a teenager, Rebs would spend her shifts dreaming about studying in the USA and creating stories for film and television. Growing up surrounded by American media, Rebs fell in love with the lives she saw on screen; her greatest wish as a child was to try candy corn at Halloween.

Rebs became the first person in her family to attend university. Whilst studying English Literature at Cardiff University, her late introduction to LGBTQ+ films pivoted Rebs towards a career creating positive representation on-screen. She knew from the moment she first stepped foot on a film set that she was home. Starting out as a locations trainee and in production, Rebs re-trained as a script supervisor with Screen Alliance Wales. She has since worked on more than 21 productions for the likes of Lucasfilm and the BBC, and on social film projects for the Iris Prize and International Youth Media Summit.

As a storyteller, Rebs is interested in telling stories about human connection and LGBTQ+ characters. She’s secured BFI Film Academy funding and made multiple award-winning shorts that have led her to obtain BAFTA Connect membership and achieve her first broadcast credit directing a short for BBC Wales. Rebs is thrilled to train at film school in the USA as a writer/director, a far cry away from the Cornish coastlines near where she grew up. She’s excited to make new friends on campus and learn about the industry from an American perspective. With mentoring from BAFTA and the new connections she’ll make, Rebs can’t wait to put her newfound knowledge towards diversifying the film and television industry.

Gidon Gautel

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MS Electrical and Computer Engineering - Boston University

Gidon Gautel is a passionate member of the global space community. He holds a BSc in Government and Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an MSc in Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Management from Imperial College Business School.

Gidon began his career at LSE IDEAS, LSE’s foreign policy think tank. Since 2019, he has worked at BryceTech, conducting industry analysis and project management across a range of space projects. He has also trained as a reservist for Air and Space Operations with the Royal Auxiliary Air Force since 2021.

Gidon is particularly interested in commercial human spaceflight and lunar development. He previously co-chaired the Moon Village Association’s Lunar Commerce Working Group and, in 2023, commanded Meili-1, an analogue astronaut mission in Scotland. In 2024, he will join the crew of the CHILL-ICE III mission in an Icelandic lunar lava tube analogue.

With the support of Fulbright, Gidon will pursue an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Boston University. Using his multidisciplinary skillset, he aims to lead future UK space missions and support US-UK space collaboration. Gidon is excited to engage with the US space community and apply his new technical skills at BU and in industry.

Ravi Ghosh

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Masters in Modern and Contemporary Art: Critical and Curatorial Studies - Columbia University

Ravi Ghosh is a London-based art critic and editor. He is deputy editor at the British Journal of Photography and formerly worked at the Financial Times and Elephant, a contemporary art magazine. His writing has also appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, Tribune, i-D, Verso, ArtReview, RA Magazine, The Baffler and many more publications. He has presented on photography and journalism at LCC, LSE, and at festivals including PhotoIreland, Fotografia Europea and Fotofestiwal Łódź. He has also collaborated with artists on monographs and other projects.

He studied English at the University of Oxford, graduating with a BA in 2018, and will build on this theoretical background at Columbia, capitalising on the full breadth of expertise within the Department of Art History & Archeology. His research will focus on photographic dialogues between the UK and US, the history of conceptual and video art, and art in South Asia. He will also engage with New York City’s rich critical and magazine culture, continuing his writing and mentoring with a new set of cultural prompts.

Ifan Jenkin

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, Master's of Science in Translational Research and Applied Medicine - Stanford University

Born and raised in South Wales, Ifan graduated from Oxford University Medical School amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has since worked as a Doctor in London, undertaking roles such as Clinical Fellow in Cardiac Surgery at St Thomas’ Hospital and, most recently, Clinical Research Fellow in Pulmonary Hypertension at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Whilst these roles on the clinical frontline have been immensely rewarding, Ifan's roles at both a biotechnology startup and life sciences investment fund, alongside multiple prize-winning research projects, have kindled his interest in the many challenges associated with delivering emerging therapies to their intended patients.

During his time at Stanford University, Ifan intends to hone a practical skill set in translational medicine and commercialisation which, combined with his clinical background, he hopes will enable his contribution to the efficient evaluation and harnessing of novel therapeutic potential, ultimately better enabling their timely integration into routine clinical practice.

Beyond academia, Ifan is keenly invested in a diverse array of activities, having placed third on Britain’s Got Talent with a Welsh boys’ choir, faced Mongolia’s national rugby team, performed with virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, and participated in Ironman triathlons. At Stanford, he hopes to continue in this vein by performing a piano concerto and attempting the renowned ‘Escape from Alcatraz’ triathlon.

Pavandeep Josan

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA International Studies - South Asian Studies - University of Washington

Pavandeep graduated from the University of Exeter in 2022 with a degree in History. He subsequently undertook an internship at the Index on Censorship, before beginning a role in government as a policy advisor at the Department for Education.

Navigating the first stage of his career, he has maintained his passion for South Asian history. In particular, he has nurtured his interest in exploring the influence of the Partition of India upon South Asian diasporic communities, the subject of his undergraduate dissertation.

This continued passion has led to a Fulbright Award to study for an MA in South Asian Studies at the University of Washington, in which he will be able to build on his interests by researching the influence of Partition upon the development of the South Asian community in the United States.

He’s excited to learn more about one of the most fascinating diasporic groups in the world, alongside experiencing the unique nature of US college life the Pacific Northwest. A huge sports fan and supporter of the Kansas City Chiefs, he also looks forward to immersing himself in American sport, although he fears that exposure to cricket, his favourite sport, will be hard to come by!

Aimée Lister

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MA in Arab Studies - Georgetown University

Aimée graduated with a BA in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge, UK in 2020. On graduating, she moved to Japan, completed a postgraduate law conversion remotely at the University of Law, and founded a copywriting business that supports global tech startups.

Her experiences through her own business, living in 3 continents over the past 5 years, as well as roles at the Asia Society in Japan and Jamal Khashoggi’s DAWN MENA, made her appreciate the role that cultural dialogue plays within broader spaces of foreign policy and international relations. This fully crystallised whilst living in Lebanon and working on the media and editorial team at afikra, a global media and community organization dedicated to reframing dominant understandings of the Arab world by promoting the region’s cultures and histories.

With the support of the Fulbright scholarship, she is delighted to be pursuing an MA in Arab Studies at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She is looking forward to building out an interdisciplinary course of study through which she will gain greater understandings of the Arab world, particularly through a cultural and societal lens. Beyond academics, Aimée is also excited by the prospect of exploring DC and involving herself in the city’s vibrant Asian-American community.

Alaya Rathore Mathur

Fulbright Postgraduate Student Award, LLM at Indiana Maurer School of Law

Graduating from the University of Nottingham with an undergraduate degree in Law & Chinese Law, Alaya understood the importance of cultural exchange whilst studying abroad at the University of Hong Kong.  Falling in love with the city, she returned to Hong Kong in 2023 to work for a local education charity, where she gained a ground-level perspective of the importance of cross-cultural communication and community building through cultural barriers.

Looking to gain a similar level of insight in the commercial and entrepreneurial spaces, Alaya has gained a place in Maurer’s unique Learning and Working LLM. Intending to build on her European and Asian legal experiences, Alaya hopes to learn from her placement with the Elmore Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at IU, where she can gain strong practical experience in high impact areas of law whilst working with early stage high-potential companies as they look for expansion opportunities. Ground up understanding of the practical issues facing these entrepreneurial companies will provide her with a strong head start in her post-graduate career as an aspiring lawyer.

Outside of academics, Alaya is an avid reader and a (semi-talented) amateur creative writer. Loving to share her passion, she took the responsibility of running a successful community creative writing class while living in Hong Kong. She plans to run a creative writing class in Bloomington and to discover the charms of the midwest, all whilst working her way through her Google Maps list of Indiana bookmarked restaurants!

Lewis McClenaghan

Fulbright Postgraduate All Disciplines Award, Masters of Arts Administration - Columbia University

Lewis McClenaghan graduated from the University of Warwick with a BA in Film and Literature in 2019. Whilst at Warwick his research interests gravitated towards Queer cinema and Aesthetics, Adaptation Theory, Representations of AIDS and illness onscreen, and Global/National Cinemas. He then completed the Wellcome Trust's 2-year Graduate Development program, where he completed placements across a wide range of cultural projects, such as the Wellcome Collections research and development team, The Hub residency with LandBodyEcologies and the program Mindscapes.

He also completed a 6-month placement with the UK Civil Services Department for Health and Social Care Global Health Team. After this, he opted for a slight change and moved to Colombia for two years to work as an English teacher with the British Council and translator.

He will go to the USA to complete a Masters's program in an inter-disciplinary arts, culture and policy program that will equip him with the skills to continue advancing in his career.

Ella McCoshan

Fulbright Elsevier Award in Data Analytics, PhD in Environment - Yale University

Ella McCoshan is a Spatial Data Scientist and Urban Planner with a keen interest in tackling the complex challenges associated with urban change, from enhanced hazard exposure to public health crises. She holds an MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Space Syntax from the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

Since 2021, Ella has contributed to urban development projects across several continents, engaging with diverse topics including containing unsustainable urban sprawl, monitoring street network and land use change, and promoting walkable urban environments. These experiences have reinforced her awareness of the growing data and knowledge gaps surrounding processes of urban change, particularly in the Global South.

As a doctoral student in the Seto Lab for Urbanisation and Global Change at Yale University, Ella will have a unique opportunity to develop novel research and methods to support equitable and resilient urban change across global contexts. She is excited to explore the dynamics of urban change, particularly in informal areas, and collaborate with international organisations, governments and communities.

Alongside her research, Ella hopes to continue playing the French horn and engaging with community and charity initiatives. She can’t wait to embrace life across the pond!

Simran Mohnani

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award, MBA - Stanford University

Simran is a Chemical Engineer, Industry 4.0 Consultant, and Climate Intrapreneur driving the Net Zero transition across hard-to-abate sectors. Growing up as a Maltese-Indian, she has witnessed the effects of rising sea levels in the Mediterranean and the disproportionate impact on women’s education in times of catastrophe. As a brown, female engineer this has translated to working at the forefront of innovation in combatting our world’s biggest crisis – climate change – while in parallel advocating to close the gender STEM skills gap.

Since graduating from the University of Bath, she has worked in designing bioreactors for cultured meat, reducing waste at the Cadbury chocolate factory, and digitising COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing. Simran now leads Circular Economy Innovation for Deloitte UK, building green ventures with startups, industry and academia. Innovating across R&D, manufacturing and consulting has enabled her to see the extent to which UK engineering and business are entwined in scaling climate tech. Simran will be studying for her MBA at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business – with a focus on advancing CleanTech solutions through academic spinouts. She plans to work in impact investing before then starting her own female-focused deeptech fund.

Outside her role, Sim is passionate about empowering youth and intersectional voices for a just and equitable transition. She runs a diversity network across the UK, US and India as well as serving as a One Young World ambassador, World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and UN Women volunteer in championing youth voices on climate action and educational access. She is a Stanford BOLD Fellow and Sainsbury Management Fellow, and is particularly excited about exploring the California dance scene as a Bollywood and Bhangra choreographer.

Jonathan Rampley-Sturgeon

Fulbright Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism, Columbia University

Johnny is a boatbuilder and maritime storyteller from Yorkshire. He grew up sailing with his Grandpa and has been captivated by the wild and watery rogues of the High Seas ever since.  

After graduating from the University of Oxford in 2022 with a degree in History & Politics, he pursued an atypical post-graduate route by deciding to spend 20 months back North working in a boatyard. Living in a rural fishing village with a population of just 9 others, he single-handedly renovated a former oil-rig lifeboat into a floating tiny home to an audience of millions online. He has since moved ‘Orla’ to London where he lives onboard and continues to make videos about life afloat.  

Professionally, he hopes to one day combine this digital platform with his new position as a Fulbrighter to raise awareness of the vast swathes of maritime conflict oft overlooked in traditional journalism. From piracy and sea slavery to overfishing and environmental activism, Johnny hopes to use his time at Columbia Journalism School to improve his writing and be schooled in formal ethical and conflict-based procedures. As a student of the Documentary Specialization programme, he is also excited to gain further hands-on camera experience. 

Ella Robinson

Fulbright-American University Award, MA in Journalism and Public Affairs: Investigative Journalism - American University

Ella will graduate with a BA in Social Sciences (Politics and Sociology) from the University of Manchester in 2024. During her placement year, Ella was Editor-in-Chief of The Mancunion, the biggest student newspaper in the UK, leading the team to win four national awards.

Ella’s award-winning journalism consistently focuses on amplifying the voices of those who are too often ignored by the mainstream media. Named ‘Best Journalist in the North’ and highly commended nationally for her collaborative investigative reporting with Manchester’s Disabled Students’ Society, she was subsequently invited to judge Amnesty Media’s Student Journalist of the Year Award. She looks forward to learning new investigative skills during her Masters at American University, and to putting them into practice through the Investigative Journalism Practicum.

Ella has consistently sought to make the journalism industry more accessible. At Manchester, she co-organised the largest ever Women in Media Conference, and launched The Mancunion’s mentor scheme, connecting current students with alumni. In 2023 she was elected as Training and Opportunities Officer for the Student Publication Association, supporting 200 student publications across the UK and Ireland. She hopes to bring this ethos of supportive knowledge sharing to her American University studies and to the Fulbrighters’ network.

Eleanor Tack

Fulbright All Disciplines Award, Masters of Law - Columbia University

Eleanor left school and moved to France to work in a Red Cross emergency housing centre where she supported asylum seekers and families in crisis. Inspired by the people she worked with, Eleanor went on to study International Relations at King's College London, with a focus on public international law. Upon graduation Eleanor returned to France to continue working with the Red Cross, this time in Paris but regularly deployed to informal migrant camps across the country. She worked in the Family Tracing department, reconnecting families who had lost contact with one another during conflict or migration. This experience cemented Eleanor's desire to use the law to create change and protect the vulnerable; she returned to the UK to complete her Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) with a view to becoming a barrister.

After completing her GDL, Eleanor moved to Johannesburg to clerk at the Constitutional Court of South Africa under Justice Leona Theron, where she began to understand how differing constitutional structures effect the capacity of the law to protect vulnerable people such as migrants. This is the theme Eleanor hopes to explore through her Masters of Law programme in the USA, selecting modules which focus on comparative constitutional law and the rights of migrants with a view to combining these two discrete areas of practice in a way which will help lawyers better understand how to harness the law to protect vulnerable migrants. Outside of her work and studies, Eleanor is a Trustee at The Society of Mediators, training people across the world in mediation and also sits on the Board of Directors at Bridging the Bar, a charity she launched in 2020 with a group of barristers to diversify the profession.

Pragya Agarwal

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Professor Pragya Agarwal is a behavioural and data scientist, and founder of a research think-tank 'The 50 Percent Project'. Born in India, Agarwal came to the UK almost twenty-one years on a British Council fellowship to study for a Masters and stayed on to do a PhD. Following a PhD from the University of Nottingham, Pragya held the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship and has held senior academic positions and visiting fellowships around the globe.

She is currently a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice in the UK, and holds fellowships from University of Oxford, Newnham College (Cambridge), Churchill Trust, British Library/Eccles Center for The Americas, and Royal Literary Foundation. She is the author of four widely acclaimed non-fiction books including Sway (which was Guardian 'Book of the Week'), Hysterical and (M)otherhood, and her writing has also appeared widely in The Guardian, New Scientist, Wired, Scientific American, Times Literary Supplement, Literary Hub, amongst others. Pragya has been awarded the Transmission Prize for 'making complex scientific ideas accessible' and Crucible NESTA award for 'innovative inter-disciplinary work', and funding from Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Society of Authors, and Royal Society of Literature.

As part of the Fulbright Scholar award, Agarwal will be researching bias in legal systems, specifically in the areas of immigration and reproductive justice. She is also interested in studying the role of maps and data in judicial decision-making.

More information on Pragya's research and writing can be found on her Twitter and Instagram: @drpragyaagarwal and her website drpragyaagarwal.com

Hilary Bishop

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - NYU

Hilary Bishop will be based at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University where she will be working with Irish and Irish Americans to record their narratives in relation to the living heritage associated with Ireland’s Mass paths. Mass paths are an intimate part of the Irish landscape and provide a tangible link to Irish history and heritage, yet they have no official definition, status or protection. Many are being lost due to house building, infrastructure projects or changing farming practices. Bishop aims to find new innovative ways of measuring and managing living heritage that can support future policy making and better protect these historic pathways. 

Bishop has secured a reputation as a leading practitioner in her field, recognised through Chartered Geographer status awarded by the Royal Geographical Society and she is also listed on the directory of experts of the British Association of Irish Studies. Her research into Catholic Mass sites and Mass paths in Ireland has provided one of the most comprehensive and multidimensional critical analyses of their significance in the retention of Catholic identity. 

Bishop is most proud of her public website www.findamassrock.com which provides a free community resource and lists many of the Mass sites that she has visited and researched. She is most excited about the opportunities that the Fulbright offers to immerse herself in the culture that New York has to offer and plans to make an initial beeline to Central Park which was modelled on a park in Birkenhead where she was born.

Jeff Davies

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - Salk Institute (San Diego, CA)

Jeff Davies graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Cardiff University. Jeff’s passion for neuroscience research was crystalised during his doctoral research project where he worked in collaboration with endocrinologists and neuroscientists to better understand how the brain controls growth and metabolism.  

Since 2013, he has been an associate professor at the School of Medicine at Swansea University. Jeff has identified new roles for old hormones, in projects linking factors in the blood with brain function that is impaired in Parkinson’s disease and dementia. While at the Salk Institute, Jeff aims to investigate the connection between the endocrine, immune and nervous systems from the perspective of older age and disease. 

This Fulbright will give Jeff the opportunity to integrate learning from the laboratory and community settings to encourage better dialogue between scientists, people diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorders, study participants, policymakers, and the general public. 

Outside of the laboratory, Jeff volunteers with multiple organisations promoting the STEM field to under-represented groups – whether mentoring school children through the Nuffield Foundation Research Placement scheme; or celebrating science at the Urdd National Eisteddfod’s science pavilion - and is excited to expand this work within San Diego. 

Peter Gogalniceanu

Fulbright-Lloyds Scholar Award - Harvard University

Dr Petrut Gogalniceanu (Peter) is a consultant transplant surgeon at Guy’s Hospital in London with 24 years of experience working in the UK’s National Health System. He holds a PhD in crisis management and human factors from King’s College London and a Master's in Education from Imperial College London. His research focuses on high performance in safety-critical environments, healthcare security and health systems design. He leads the Executive Fellowship in Surgical Leadership at King’s Health Partners. 

Peter will join the International Security Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government (Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs). His work will focus on developing frameworks for health systems’ security and intelligence in the context of armed conflict and other critical disruptions to business continuity. 

Anthony Harris

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - Harvard University

Anthony co-founded a successful U.K. software business, sold it in 2007, and returned to university to pursue a second career in academia. He completed a foundation certificate in humanities at CONTED (Oxford), an MA (Oxon) in English, MA (Res) in Medieval Studies, and PhD (Cantab) in early mathematics, astronomy, and philology. 

He teaches Academic Writing and Digital Researching, and supervises for e-commerce, e-business, and optimising compilers at Clare Hall (Cambridge) where he is a research fellow, and teaches and tutors for Shakespeare and Chaucer at Oxford. His research interests lie at the intersection of science, humanities, and the digital humanities. He is excited to be researching early manuscripts of science at the Houghton Library (Harvard University) in early 2025 where he also hopes to do some guest teaching and lecturing, and plans to volunteer in the local rowing community. 

Anthony has discovered that being a mature student is not easy but being a mature academic in the humanities is much harder because the area is so competitive. As a ‘Fulbrighter’ he hopes to act as a role model for other mature students and mature academics to demonstrate that it is never too late to succeed in life as long as you are persistent and go where your interests take you. 

Fusako Innami

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Fusako Innami is Associate Professor in Japanese and Performance Studies at Durham University, and author of Touching the Unreachable: Writing, Skinship, Modern Japan (Michigan, 2021). She lives according to an ethos of intercultural understanding, knowledge exchange, and community building through arts and cultures with her embodied experience in Japan, Italy, the US, and the UK. Since her childhood study of classical ballet and music, she has reflected on what it means to integrate gestures, movements, and rhythms migrating from different continents to enter her body.  

As an academic, dance reviewer, and practitioner, Fusako conducts dance workshops in Japan, “Touch,” to translate touch in literature back to moving bodies; and an ongoing international symposium, “Translating Embodiedness,” to develop new methodologies for translating embodied practices across media. 

Fusako’s Fulbright project, Gestural Writing: Performance, Topography, Trace, concerns performance which by its very nature disappears. How do we recollect live performances that are not available in recordings, but only remain in the form of reviews, scores, pictures, or digitized archives? Her project gathers traces of dancers’ transcultural movements, contacts, and memoirs. Based in the Department of Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, she will explore new methods of reconstructing past performances. 

Amy Lawton

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - Villanova University

Amy is a Senior Lecturer in Tax Law at the University of Edinburgh and is passionate about community engagement and pro bono in tax. Her clinic, the Scottish Tax Clinic, has saved over a hundred thousand pounds for people in Scotland. As a Fulbright Scholar, Amy is keen to learn how her clinic can grow from one of the most experienced tax clinic countries in the world: the United States. 

While at Villanova University, Amy will be immersing herself in one of the oldest tax clinics in the United States. The Villanova Federal Tax Clinic represents, litigates for and provides a voice for low-income taxpayers. It plays a crucial role in making sure the US tax system is fair for individuals who may otherwise not have a voice. 

Beyond learning from this clinic, Amy’s Fulbright project seeks to explore the impact of legal representation in the tax court in both the US and the UK. Are taxpayers more likely to succeed if they can afford to pay for this representation? It is important to identify the voices that are being heard in the shaping of our tax law. 

Fiona McNeill

Fulbright-Rita Allen Scholar Award - University of California, San Diego

Fiona McNeill is a Reader in Computing Education at the University of Edinburgh.  She is passionate about access to computing and STEM education, especially for groups that are often excluded, such as women and girls, and people from economically deprived backgrounds.  A key focus of her research is inclusive computing education, which aims not only to support and develop a broad range of students beyond those who conform to stereotypes of computer scientists, but also to embed ethical and social issues in the computing curriculum to create graduates who are equipped for the modern world, where technology increasingly drives all our lives. 

The Fulbright scholarship gives her the opportunity for collaborative research in this area with the University of California, San Diego.  Both UCSD and UoE have been developing inclusive student support programmes over the past two years. The focus of the scholarship is to share experience in implementing these programmes to develop a broader understanding of how to do this effectively in different contexts, and specifically to explore how lessons learnt from an initiative designed in a US university can be implemented in the very different context of a UK university, and vice versa. 

Ben Quail

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Texas - Austin

Why leave the rain of Glasgow for the sunshine of Texas? Well, besides the obvious improvement in the weather, Austin is where any researcher interested in the 1960s, and in Pacific-American relations, should be. The University of Texas at Austin hosts not only the archives of President Lyndon Johnson - the first sitting US President to visit Australia - but also one of the only dedicated centers for the study of Australia and New Zealand in North America. 

Johnson and Australia are at the heart of Ben Quail's project, which examines how interpersonal relations evolved between Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt. The two men made fast friends, formed an advantageous political relationship for both countries, and set the tone for future US-Australian relations from the 1960s to the trilateral AUKUS agreement of the 2020s. This research asks key questions: did Johnson’s friendship with Holt affect relations between Australia and America, or did diplomacy affect Johnson’s relationship with Holt? Which is more important in the development of policy between the two countries? 

The work builds on Ben's previous research and teaching in the area. Having completed a master's degree researching US post-war foreign policy in Europe, Ben became interested in the relationship between President Johnson, Vietnam, and foreign policy. This research led to a PhD at the University of Strathclyde reviewing the administration's attempts to sell foreign and domestic policies to the American people which was adapted into a research monograph in 2019. Ben is excited to further this research by focusing on a key military ally in Australia, and to be able to spend time attending concerts in Austin, which, like Glasgow, is well-known for live music! 

Alan Rice

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Michigan

Alan Rice is Professor in English and American Studies at UCLan, Preston. He has been working on the interdisciplinary study of Transatlantic Black Cultures for forty years. For his Fulbright Fellowship, to be held at one of the oldest African American Studies programmes at the University of Michigan, Rice will undertake new research in military archives and present his long-running project on the Battle of Bamber Bridge (1943) where in a small Lancashire town the imposition of Jim Crow segregation led to pushback both from local residents and the Black GIs. The tensions culminated in oppression by the American military police and a violent stand-off that led to the death of one of the Black soldiers and expressions of solidarity against racism from many of the locals. My project will, for the first time, investigate the incident through the voices of the working class civilians and the perspective of the troops themselves rather than the partial testimonies from court martial records. Apart from University audiences, Rice will engage with Veterans and local community groups to disseminate knowledge about these little known European events which were a contributing factor to the development of the American Civil Rights Movement. 

Glyn Robbins

Fulbright-Rutgers Newark Scholar Award - Rutgers University

Glyn Robbins has worked in, written about and campaigned on housing for over 30 years. From 2011 to 2021, he managed a council estate in Islington, before embarking on a Fulbright Scholarship, when he was attached to the CUNY Graduate Centre, lived in the Bronx and got involved in local housing activism. Since returning, Glyn has worked in academia, first at the University of Sheffield, where he carried out research into the links between UK housing policy and racism and the history of community-led planning. Since January 2024, he has been a senior lecturer at London Metroplitan University, where he completed his PhD in planning and urban policy a decade earlier. His writing has been published in numerous places, including The Guardian and Jacobin. In 2017, he published a book, "There's No Place", comparing US and UK housing policy. He is currently researching a biography of Abraham Kazan, the founding father of co-op housing for working class people in New York City. Glyn is an active anti-racist campaigner and trade unionist. He is currently the Secretary of Tower Hamlets Trades Council.

Matthew Wilcox

Fulbright Royal College Surgeons Scholar Award - Havard University

Dr. Matt Wilcox is an incoming trainee surgeon within the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Deanery. He is also the lead for Clinical Translational Research at the University College London, Centre for Nerve Engineering (https://www.nerve-engineering.ucl.ac.uk/).  

Dr. Wilcox became fascinated with nerve injury medicine as a medical student after he was caught up in the 2017 Borough Market terrorist attacks. He encountered patients with nerve injuries often leaving them with permanent loss of movement and chronic pain. This lived experience has motivated Dr. Wilcox to focus his clinical and research efforts on restoring function to nerve injured patients.  

His research focuses on developing blood tests which monitor nerve injuries to identifying imaging methods to track muscles as they recover after a nerve injury. It is hoped this will encourage clinical trials of therapies which lead to improved patient outcomes.  

His Fulbright scholarship marks the establishment of an important collaboration between a major centre for nerve injury based within Harvard University, USA (led by Dr. Justin Brown and Dr. Ross Mandeville) and Dr. Wilcox’s team in London. This will bring together a diverse range of clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate this programme of clinical research. 

Ava Arteaga

Fulbright/University of Leicester Award

Ava Arteaga graduated with Latin Honors, achieving a BA in Communication and Social Influence from Temple University. Ava’s passion for researching addiction in the media stemmed from her personal recovery journey and through her work in addiction treatment facilities, having worked as both a Behavioral Health Technician for inpatient treatment and as a Health Promotion Intern at an LGBTQIA+ center. 
 
Since 2023, Ava has been participating in a cooperative education program as a Corporate Communication Coordinator with Independence Blue Cross, the leading health insurance company in the Philadelphia region. Part of her role includes creating communications on collegiate recovery in Pennsylvania, a topic Ava works closely with outside of the office. In April 2023, she served as a panel speaker at the Research to Recovery conference to discuss collegiate recovery and the navigation of recovery as a BIPOC student. While at the University of Leicester, Ava aims to investigate digital news media portrayals of drug use/users in the UK. This Fulbright will give her the opportunity to integrate learning from the classroom, laboratory, and community settings to inform interventions to combat stigma and promote more accurate and compassionate representations of those struggling with substance use.  
 
Outside of the laboratory, Ava volunteers with several nonprofits that serve under-represented groups or health initiatives, whether it’s providing career development resources with the National Urban League, organizing fundraising events for UNICEF, or writing blogs for the American Red Cross. She is excited to expand this work in Leicester, UK. 

Katy Ayers

Fulbright/University of Exeter Award

Katy Ayers graduated in May 2024 with a BSc in Bioengineering from Washington State University. Katy is most recognizable as a Guinness World Record holder for growing the World’s Largest Fungal Mycelium Boat. This achievement was funded by the Nebraska State Fair Sustainability Pavilion and can still be viewed during the Nebraska State Fair.  
Katy’s early research focused on the correlation between honeybees and fungal extracts as an antiviral treatment for colony collapse disorder. She pioneered a project to grow fungal bee hotels for solitary bees to investigate similar correlations in endemic species. Katy joined a protein engineering lab in 2023 to study human cardiac proteins, aiming to later apply these skills to fungal research.  

Eager to begin her studies at the University of Exeter, Katy will work toward a MSc in Advanced Biological Sciences. Learning from experiences in the Fulbright program, Katy aims to become a global scientist, traveling to address fungal pathogen outbreaks and contributing to safety regulations for antifungal pharmaceuticals. Katy is especially excited to collaborate with leading experts at the Centre for Medicinal Mycology, driving her closer to her research career dedicated to solving critical health and environmental challenges. 

Samhitha Balaji

Fulbright/University of Sheffield Award

Samhitha graduated with a BS in Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience and a minor in Computer Science. Samhitha’s interest in research piqued when she was awarded the Frances Velay Fellowship, investigating the photoreduction of chemical warfare agent simulants. She later found her niche in neurological research during her senior project, involving spinal cord axon regeneration through novel protein inhibition. 
 
Upon entering Temple University (TU), Samhitha explored the interdisciplinarity of medicine and research by studying various fields including catalytic chemistry, computer programming, and neurocognition. Along with her academic background, Samhitha’s time as a medical assistant and undergraduate researcher have prepared her to pursue an MSc in Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield. During her Fulbright, Samhitha aims to explore the intersection of clinical and laboratory studies to better understand and treat neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or dementia. 
 
Beyond the lab environment, Samhitha has spent time as a computer science teacher’s assistant and as a volunteer at the local hospital and underdeveloped communities of Philadelphia. Both experiences have allowed her to discover the importance of giving back to the community one is surrounded by, something she is looking forward to continuing in Sheffield. 

Kayla Berg

Fulbright/King's College London Award

Kayla holds an MA in International Relations from American University where she built a foundation of understanding individual actors within the global arena and how larger concepts in national security were driven by individual people. Her dissertation examined how the Stasi used individual representations of self in the case of Romeo Spies. During her undergraduate studies in psychology, Kayla explored how emotions and perceptions can shape the lens through which individuals see their environment and make decisions. She was also a Kathryn Davis Fellow for Peace at Middlebury College (German).  
 
After university, Kayla built a career in public service connecting and navigating the complexities of the relationship between people, politics and government. As a PhD student at King’s College London Department of War Studies, her research will focus on how the GDR Ministry for State Security used psychology in the collection of personal information of foreign adversaries during the Cold War. This Fulbright will give Kayla the opportunity to help develop new dimensions when exploring the contemporary relevance of Cold War history. She looks forward to connecting with others in her community by volunteering with the Scouts, mountain biking and exploring the many landscapes of the United Kingdom.

Sanjit Beriwal

Fulbright/Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Sanjit Beriwal graduated from Duke University with a BS in Economics and BA in Political Science. He was born and raised in Pennsylvania. Through the Fulbright Scholarship, he aims to receive an MSc in International Relations from Royal Holloway, University of London.  
 
Sanjit's academic and research interests include peacebuilding, post-conflict reconstruction, global violence prevention, and armed conflict resolution. After graduation, he ultimately seeks to work for NGOs or the US government in aid work related to conflict prevention and resolution. He also aspires to pursue a law degree to open up opportunities to participate in peace negotiations. 
 
Outside of school, Sanjit enjoys stand-up comedy, reading, and watching movies!

Emily Bischoff

Fulbright/Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Emily is a passionate advocate for environmental justice and is excited about channeling this into an MA in Political Ecology from Lancaster University. Emily graduated from Brandeis University with a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies with highest honors. During her time in school Emily studied abroad in Panama with the School for Field Studies (SFS) and completed a research project analyzing the relationship local stakeholders have with mangrove ecosystems which she continued to expand on for her senior thesis. 

Emily also led a student organization pushing for fossil fuel divestment and led actions around other climate justice causes, along with participating in a mutual aid organization and several other social justice campaigns. After graduating, Emily moved to Australia to work with SFS. In her role, Emily mentored students while they studied abroad in Australia, assisted with fieldwork, engaged in community service initiatives, and more. While there, Emily also volunteered at a social services organization connecting clients with resources and providing direct aid to address systemic poverty.  

Emily is excited about continuing her education at Lancaster and aspires to engage in justice-oriented research rooted in feminist political ecology and involve herself in local organizations addressing systemic poverty and environmental justice.  

Adrienne Chaparro

Fulbright/University of York Award

Adrienne Chaparro served as the Curatorial Assistant for Exhibitions at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA from 2022 until the start of her Fulbright program in 2024. She curated two exhibitions that opened in the summer of 2024 featuring contemporary photography celebrating and affirming multifaceted LGBTQIA+  experiences through portraiture.  
 
Adrienne received a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from Tufts University in 2013. Her classroom experience and internship at the Harvard Art Museums affirmed her aspiration for a career in museums. Paired with her interest in Western European medieval art, Adrienne’s goal is to serve her community using art by developing exhibitions and conducting innovative research as a museum curator.  
 
As a student in the University of York’s MA in Art History (Medieval Art and Medievalisms), made possible through the Fulbright Special Study/Research award, Adrienne will build foundational knowledge of Western European medieval art based within the context of a global Middle Ages. She will also explore the modern and contemporary uses of the Middle Ages that can inspire or harm society. Ultimately, she hopes to show how diverse the Middle Ages were through art, and its relevance to our lives today.

Jaemon Crosby

Fulbright/John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Jaemon Crosby is a recent graduate from Syracuse University. He graduated with a BFA in acting and a concentration in vocal performance. Jaemon began his acting career in high school where he quickly realized the power, influence, and important of live theatre. 

In his time at SU he had the opportunity to be in many shows and work the professional theatre Syracuse Stage. Through exploration of many plays during college, he developed a passion for language in a play, which drove him to the world of classical theatre, which has historically been written and performed by white men. With this Fulbright, Jaemon will study classical acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, where he hopes to help diversify this world and aid in the movement of bringing these messages to today’s world and exploring the messages through a modern lens. Representation within theatre is very important topic to Jaemon and he wants to help young Black youth see themselves represented on the stage and on the screen. 

While in London, Jaemon also hopes to volunteer at Shakespeare’s Globe and to learn about Black culture in the UK by exploring spaces such as the Black cultural archives.

Kristin Daniel

Fulbright/University of Birmingham Award

Kristin graduated with a BS in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. She developed her passion for infant and maternal health through work on preeclampsia in the Wayne Macrophage Lab. While at the University of Birmingham, Kristin will continue her work on preeclampsia, expanding research on diagnostics and preventative treatments. By combining learning experiences in community and academic settings, she hopes to provide important research that will expand our understanding of the disease. Outside the laboratory, Kristin volunteers with groups working to improve health outcomes during and after pregnancy through community care and support. 

Richa Desai

Fulbright/University of Leeds Award

Richa Desai is from Metuchen, New Jersey. She graduated with a BS in Computational Biology and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in April 2024. 
As an undergraduate, Richa wrote a thesis studying British colonial public health data production in India, examining the conceptual foundations of evidence-based public health science and policy. Richa is also passionate about air quality in Pittsburgh and examined citizen science data practices through an internship with the nonprofit GASP. On campus, she was also Vice President of the Anthropology Club at Pitt. 

Richa is excited to begin her MA by Research in History at the University of Leeds. She intends to study how international actors produced and used data for the shared purpose of eradicating smallpox. Overall, she hopes to study the histories and politics of scientific development by thoughtfully challenging assumptions around objectivity, data, and computing. After returning to the US, she will pursue a Ph.D. in the History and Sociology of Science. Outside the classroom, Richa hopes to consider the similarities of post-industrial landscapes and environments between Yorkshire and Southwestern Pennsylvania. She looks forward to enjoying museums, live music, and bookshops in the UK.

Claire Ellis

Fulbright/London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Claire graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a B.A. in History in 2024. In her junior year, she studied history at Pembroke College, the University of Oxford, as a visiting student. For her senior thesis, she wrote about the impact of Afro-Caribbean British protest in London onto changes to British public policy in the late twentieth century. As a member of the Tufts community, she coordinated and participated in a community service program facilitating volunteer opportunities in the Greater Boston Area for fellow students. 

At LSE, Claire will pursue a MSc in Empires, Colonialism, and Globalisation within the Department of International History. She will continue her research on the second generation of Windrush migrants and, in addition to social and political history, is interested in learning more about forms of economic resistance under empire.  

In her free time, Claire is interested in working as a volunteer student consultant at LSE to promote inclusion and access. She is excited to immerse herself in London’s multicultural cuisine and to explore the UK via train. Claire hopes to apply her study of social and political history to public policy work and post-graduate studies. 

Athena Hay

Fulbright/University of Strathclyde Award

Athena Hay earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, with a core belief that architecture is inherently a social service. She's committed to creating equitable housing and climate-resilient designs by integrating renewable energies and passive strategies. 
 
Following her studies, Athena worked as an architectural designer in small Boston firms, specializing in local affordable housing, private residences, and educational facilities. She's drawn to the opportunity to study architecture at the University of Strathclyde in the UK, immersing herself in its robust social work and sustainable design research programs. During her time in Glasgow, Athena plans to explore Scotland's long-established public housing initiatives. 
 
The Fulbright scholarship not only offers Athena educational resources to advance her architectural expertise but also nurtures a broader global perspective, crucial for her aspirations in service to the greater public. 
 
Outside of architecture, Athena actively volunteers with various organizations, from voter registration drives, to park clean-ups, to supporting children grieving parental loss. During her time abroad, she intends to continue volunteering with local Glasgow organizations. 

Morgan Holder

Fulbright/University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Morgan Holder, of Scottsboro, AL, recently graduated summa cum laude from The University of Alabama with a BA with honors in dance and English and a minor in The Blount Scholars Program. Morgan is excited to continue her education at The University of Roehampton, where she will earn an MFA in Dance and Embodied Practice. While at Roehampton, she plans to research the intersection between neurodiversity and dance. 
 
At UA, Morgan engaged in interdisciplinary research within the fields of dance and English. Her English honors thesis critiqued representations of hysteria in the ballet Giselle. In 2022, she founded Ripple Arts Review, a digital magazine for arts criticism. Morgan was also an active dancer and choreographer and had the honor of being a member of Yonder Contemporary Dance Company, Alabama Repertory Dance Theatre, and the inaugural Emerging Choreographers’ Showcase while at UA. Through Yonder, Morgan has presented choreography and performed at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe. 
 
Morgan is looking forward to returning to the UK after participating in the Fringe and studying abroad at Oxford University. She is excited to dive back into the UK arts scene, explore London’s many bookshops, and simply get lost in London.

Nate Johnson

Fulbright/Ulster University Award

Nate Johnson works as a Staff Attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group, a legal nonprofit, where he preserves housing for New York tenants. Before working at NYLAG, Nate graduated cum laude from Fordham Law School in May 2022. As a member of Fordham’s International Human Rights Clinic, Nate researched carceral abolitionist movements, comparing their goals and practices to those of the international human rights regime. This research culminated in "Anti-Carceral Human Rights Advocacy," an article published in the University of Pennsylvania Law School's Journal for Law and Social Change in July 2023.  
 
Through the Fulbright, Nate will continue his human rights education by pursuing a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Transitional Justice from Ulster University in Belfast. While at Ulster, Nate will conduct independent research into potential anti-carceral remedies for recent human rights abuses within the context of Northern Ireland and beyond.  
 
Additionally, Nate hopes to volunteer at PeacePlayers, an organization that uses sports to bridge the gap between Catholic and Protestant youth, combining his interest in affirmative community-based programs with his lifelong love of basketball.

Winter Johnson

Fulbright/University of Kent Award

Winter graduated from DePaul University with a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a minor in Irish Studies. She received the 2024 Outstanding Graduate in Anthropology Award from DePaul’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and multiple departmental awards for her undergraduate research in cultural anthropology. Winter was also published twice in DePaul’s peer-reviewed academic journal Creating Knowledge, where she wrote about the impact of communal memory and group identity in Northern Ireland and the effect of neoliberal conditions on virtual community participation. She also served as a teaching assistant within the anthropology department, where she co-managed the archaeology lab and acted as a guest lecturer.  
 
During her undergraduate career, Winter developed a love for studying theoretical frameworks and research methodologies and has used this background to explore her interests in identity politics and the driving factors behind group participation, including radicalization processes and ideology dissemination. By pursuing an MA in Sociology at the University of Kent, she plans to further explore the intersection between far-right ideologies and online misogynistic communities. She hopes that this research will contribute to preventative and proactive initiatives that offer alternatives to radicalization and deradicalization methods.

Lindsay Keiser

Fulbright/University of Warwick Award

Keiser graduated with a BSc in Chemistry (American Chemical Society accredited) and a minor in history from Lebanon Valley College (LVC). As a chemist and a historian, Keiser has been long enthralled with the history of preserving the heritage of diverse cultures and communities.  
 
For most of her undergraduate experience, Keiser participated in student-faculty research, leading to three poster presentations at LVC's annual Inquiry Symposium and one poster presentation at an American Chemical Society National Conference. Keiser combined her love for museums and chemistry in her undergraduate thesis, conducted in collaboration with scientists at the Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library in Delaware, which examined the degradation of a nitrocellulose lacquer used to protect silver and silver-plated objects.  
 
While at the University of Warwick, Keiser is excited to gain a deeper understanding of the materials and analytical techniques studied and used by cultural heritage scientists across the world. Beyond the laboratory, Keiser looks forward to engaging with history and culture in the many cultural heritage institutions of the Warwickshire region while learning about the past from a new historical perspective.  

Lindsay Kernen

Fulbright/University of Strathclyde Award

Lindsay Kernen, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, graduated from Syracuse University in 2023 with a B.A. in Psychology and Citizenship & Civic Engagement. 
 
Lindsay's undergraduate studies combined perspectives from the psychology field and community-based research to inform her passion for learning about interpersonal relationships in the workplace. She interned with on-campus research organizations focused on exploring the relationship between work and life satisfaction, as well as the role of behavioral-focused policy in promoting healthy choices. These experiences inspired Lindsay's senior capstone project, which measured the presence of burnout and level of employee voice among Syracuse University Maxwell School staff members through a series of interviews and surveys. The study helped inform organizational policy recommendations and gave Lindsay a glimpse into the kind of work a Master's in Organizational Psychology can lead to.  
 
Lindsay will be earning her MSc in Work & Organisational Psychology from the University of Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland. The program focuses on connecting psychological insights with human resources management to promote employee wellbeing and productivity. The dissertation component of the program will provide Lindsay an opportunity to build on her community engagement skills and apply her knowledge in collaborating with a local organization in Glasgow.

Jasmine Kiley

Open Study/Research Award

Jasmine graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Biological Chemistry from Tulane University in 2024 as a Stamps Scholar and Goldwater Scholar. Throughout her undergraduate years, she researched the biomechanics of the female reproductive system as they relate to maternal aging, postpartum healing, and elastic fiber disruption. She also conducted biophysical research as an Amgen Scholar at the National University of Singapore. Additionally, Jasmine’s team won the 2022 Tulane Novel Tech Challenge, in which her team of four students designed and prototyped a home-use endometriosis diagnostic test utilizing lateral flow technology.  
 
At Cambridge, Jasmine will continue conducting women’s health research under the mentorship of Dr. Catherine Aiken while pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Medical Science. With the support of the Fulbright Award, she looks forward to gaining a comprehensive understanding of the female patient experience in the National Health Service and broadening her perspectives on maternal healthcare. She plans to address inequities in female healthcare throughout her future career as a physician. Outside of academics and research, Jasmine enjoys playing the violin, staying active through yoga and weightlifting, attending concerts, and trying new foods.

Justin Kipness

Fulbright/Imperial College London Award

Justin Kipness graduated from Brown University in 2024 with an ScB in Biology with honors and received the Elizabeth Leduc Prize in Cell Biology. As an undergraduate, Justin conducted astrobiology research with the Rothschild Lab at NASA Ames Research Center on topics spanning from endosymbiosis, eukaryogenesis, extremophiles, to the potential for life on Venus. His honors senior thesis was titled Endosymbiosis and Investigating the Phagotrophic Model of Eukaryogenesis. This work was conducted during an eighth month period in the Rothschild Lab at NASA Ames and supported by the NASA RI Space Grant. 
 
Justin’s interest in synthetic biology began in the Build-a-Cell community where he attended seminar series and the Build-a-Cell Workshop in Minneapolis. In Minneapolis, he was inspired by the immense potential synthetic biology held to answer origin of life and astrobiological questions. This Fulbright will give Justin the opportunity to study Systems and Synthetic Biology at Imperial College London. Specifically, he will be conducting research with the Ellis Lab on a synthetic nucleus project, a part of a larger synthetic eukaryote project. 
 
Outside of science, Justin enjoys hiking, cycling, cooking, reading, and spending time with his three dogs Bodhi, Skyler and Kelsey.

Hailey Kremenek

Fulbright/University of Glasgow Award

Hailey Kremenek graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in art conservation and art history. Over her undergraduate career she treated objects ranging from a grass basket from western Alaska to a shattered porcelain plate, but the preservation and history of textile objects ultimately became her focus. Outside of the classroom, she worked within the textile conservation laboratory at Winterthur Museum as a technician for one and a half years to prepare twentieth century evening gowns for exhibition. 
In early 2023, Hailey was awarded funding for travel through Ireland, Belgium and France as part of an independent study on the history of textile art and women’s work that she felt was absent from her formal art history education. Over four weeks, she attended workshops taught by female textile artists and immersed herself in locations of textile production from the Renaissance to the Industrial period.

This Fulbright will support Hailey’s education at the University of Glasgow where she will earn a Masters of Philosophy in Textile Conservation. Along with exploring the chemical principles of fiber degradation and the ideal climate for collections storage, she also looks forward to engaging with Scotland’s traditional craft history and contemporary art culture.

Josh Lastimoso

Fulbright/Newcastle University Award

Josh graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of South Carolina in 2022.   Growing up in Sumter, South Carolina, he found his passion in biomedical research from his mentors.  During his early undergraduate years, he learned about current research topics in data science with Dr. Sher Chhetri from USC Sumter.  Later on, he would eventually join a lab at USC Columbia under Dr. Alissa Armstrong where he studied stem cell and developmental biology.  After graduating, he worked in various clinical departments, from ophthalmology to surgical pathology.  From his experiences working in both research and healthcare, he decided to combine the two and pursue a career in clinical research. 
 
At Newcastle University, Josh will pursue a Master of Research degree in Cardiovascular Sciences.  There, he will study the heart and the systems surrounding cardiac tissues using biomolecular lab techniques.   
 
During his free time, Josh likes to lift, write music, and spend time with his friends.  Outside of his studies at Newcastle, he plans to connect with the community by volunteering at local organizations.  After the Fulbright program, he plans to enroll in a physician-scientist program to develop and further specialize his education on heart health. 

Zachary Lewis

Fulbright/Royal Veterinary College Award

Zachary Lewis graduated from Carleton College with a BA (with Distinction) in biology and a biochemistry minor. At Carleton, he researched female sexual dysfunction with the Meerts Lab. He then joined the Hale Lab at OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he is completing his master’s degree in Comparative Biomedical Science. At OSU, Zach studies host-associated microbiota in a canine model of bladder cancer, uses bioinformatics to identify pathogens affecting American alligators, and investigates how bacteria modify carcinogens contaminating the environment.  
 
Zach is fascinated by wild animals, their connections to humans and the environment, and the scientific movement to improve the health of all three. As a Fulbrighter at RVC, Zach will research how genomic architecture enables certain bacteria to infect multiple host species, wild birds, domestic swine, poultry, and humans. Zach is excited to collaborate with UK stakeholders, researchers, and students to maximize scientific and cultural exchange.  
 
When he’s not researching animals, Zach likes talking about animals: he’s an educator with a primate conservation nonprofit and a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. In his spare time, Zach enjoys reading, running, and rock climbing. In London, he looks forward to volunteering with a local nature center and joining a queer climbing group. 

Britney Mayorga

Fulbright/University of Reading Award in Food Security

Born and raised near Atlanta, Georgia, Britney received the full-ride QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship and Gates Scholarship to graduate from Emory University with a BS in Biology and Human Health. 
 
Britney’s interest in nutrition began as an NIH/ NIDDK STEP-UP intern when she worked with Dr. Jessica Alvarez to compare data from various clinical populations to assess differences among machines used to obtain anthropometric measurements. Her passion for nutrition crystallized upon taking Dr. Myra Woodworth-Hobbs’ nutrition classes at Emory University and realizing the importance of food in preventing chronic diseases and ensuring a healthy lifestyle. 

At Emory, she served in various leadership roles, such as the President of Emory Questbridge Scholars Network, Vice President at Large for Omicron Delta Kappa, Senior Resident Advisor of Aladobbs, and Vice President of Crochet at Emory. Britney also dedicated her time as an undergraduate mentor for high school students through Emory Pipeline Collaborative and Matriculate. As a native Spanish speaker with her family from Hidalgo, Mexico, she also volunteered as a qualified Spanish medical interpreter at local free clinics. 

Through volunteering in clinics and working as an emergency medicine medical scribe, Britney’s passion for serving low-income communities as a Spanish-speaking physician to eliminate language and cultural barriers has grown. This Fulbright will give her the opportunity to pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading to equip her with the nutritional knowledge and experience to support better low-income communities burdened with chronic diseases when she returns to the United States to attend medical school. In the UK, she will utilize the research skills she has learned to contribute to a meaningful project. 

Ally McCarthy

Fulbright/University of Bristol Award

Ally McCarthy graduated with a B.A. in Arabic Studies and a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland at College Park. Ally spent a subsequent year abroad on the David L. Boren Scholarship studying Arabic at the Arab-American Language Institute in Morocco (AALIM) where she also became involved in women’s empowerment initiatives through sports.  
 
Since returning from Morocco in 2018, Ally served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve on multiple overseas postings focused on various strategic defense initiatives in Africa. Most recently, Ally deployed to Djibouti where one of her primary responsibilities included implementing Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) strategic objectives within Civil Affairs Operations in West Africa. While at the University of Bristol, Ally aims to further examine various international WPS initiatives through a defense and security lens. This Fulbright will give her the opportunity to gain foundational understanding on international security concepts to establish an improved framework for the implementation of WPS policies with the Department of Defense. 
 
Everywhere Ally has lived she volunteers with organizations promoting the empowerment of women and girls through scouting or youth sports programs. Ally is excited to continue this community involvement during her time in Bristol.

Georgeann McLemore

Fulbright/Ulster University Award

Georgeann McLemore, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, is a recent graduate with a BS in Information Systems and a minor in Fine Arts. She recently served as a design intern at the White House. Art has been one of her lifelong passion, fueling her desire to build a career in this field. Her academic journey was enriched by her study abroad experiences in South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Amsterdam, broadening her cultural perspectives. 
 
For her senior seminar project, she developed an app designed to alleviate the stress faced by immigrant parents in the United States as they navigate the English language barrier. This project exemplifies her commitment to creating solutions that positively impact underserved communities. Driven by a deep-rooted motivation to utilize her skills in design and technology to address societal challenges, Georgeann views the Fulbright Program as an invaluable opportunity to further her knowledge and collaborate with like-minded individuals globally. Through this program, she aspires to develop an app that caters to the specific needs of a niche demographic, providing them with innovative tools to overcome their unique obstacles. 
 
Ultimately, her goal is to create inclusive and accessible solutions that empower marginalized communities, fostering a more equitable society. She is confident that the Fulbright Program will equip her with the necessary resources and guidance to turn her vision into a tangible reality. One thing she looks forward to is making new friends and meeting new people within her program and perfecting her Irish accent during her time abroad. 

Rebecca Mesonjnik

Fulbright/University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Rebecca Mesonjnik has dreamt of living inside a museum since she first read From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when she was seven years old. Since then, she has visited countless museums across the United States and around the globe. 
 
Rebecca graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City with a BFA in Communication Design. During her time there, she began working at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she discovered her passion for fostering inclusivity within arts and cultural institutions. 
 
After initiating the inaugural artist-in-residency program at the Bruce and co-founding the Mother of Pearl Art Collective in New York City, Rebecca continues to craft programs that make art accessible to the public. She now looks forward to working on a PhD in Museum and Heritage Studies at the University of St. Andrews, where she will research best practices for rescuing cultural heritage during times of conflict, safeguarding arts and cultural institutions for future generations. 
 
During her time in the UK, Rebecca plans to visit as many cultural and heritage sites as possible and looks forward to sharing her love of museums with others.

Amelia Miller

Fulbright/University of Nottingham Award

Amelia Miller graduated in 2023 from Tufts University with a B.A. in International Relations and a B.A. in Arabic Language and Cultural Studies. While at Tufts, she volunteered and interned with numerous organizations, including Lawyers Without Borders, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Massachusetts Trial Court. She also participated in the Oslo Scholars program and Tufts in Rwanda Fellowship, both of which solidified her interest in international human rights work. She has spent the last year serving as an Americorps Legal Advocate in Massachusetts, a role in which she has worked on legal advocacy in the fields of poverty law and welfare law.  
 
Amelia will be pursuing an LLM in International Human Rights Law at the University of Nottingham. She is particularly interested in the rights of rural communities and women's rights. Her experiences growing up in a small rural community and transitioning from rural life to urban life have driven her passion for these subjects. She is excited to continue researching rural access to education on an international scale.  
 
Outside of academics, Amelia enjoys birdwatching, gardening, and reading. She has never traveled abroad and is eager to explore the UK and learn more about the Nottingham community.  

Yasmin Nayrouz

Fulbright/University of Sussex Award

Yasmin Nayrouz graduated with a dual Bachelors in English & Textual Studies and Public Relations with a minor in Global Security Studies from Syracuse University. Yasmin’s passion for migration comes from her own family’s background as her parents immigrated from Egypt to America. Volunteering at a resettlement agency gave her a fuller picture of migration policy and the obstacles newcomers face.  
 
Yasmin’s experiences have prepared her for a career in advocacy for refugees and immigrants. She interned with Airbnb.org, assisting the non-profit’s mission of helping individuals impacted by large-scale crises secure temporary housing. She has also interned at an immigration law firm in Italy, learning the various migration processes. Plus, she worked on a data journalism project, analyzing and visualizing how migration policy can have a profound impact on families.  
 
She aims to learn more about and research how educational policies, particularly those related to language acquisition, can be improved for newcomers. She hopes to take an intersectional approach to her work instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. While addressing misconceptions surrounding migration, she strives to help newcomers integrate successfully to improve their social, economic, and mental well-being.

Sam Paul

Fulbright/Queen Mary, University of London Award

Sam Paul is a current medical student at The Ohio State University’s College of Medicine. In his early years of medical school, Sam realized a passion for critical care medicine after observing and taking part in the care of critically ill patients. He will be furthering this passion for critical care at the Queen Mary University of London, where he will gain insight into a global perspective of the field as he pursues his master’s degree in Critical Care Medicine. 
 
Throughout his medical education, Sam has sought out opportunities for growth in his interprofessional and leadership skills. He founded a student group to create formative assessment material for his peers and participated in advanced classes on optimizing performance in the interprofessional setting. When he saw these very skills being put to vital use in the ICU, he knew that he had found a home for his passions and developing skills. While receiving his degree from QMUL, Sam will also be participating in ongoing research projects at the university with the goal of optimizing quality of life outcomes in post-ICU patients.

Lila Raouf

Fulbright/IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Lila Raouf brings a decade of professional expertise in international development, refugee resettlement, and emergency management to her Fulbright fellowship. Lila began her career with United States Peace Corps in Jordan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC to implement various education and youth development projects. Slowly she developed an interest in humanitarian aid, and so she transitioned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as a Program Specialist in 2021. Within this role, she delivered training and technical assistance to disaster survivors to support recovery initiatives. In addition, she has over five years of experience dedicated to aiding local refugee resettlement agencies through teaching and curriculum development. 
 
Lila holds a bachelor's degree in international studies and Near Eastern languages and cultures from Indiana University. Lila hopes to work with international organizations or federal agencies that provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance to vulnerable communities in the United States or abroad. Originally from Mobile, Alabama, USA, Lila hopes to bring a diverse perspective to her studies and work.

Maximillian Renfro

Fulbright/University of Southampton Award

Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, Second Lieutenant Maximillian Renfro is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. Recognizing the fragile, yet enduring peace and prosperity America’s government guarantees for its citizens, Maximillian has dedicated his life to its preservation. That mission drove him to West Point, the nation’s premier institution for public service. During the summer of his sophomore year, Maximillian attended a NATO military exercise hosted by the Italian Army.

That experience demonstrated to him the importance of America’s international partners and the baffling complexity of working across cultural and linguistic barriers. Those twin realizations drove him to focus his undergraduate academic research on nationalism, translation, and cross-cultural communication. Maximillian will expand on this work while studying Languages and Cultures at the University of Southampton. There, he will study the effectiveness of the cultural engagement techniques used by America’s Provincial Reconstruction Teams during the Iraq War. In addition to this scholarly opportunity, Maximillian will take part in a military exchange with the Outreach Group of the British Army’s 11th Security Forces Assistance Brigade. Following graduate school, Maximillian will serve in the United States Army as a Military Intelligence officer at Fort Lewis, Washington. 

Saif Salim

Fulbright/Durham University Award

Saif graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Physics from Amherst College. Saif’s interest in philosophy and mathematics attracted him to research in fundamental physics. Plagued with questions about the nature of the universe, he found a passion for experiments that precisely controlled well-understood physics to uncover the signatures of undiscovered phenomena. 
 
He has advanced many experiments in fundamental physics using atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) techniques. His work has contributed to the world’s most precise measurement of the electron’s magnetic and electric dipole moments, which serve as some of the most sensitive probes of physics beyond our current understanding. At Amherst College, he wrote a senior honors thesis describing how to control a host of systematic effects in an experiment searching for a fifth fundamental force. His research experiences have resolved him to pursue a career as a professor to develop his passion for teaching. 
 
Outside the laboratory, Saif spends most of his time involved with jazz music. He is the music director of the Amherst College Zumbyes, a jazz-inspired acapella group with a penchant for mischief. He also serves as the President of Jazz@Amherst and plays piano in various small jazz ensembles.

Andie Sheinbaum

Fulbright/University of Manchester Award

Hailing from Aurora, Colorado, Andie graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Brandeis University in 2024. Her passion for Green Infrastructure stems from a summer-long internship she held at the Charles River Watershed Association, where she researched Green Infrastructure's uses in reducing Combined Sewer Overflows across the United States. 
 
Andie has been greatly interested in the idea of solving numerous issues with environmental-based solutions since coming to colleges. Internships at the Office of United States Senator Michael F. Bennet and the Earth Law Center, as well as a multi-term undergraduate Teaching Assistantship for an oceanography course, have given her ample opportunity to explore and delve into the best ways to address multifaceted issues. At the University of Manchester, Andie hopes to continue this investigation by focusing on the different ways that Green Infrastructure can address issues ranging from the urban heat island effect to air pollution. She is excited to learn from her international peers and expert professors in order to tackle the climate crisis in the most effective and equitable way possible. 
 
Beyond academics, Andie loves comedy, and has been honored to serve as the president of an improv troupe for the past several years. She has a deep passion for the legal system, music, and books, and looks forward to continuing these pursuits in Manchester.

Frankie Shelton

Fulbright/University College London Entrepreneurship Award

Frankie Shelton completed her masters degree in Healthcare Administration in 2024 from the University of Washington, where she focused on gender equity and research for the advancement of women's health. A clinical nutritionist by training and owner of a women's digital health clinic, she is passionate about creating sex specific healthcare options that address the significance of women's hormonal timeline. During her time at the University of Washington, she cofounded HerHeartCo, a healthcare technology to 
reduce women’s risk of cardiovascular disease through perimenopausal intervention. 
 
Since her own health crisis in 2012, she has devoted her career to advancing the role of integrative health and close monitoring to develop better ways to care for women's health throughout their lifetime. Her pursuit of the University College London Entrepreneurship Award is to further develop HerHeartCo, with the primary objective of bringing to life a new approach for delivering diet and lifestyle recommendations in women's healthcare. The platform aims to improve women's quality of life by responding to their biometrics in real time with easy to follow advice on their mobile device and access to a team of women’s health specialists. This Fulbright will give Frankie the opportunity to learn from and engage in healthcare solutions on a global scale that not only improve women's quality of life but simultaneously contribute to the gap in data around women's physiology.  
 
Outside of her innovation leadership in women's health, Frankie is an avid traveler, exploring culture through food systems and locality.

Shreya Tellur

Fulbright/University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Shreya Tellur, of Greenville, SC, graduated with a BSc in Psychology from Clemson University. Shreya's passion for mental health research was catalyzed through her journey volunteering in diverse healthcare clinics in India, France, and the US.  
 
While at Clemson, Shreya had been part of different research projects understanding well-being factors and mental health stressors to contribute towards creating more comprehensive patient care. Specifically, her honors thesis focused on how diversity in the workplace impacts nurses’ job attitudes and burnout. Her work was chosen to be presented at the American Psychological Association conference.  
 
Outside of research, Shreya's passion to advocate for mental health had led her to create a Suicide Awareness advocacy program at Clemson University, and join Clemson Student Government to create awareness for mental health resources.  
 
While at the University of Stirling, Shreya aims to investigate the transition of behavior from the pre-pregnancy to pregnancy population in collaboration with NHS Scotland. Her goal is to to deepen understanding of physician diagnostic patterns, clinical guidelines, and cultural factors, vital for addressing policy implications.

Josie Tidmore

Fulbright/Cardiff University Award

Josie Tidmore graduated from Bowdoin College with a B.A. in Neuroscience and English. As an undergraduate, she developed a foundation in stem cell and molecular biology through her research in the Rubin lab at Harvard University and in the Powell lab at Bowdoin, where she completed her senior thesis.  

As a Fulbright postgraduate, Josie will study sex-specific kidney disease phenotypes in kidney epithelial cells as an M.Phil. student in the Fraser lab at Cardiff University. Using stem cells from patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), Josie aims to develop a human model of kidney cells in order to identify sex-specific differences in disease pathology, work which may contribute to the development of more targeted therapies for CKD. After Fulbright, she intends to earn an MD-PhD and eventually start her own lab dedicated to studying kidney regeneration. Her goal is to lead a lab that emphasizes multicultural collaboration in pursuit of scientific advances in kidney health.  

Outside of the laboratory, Josie is involved in patient advocacy for rare kidney diseases. She is eager to share her experiences in the rare disease space with a larger community of patient advocates and healthcare professionals as a volunteer with local kidney health organizations in Wales. 

Alisa Tom

Fulbright/University of Edinburgh Award

Alisa is an accomplished interior designer dedicated to creating spaces that enhance well-being and promote sustainability. Growing up in San Francisco, she learned early on the profound impact of the built environment on well-being, sparking a lifelong fascination with how spaces shape human behavior. 
 
Alisa pursued her undergraduate studies in Interior Design, Art, and English Literature as a Presidential Scholar at San Francisco State University. She further developed her creative leadership skills with a Master’s in Design Management and Communications from Georgetown University, where she was elected graduate student senator. 
 
Professionally, Alisa has led teams in crafting innovative workplaces for sustainability-minded clients such as Salesforce and Google. She holds WELL AP and LEED AP ID+C credentials, highlighting her expertise in enhancing sustainability and well-being through design. 
 
As a Fulbrighter, Alisa aims to leverage design to address the systemic challenges outlined in the UN’s Global Goals for Sustainable Development. While pursuing a Master’s in Design for Change at the University of Edinburgh, she is eager to explore how multisensory environments transform the human experience. 
 
When not dreaming up her next designs, Alisa enjoys doing improv, exploring nature, or striking a pose in yoga class. She looks forward to immersing herself in Edinburgh’s vibrant arts scene and Scotland’s great outdoors. 

Andrea Valentini

Fulbright/Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Andrea Valentini graduated with degrees in Dance and Anthropology and minors in Digital Art and Economics from the University of California, Irvine. She is pursuing a certificate in Pre-Medical and General Science Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles Extension School.  
 
Valentini completed 4 Dance Science research projects during her undergraduate career, which she presented at undergraduate research symposiums at UCI and at the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science’s annual conference in 2023. She also received the Hamilton Dance Wellness Symposium’s scholarship for her project analyzing the physical and mental impact of remote learning on collegiate dance students. Her undergraduate Anthropology honors thesis explored the gender binary's impact on collegiate dance education. The Fulbright will allow her to continue analyzing the intersection of dance and gender theory via implicit bias testing and dancer-specific outcome measures. She aims to help establish social science research as a subset of dance medicine while advocating for inclusivity in the dance world.  
 
Valentini has been a dancer for 21 years and most recently was a member of the competitive hip hop team The G.O.O.D. Project. She looks forward to expanding her academic knowledge and dance practice while residing in the United Kingdom.

Shanelle Villegas

Open Study/Research Award

Shanelle Chloe Villegas (she/they) graduated with a BFA in Contemporary Theatre from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She is a highly awarded actor, writer, arts educator and experimental theatre artist who was recognized in September 2022 as one of fifteen artists of color leaving an imprint on Massachusetts in WBUR’S “The Makers”. In March of 2023, Shanelle ended her playwrighting residency at The Boston Center for the Arts where she has been developing a devised memoir play about the coexistence of grief and love at the intersection of parental emotional absence, oppressive institutions of patriarchy and racism, and intergenerational trauma within her dysfunctional family of color. This Fulbright opportunity will give her the opportunity to research Ghanaian-British community members and incorporate their perspective on intergenerational trauma into the finished version of this play, in affiliation with Talawa Theatre Company.  
 
Outside of theatre, Shanelle is most well-known for being an arts educator throughout the City of Boston - mentoring young people who wish to pursue careers in the arts and championing their creative genius and visionary talents.   

Leonard Wang

Fulbright/University of Strathclyde Award

Leonard is a fourth-year MD/MPH student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He completed a bachelor’s degree in Honors Biomedical Sciences at the University of Houston through an accelerated BS/MD program. In medical school, Leonard worked as the Health Policy Research Coordinator for the Department of Family Medicine and collaborated on research-to-policy projects with over $1.1 million in funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With a passion for public health and health equity, Leonard is an Albert Schweitzer Senior Fellow and TYLENOL® Future Care Scholar.  
 
At the University of Strathclyde, Leonard will pursue an MSc in Health and Social Policy. Through Fulbright, Leonard will gain valuable professional and personal experiences to support his future career as a physician working at the intersection of clinical practice, policy, and healthcare leadership to alleviate health inequities and provide compassionate care to the underserved.  

Emily Woodruff

Fulbright/Queen's University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Emily Woodruff of St. Peters, Missouri, graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a B.A. in Global Studies. As an undergraduate student she served as a research assistant on projects examining historic Irish nationalist women’s religious beliefs and national disbarment patterns in the U.S. Emily developed a passion for studying nationalism and migration after spending a semester in the Basque Country in Spain where she conducted a research project analyzing the Basque Nationalist Party (EAJ-PNV) and the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) social policies towards asylum seekers and refugees. She continued this research in her senior honors thesis by using migration to compare the nationalisms espoused by the EAJ-PNV and the SNP. In college Emily also interned at the ACLU of Missouri, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of Labor and was involved with Sigma Iota Rho, WashU Votes, and the Washington University Political Review.   
 
Emily will attend the Global Security and Borders M.A. program at Queens University Belfast. In this program she intends to analyze how migration impacts ethno-sectarian divided communities in Northern Ireland. After completing her degree Emily plans to join the federal government and work to find solutions to address the worldwide migration crisis.   

Grace Xu

Fulbright/Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Grace graduated from Princeton University in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and a minor in Creative Writing, for which she wrote a poetry anthology about her family’s experience immigrating to the United States.  
 
At Manchester Metropolitan University, Grace hopes to continue to explore her interdisciplinary interests in creative writing and political science. Grace’s Fulbright project will be a fantasy novel about a Chinese immigrant to Manchester, who, after she dies, traces her life’s journey in reverse as she tries to return to her ancestral home- and in the process, interacts with other ghosts and different notions of the afterlife. 
 
Grace is excited to explore more of Manchester- especially the rich history of literature, theater, and music the city has to offer- and also to attend a lot of Manchester United games.

Lisa Avalos

Fulbright-Queen Mary University of London Scholar Award (Multiple Disciplines)

Lisa Avalos joined the Louisiana State University Law Center faculty in 2018. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of criminal law and procedure, with an emphasis on sexual offenses and gender-based violence. Professor Avalos’s articles have appeared in the University of Illinois Law Review, Connecticut Law Review, Case Western Reserve Law Review, Brooklyn Law Review, Nevada Law Journal, Michigan Journal of Gender & Law, Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law, Fordham International Law Journal, and others. She earned a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University. 

As a Fulbright Scholar at Queen Mary University of London, Professor Avalos will complete research and write a book with the aim of changing laws and policies around the prosecution of sexual assault survivors. 

Ryan Berke

Fulbright-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Ryan Berke is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Utah State University. His research focus is experimental solid mechanics for extreme temperature environments including: spacecraft re-entry, hypersonic flight, jet engines, rocket nozzles, and next-generation nuclear reactors. He is especially interested in the role that environment plays in damage accumulation across extreme temperature, time, and length scales. His work has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy, Air Force Research Lab, and NASA, among others. 

While at the University of Sheffield, he will employ novel vibration-based methods to more quickly characterize fatigue damage accumulation in fiber-reinforced composites. By enabling the more widespread safe use of composites, engineers will be better able to design more robust systems at reduced weight and cost without sacrificing safety or performance. 

Miriam Boeri

Fulbright-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (All Disciplines)

Jillian Conrad

Fulbright-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Jillian Conrad is an artist who ​intertwines the practices of sculpture and drawing to reshape and re-see the world around her. Her work looks to landscape as a threshold connecting the visible and the invisible. As a Fulbright Scholar at Cardiff University, Jillian will work with colleagues in the School of History, Archeology and Religion to develop “holy-hole”, a group of map-drawings of holy wells across Wales. “Holy-hole” investigates what makes the holy wells in Wales holy, as well as the sculpturally ‘hole-y’ transition of water as it moves from below to above ground.  

Jillian has exhibited her work in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally. Her work has been reviewed and discussed in Artforum, Hyperallergic, Art Lies, The New York Times, and others. She is Associate Professor of Sculpture at the University of Houston.  

In addition to searching out holy wells around Wales, Jillian looks forward to engaging with the Welsh language, mythology, and weather. 

Alana Dagenhart-Calvo

Fulbright-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Belfast poet Ciaran Carson asks the question in his poem, "Belfast Confetti," "What is / my name? Where am I coming from? Where am I going?" and in this project, Dagenhart-Calvo asks the same. She also asks; Do Northern Irish Poetics still influence North Carolina poetry and music? How do ancient chants and speech patterns serve as a base in modern lyricism in Appalachia? She wants to know if her own poems, grown from the watershed of Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina really have ties to the hills of Northern Ireland? In this hybrid project blending poetry, place studies, and pedagogy, Dagenhart-Calvo will study and teach at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen's University Belfast. Most of all, she wants to walk the roads and be "in place," to hear tales of The Troubles, feel the wind blow cold off of the Irish Sea and begin to know the place she’s only read about. She wants to see the lights of Belfast at night, hear the singing, and write it all into a book of poems. 

Lydia Dixon

Fulbright-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Dr. Lydia Dixon is a medical anthropologist and Associate Professor of Health Science at California State University, Channel Islands. She has conducted extensive ethnographic research on topics related to midwifery, childbirth, and healthcare in Mexico and the United States. 

As a Fulbright Scholar at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr. Dixon will study rural midwifery education in Scotland with a focus on how midwifery degrees can address gaps in rural maternal healthcare through online training. 

Gökhan Ersan

Fulbright-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Gökhan Ersan moved from math into art and design early in his career. Years later, research posters showcased at a university cafeteria drew Ersan back into STEM. The posters were visually intriguing yet impenetrable to him. What if graphic design enabled outsiders like him to understand what was discussed in them? Since then, Ersan has been engaged in STEM communication, working with colleagues across disciplines to reimagine science and technology through the lens of graphic design. He is looking forward to bringing his infographics toolkit to the UK. Ersan will be embedded in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham. He will teach course modules and hold workshops on employing graphics in science communication to inform the design of table of contents graphics, posters, and multimedia presentations. In the process, he hopes to produce graphic design that one could also one could also view as cognitive art—art that serves to draw audiences into knowledge. 

M.K. Foster

Fulbright-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Creative Writing)

Dr. M.K. Foster is a poet, fiction writer, and historian of science from Alabama. Written in tandem, her creative and critical works thrive on a symbiotic relationship rooted in her archival research on spectacular monstrosity, eco-horror, and apocalypses in the Renaissance imagination. A 2024 MacDowell Fellow in Literature, Foster’s creative works have appeared or are forthcoming in The American Poetry Review, The Gettysburg Review, Narrative, Kenyon Review, and elsewhere, and she has presented her research at the National Museum of Denmark, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Newberry Library, the Renaissance Society of America, and elsewhere.  

As a Fulbright Scholar in Creative Writing at the Seamus Heaney Center at Queen’s University Belfast, she will draw on Irish mythology and the fossil record presence of mass extinction events in the region’s rock formations as she crafts ARKBIRD, a verse novel retelling of the Deluge epic as set within the 21st-century crisis of climate change. 

Shaun Gabbidon

Fulbright-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Shaun L. Gabbidon, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Criminal Justice at Penn State Harrisburg. Professor Gabbidon has served as a fellow at Harvard University’s W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African American Research and has taught at the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He is the author of more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and 13 books, including Criminological Perspectives on Race and Crime (4th ed., 2020, Routledge), and the co-authored works, A Theory of African American Offending (2011, Routledge) and Shopping While Black: Consumer Racial Profiling in America (2020). Professor Gabbidon is a Fellow of both the American Society of Criminology (ASC) and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). In 2024, he was the recipient of the Faculty Scholar Medal for the Social and Behavioral Sciences, which is the highest award for scholarship at Penn State University. 

While at the University of Birmingham, Professor Gabbidon will engage with the works of Stuart Hall in the University’s archives and work towards making his writing better known to criminologists outside of the UK. 

Joan Giroux

Fulbright-British Library Eccles Centre Scholar Award (North American Studies)

Joan is a Professor at Columbia College Chicago who has exhibited and performed internationally. As the daughter of a geriatric nurse and hospice worker, Joan understood death as part of living, and developed an interest in how representations of illness, death, and dying reflect various societies’ acceptance and understanding of “the good death.” Joan’s interdisciplinary practice frequently provides context for community and personal reflection on loss, absence, and bereavement through active play and participation. Exhibitions include Variance: Making, Unmaking, and Remaking Disability, RISD Museum (2022); eco monopolies: a Commons Artist Project, MCA Chicago; Take Care, Weinberg/Newton Gallery (2018); and Ill at Ease: Disease in Art, University of Buffalo (2017). At the Eccles Institute, Joan will investigate origins of modern hospice in London (Dame Cicely Saunders) and Chicago (Elisabeth Kubler-Ross), culling research material to create drawings and collages for an artist’s book. 

Sarah Jewett

Fulbright/Loughborough University Award

Dr. Sarah Jewett serves as the Director of Learning Partnerships in Research and Practice at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). As part of her highly collaborative role, she designs applied learning experiences and unique opportunities for community college students who aspire to transfer into the university. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and affiliates with the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Public Health, and the Language, Literacy & Culture doctoral program. As an ethnographic researcher focused on educational equity, inclusive communities and sociocultural identities, she has become deeply engaged in digital storytelling. She is excited to work closely with brilliant colleagues at the Storytelling Academy, University of Loughborough who are shaping new knowledge and practice in applied storytelling, especially within the contexts of climate change. Sarah earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Augustine Kang

Fulbright-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Music has the power to heal. Augustine looks forward to increasing access to Music Medicine that will address barriers including infection concerns, geographic restrictions, and racial/ethnic biases. His project extends his ongoing work in the United States to examine the impact of one-on-one virtual bedside concerts among high acuity inpatients experiencing pain and isolation. As the largest major trauma center in Europe, Nottingham (Queen's Medical Centre) is among the most ideal sites to develop this project. Overall, the common thread underlying Gus's work is addressing health disparities, and as a Fulbright Scholar, he looks forward to adding global health research insights to enrich his work. As a Senior Research Scientist at Brown University and Stanford University, he also hopes to establish a long-term partnership between the three institutions in advancing this key field of research. 

Florence Ling

Fulbright-University of Exeter Scholar Award

Florence Ling received her B.A. in Environmental Earth Science from Dartmouth College and her Ph.D. in Geosciences from Pennsylvania State University focusing on Environmental Geochemistry and Mineralogy. She is now an Assistant Professor at La Salle University in Philadelphia, where she teaches Environmental Science and has conducted research with over 20 undergraduate students. 

Florence’s passion for the environment began in college when she conducted her first environmental geochemistry research project on the treatment of Arsenic-contaminated drinking water. Afterwards, she began taking classes on the environment and in geology. Her interest was further driven by the applicability of environmental earth science to helping others. 

As a U.S. Fulbright Scholar at the University of Exeter, Florence will examine mining contamination around Cornwall, England. She seeks to treat mine waste, while also recovering valuable minerals for the renewable energy transition to slow climate change. 

George (Ron) Mangun

Fulbright-University of Birmingham Distinguished Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

George (Ron) Mangun, Ph.D., is Director of the Center for Mind and Brain and Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neurology at the University of California, Davis. He studies human brain mechanisms of perception and attention, and with his team has identified many of the basic brain processes by which humans are able to focus their attention and filter out distracting events. The Fulbright Distinguished Chair Award will allow Mangun to travel to the U.K. to conduct research in the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) and School of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. The CHBH is home to a leading group of scientists using brain scanning and recording methods to study the nature of human cognition. The CHBH houses advanced equipment for measuring tiny magnetic signals produced by active brain cells in the living, thinking human brain. By measuring these magnetic signals, Mangun will investigate the biological bases of free will. 

Hope McCoy

Fulbright - British Virgin Islands Scholar Award at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC)

Dr. McCoy is a Lecturer and Fellow in the Civic, Liberal, and Global Education program at Stanford University. McCoy’s research agenda focuses on the sociocultural dimensions of development studies, with an emphasis on education, public health, and the role of cultural diplomacy in geopolitics. 

Dr. McCoy's first book (2023) entitled: "From Congo to GONGO: Higher Education, Critical Geopolitics, and the New Red Scare" is one of the winners of an Emerging Scholars Competition in Black Studies. With a focus on Africa and Russia, this book traces the history of contact between the two regions. During each time period—education, political science, history, and Black studies are woven together, each era with shifting values and purposes that influence foreign relations between Africa and Eurasia. 

Dr. McCoy received a Fulbright Student Research Award (Russia, 2015-2016), and is thrilled to embark on this new journey as a Fulbright scholar in the British Virgin Islands in 2025. 

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy

Fulbright-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

Matthew Rhodes-Purdy is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Clemson University. His research combines democratic theory with political behavior to study challenges to contemporary democracies, especially populism and extremism. He focuses on the role strong citizen voice can play in enhancing legitimacy and minimizing antidemocratic, authoritarian, and extremist politics. His most recent book, The Age of Discontent, analyzes how negative emotions generated by economic trauma led to the rise of populism and the Far Right in contemporary democracies.  

His Fulbright project will move from explaining the rise of “nasty politics” to how these trends might be countered. He will investigate how the public can be incorporated through political parties practicing continuous democracy internally. His Fulbright research will focus on the Manchester Labour Party as an example of an organization that has been relatively successful in maintaining and deepening its social roots. 

Christina Seely

Fulbright-University of Dundee Scholar Award (Art and Design)

Christina Seely’s practice maps our increasingly tenuous relationship to the non-human living world. Born out of almost two decades of in-field experience as an artist and scholar working alongside climate scientists at the far reaches of the planet her work encourage new ways of sensing the self inside the realities of climate collapse. 

Seely’s Fulbright project will use the conceptual container of a studio/lab as a research site to deconstruct and suggest a re-wiring of the rhetoric of contemporary Western scientific ecological communication. This work will aim to (re)build a bridge between the language and context of science and the missing emotional and soul-stirring material the public needs to become more fully engaged in what is unfolding. Workshops will engage the University of Dundee's community with creative research that will culminate in an archive of experimental artworks and texts for exhibition and publication. (www.christinaseely.com) 

Theodore Them

Fulbright-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

What does the South Carolina coast have in common with the Cleveland Coast in the United Kingdom? If “decade’s worth of pollution buried in the sediment” was not your answer, then you should try again. Them’s Fulbright project at the world-renowned Durham Geochemistry Centre will attempt to shed led light on the distribution and sources of industrial and societal pollution along these two coastlines using a forensic geological approach. As a Fulbright Scholar, Them will be in Durham with his wife and toddler from January to August. Back in South Carolina, he is an Assistant Professor of Geology at the College of Charleston. Although he is a geologist, his research spans several disciplines within the sciences, and he is guided by the principles of how Earth “behaves” as a system over many timescales across its vast ~4.5-billion-year history. Them has also been an ardent supporter of Liverpool F.C. for over two decades, so he is excited to drag his family to a few matches at Anfield. 

Susan Wong

Fulbright-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Learning the history, systems and cultures of other societies was the rule in Susan’s home growing up, not the exception, and shaped how she not only sees the world but seeks out innovation and growth. 

As a Fulbright Scholar, Susan will investigate the feasibility of adapting models of conservative kidney management (CKM) in the UK for implementation in the US. CKM is a palliative approach to caring for patients with kidney failure who do not wish to undergo dialysis or are unlikely to benefit from this therapy. While CKM programs in the US are still in their infancy, the UK has a number of visionary programs that have set the benchmark for CKM practices worldwide. 

Susan is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington and a nephrologist, bioethics consultant and health services researcher at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, WA. She is also the happy mother of three courageous children who will be joining her on this adventure. 

Gabriela Castro

Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, University College London Institute of Education

Gabriela Castro has dedicated her career to fostering inclusive learning environments and empowering students. With over a decade of experience teaching ESL and working for a non-profit summer enrichment program, Gabriela understands the transformative power of education, shaped by her upbringing as the child of immigrant war refugees. She holds a master’s in ESL and Spanish K-12 Education from Rutgers University.

Gabriela will research how schools and communities can promote inclusivity and support the academic success and socio-emotional well-being of multicultural students, particularly young migrants and refugees. By examining education programs in the UK, she hopes to discover how schools, educators, families, and communities collaborate to meet diverse student needs. Passionate about mindfulness and yoga, Gabriela often incorporates these practices into her work. In London, she looks forward to learning and exploring perhaps finding time to run along the Thames.

Beth Myers

Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, University of Strathclyde

For the last 20 years, Beth Myers, PhD, has created time and space for the child's right to play, worked toward equitable education for all, and contributed to a play movement in the United States. Beth has been a public school teacher for over 10 years, in high-needs schools. Trained as an environmental psychologist at Cornell University, Beth is motivated to understand how school environments can provide play opportunities for children to support their mental health and wellbeing.

In the next five years, Beth wants to create a national play training program for schools in the United States, grounded in playwork practices created in the United Kingdom, to increase the time and space for children to play at school. In addition to her role as a first grade teacher, Beth is also the Executive Director of Alliance for Childhood in the United States and Co-Founder of Just Play Project, a community-based play program supporting the child's right to play.

Amy Palo

Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, University of Glasgow

Amy Palo teaches 10th and 11th grade US and World History, AP US History, and Government and Politics at Cornell High School. Amy is a Penn State graduate (BA), holds a Master’s of Political Science from the University of Illinois, Springfield, and is pursuing a Master’s of American History from Gettysburg College and Gilder Lehrman. She is on the board of the PA Council for the Social Studies, has been named a Teach Plus PA Fellow (22), Gilder Lehrman PA Teacher of the Year (22), James Madison Fellow (18) and is a member of multiple educator advisory groups.

Outside of school she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband Jon, dog Fin, and twin boys Theodore and Lincoln. Amy’s research project is titled, “Bridging Excellence: Supporting Social Studies Education through the exploration of the Scottish Senior Phase.” She will examine how civics and social studies education is integrated in the Scottish curriculum, and how best practices can be applied in her school district.

Colleen Brandes Hitchcock, Ph.D.

Brandeis University - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Climate Change

Colleen Hitchcock is a Professor at Brandeis University in the Biology Department and chair of the Environmental Studies Program. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.  

Hitchcock teaches courses in Conservation Biology, Ecology, Biology of Climate Change, and Participatory Science. Her academic interests focused on the role of participatory science in ecological inquiry and conservation biology specifically relating to studies of biodiversity, conservation, phenology, and climate change.  She is interested in both the power of the public in scientific research and the application of participatory/citizen science research as a model for learning by students. Her current research focuses on pollinator diversity in urban plant communities.  

William Quirke

University of Strathclyde - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Climate Change

William Quirke is a Teaching Fellow at the Strathclyde Institute of Education, University of Strathclyde. His teaching, research and knowledge exchange activity specialises in the fields of sustainability education, geography education and practitioner enquiry. He is also an active member of a number of national and international working groups and professional networks relating to these areas. His current research explores the distribution of public open spaces in Scotland’s urban areas and its influence on the health and wellbeing of adolescents 

In particular, William has a keen interest in Learning for Sustainability (an umbrella term used in Scottish education to refer to education for sustainable development, global citizenship and outdoor learning) and the barriers and opportunities related to its implementation. He regularly delivers career long professional learning workshops to teachers across Scotland to support them in this area.  

William is no stranger to international collaboration. He recently collaborated with colleagues in The Netherlands, Iceland, Spain and Greece on the Erasmus+ Island Schools project, a project that saw him and colleagues working with island schools to co-create learning materials that focused on the shared sustainability issues experienced by young people living on Europe’s islands. 

Julia Paxton

Ohio University - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Inequality

Julia Paxton is a Professor of Economics at Ohio University where she teaches classes on poverty, development economics, global and local food economies, agricultural development, and altruism.  She has worked on a number of research projects related to poverty and inequality for the World Bank, the United Nations, USAID, and foreign governments.  Her research interests include poverty and inequality, microfinance, altruism, and service-learning.   

A native of Athens, Ohio she has deep connections within the community which she uses to incorporate experiential learning into all of her courses.  Her poverty and altruism classes both have a significant service-learning component which require students to work with local non-profit organizations in Appalachia focused on issues of inequality.  She has a passion for teaching and is the recipient of several teaching awards at Ohio University including University Professor, Presidential Teacher, and the Honors Tutorial Outstanding Tutor award. She holds a doctorate in Agricultural Economics, specializing in microfinance, from The Ohio State University.  

Philip McGowan

Queen's University Belfast - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Inequality

Philip McGowan is a Professor of American Literature and Associate Dean for Internationalisation at Queen’s University Belfast. They hold a BA in English and a PhD in American literature from the University of Dublin, and also recently served two terms as the President of the European Association for American Studies, from 2016 to 2024. While twentieth-century and contemporary American literature and culture are key areas of their research interests and teaching, they also played a key role in the development of the Liberal Arts degree at Queen’s. This Fulbright will provide an opportunity to enhance the international experiences of the Liberal Arts students and empower them to discover co-created responses to inequality, one of the main challenges facing the twenty-first-century world. 

Ava Thorpe

Fort Valley State University - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Polarisation and Division

Ava Thorpe teaches criminal justice at Fort Valley State University. Ava Thorpe has a professional background in criminal justice, having previously served as an inmate records clerk, police officer, deputy sheriff, medicolegal investigator, death investigation specialist, and community supervision officer. She holds certification for basic mandate and probation and parole in the State of Georgia. She has completed professional training for crisis intervention sponsored by NAMI and the Georgia Public Safety Training Council. She has a master’s degree in criminal justice with a dual specialization in forensic science and forensic psychology from St. Leo University and a bachelor’s in legal studies from Purdue University Global, and is a doctoral candidate for a PhD at Liberty University. She is strongly interested in polarization and division in criminal justice contexts and developing a curriculum that embraces the diversity of criminal justice thought, policy, and legislation.

The US-UK Fulbright Global Teaching Award will enable her to equip students with a global understanding of criminal justice institutions, historical impacts, and the importance of diversity and inclusion within the field. She enjoys baking and visiting aquariums with her two kids.  

Mark McLay

Lancaster University - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Polarisation and Division

Mark McLay is a Lecturer in 20th Century U.S. History at Lancaster University, specializing in the evolution of the United States since the 1960s, with a particular focus on the increasing political, societal, and cultural polarization that has shaped the nation. He is the author of the "American Carnage" Substack, where he explores the history of U.S. polarization to illuminate contemporary American politics. 

Currently, Mark is researching a project aimed at understanding polarization in the United States during the largely peaceful and prosperous 1990s. As part of this work, he is writing an article on gay rights during that decade, examining the era's significant social and political shifts. 

He is excited to begin the Global Challenges Teaching Award on Polarization and Division, through which looks forward to acquiring a deeper understanding of polarization as well as providing Lancaster students the chance to engage with, and learn from, their peers across the Atlantic. 

Kameelah L. Martin

College of Charleston - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Racial Justice

Kameelah L. Martin is a literary and cultural studies scholar whose expertise sits at the crossroads of Literatures of the African Diaspora and Folklore Studies. She is a professor of African American Studies and English at the College of Charleston. She holds a master’s degree in Afro-American Studies from the University of California Los Angeles and completed her Ph.D. at Florida State University where she trained in the African American literary and vernacular traditions of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.  

Kameelah has published two monographs and edited an anthology of essays. Her research explores the lore cycle of the conjure woman archetype in literature, film, and popular culture.  Her interdisciplinary interests spans such topics as African traditional religions, African American genealogy, and Beyoncé. She is a National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute scholar and a Fulbright-Hays Group Program Abroad alum (Ghana). She is deeply committed to teaching the histories and cultures of the African Diaspora often through the lens of Black Feminism. Kameelah will use the Global Challenges Teaching Award to promote cultural competency for sustainable racial justice advocacy while also building collaborations between Black Studies programs in the UK and US.   

Dr. Dionne Taylor

Birmingham City University - Global Challenges Teaching Award Exploring Racial Justice

Dr. Dionne Taylor is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University, where she serves as the MA Black Studies Course Leader and teaches across Sociology and Black Studies. With over 15 years of teaching experience and a PGCE, Dr. Taylor has a deep commitment to brokering community engagement and supporting individuals and groups in reaching their potential. 

Her PhD thesis, titled "'I Wanna Love You': An Exploration into the Lived Experiences of Young Black British Women’s Interpretation and Engagement with Representations of Black Womanhood," delves into the impacts of societal stereotyping and structural inequalities on Black British women’s daily lives. Dr. Taylor’s research focuses on Blackness and identity, mental health disparities, and inequalities in higher education. 

Dr. Taylor has led several notable initiatives, including a Black Studies student exchange with Xavier and Tulane universities in 2020, which facilitated cross-cultural learning among students and staff. She also spearheaded the Black Studies and Youth Work and Communities Summer School in 2022, a widening participation project that engaged socially disadvantaged youth in educational and social activities. 

Her research leadership is exemplified by the UKRI-funded SMaRTeN project, which aimed to improve the mental health of Black university students. Dr. Taylor’s commitment to racial justice and culturally astute research is further reflected in her forthcoming works, including "The Black Studies Textbook: Beyond the Academy" and "Black University Students Mental Health and Wellbeing Matters." 

Dr. Taylor’s contributions extend beyond academia; she was featured in Leigh-Anne Pinnock's 2021 documentary "Colourism and Me," and she continues to influence the discourse on Black identity and mental health through her interdisciplinary collaborations and community-focused initiatives. 

Toby Clark

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Navigating through life's bumpy road and uphill climbs often feels like an adventure story; fighting the obstacles of anything that is thrown their way. Teaching is often like an adventure story. We make in the moment actions that stay with a child forever, helping them fight through the monsters of life.

Furthering his passion, Clark trained to be a qualified teacher in England at the University of Reading, studying Primary Education with Music Specialism. In his degree, his devotion to improving children's lives through the power of education and music education enlightened his journey forward. While diving into the world-class education system in the UK, Clark aims to further his knowledge in another leading country in high quality education in the US.

Written in storybooks is the dream of the US and its outstanding commitment to all educational settings. Clark is interested to explore further the difference in educational practice and purpose in the US in order to further his experience which will be used to impact teacher training in the UK: the foundation of education.

Through the power of music, Clark aims to further explore teacher’s knowledge in music education which is a common issue for primary teachers in England. The Fulbright opportunity will give him experience in music education as well as immersing himself in culture and knowledge from world-class educational specialists.

Wiktoria Gucia

Fulbright-Alistair Cooke Award in Journalism

Wiktoria was born in Poland, but spend most of her childhood in Manchester, England. In 2023, she will graduate from University College London with a degree in Social Science.

Wiktoria's interest in the "social" was inspired by observing people, especially during her time as a volunteer for adults and children with disabilities. Volunteering with marginalised communities led Wiktoria to consider sharing the unheard stories of the people she worked with, by writing about them for student newspapers. Since then, Wiktoria has been a content writer for UCL Pi Media Magazine, as well as UCL Cheese Grater Magazine and has written articles that enhance the focus on individual stories.

Wiktoria has previous connections with Fulbright, as she was part of cohort 7 of the Sutton Trust US Programme, and a team leader for subsequent cohorts. This opportunity had given her confidence in her intellectual potential, and she has since used her voice as a conference organiser, bringing attention to women's reproductive rights in Poland.

Wiktoria's experience with the Sutton Trust US Programme had further motivated her to consider graduate study in the US. After her visit to Yale University, Wiktoria became fascinated with the melting pot American society. As a Fulbright Scholar, Wiktoria wishes to delve deep into the multitude of diverse stories that the US has to offer. Through listening, speaking to and writing about people's subjective lived experiences in the US, she wishes to bring real life insights of individuals to the forefront of journalistic practice.

Ellie Hunt

Fulbright-BAFTA Postgraduate Award - University of California, Los Angeles

Ellie graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2021 with a first-class degree in Modern and Medieval languages.

After an internship in documentary film distribution in Paris, her curiosity about the industry began to grow, and the notion of becoming a screenwriter began to settle, rather stubbornly, in her head. She dived deeper into this world while working in talent management in London, and began writing more seriously in stolen hours before and after work.

She is now thrilled that she will be pursuing a MFA in Screenwriting at UCLA's prestigious School of Theatre, Film and Television – studying in LA, the industry's beating heart – thanks to the generous support of Fulbright and BAFTA.

Ellie is excited to explore the many different landscapes of California, replacing wintery beach walks in her homeland of Northern Ireland with some far sunnier strolls. She plans on filling her time with coffee, yoga and making new friends who can teach her all about life in America. Maybe she'll even learn the rules of American football, or baseball. But surfing seems unlikely given her total lack of upper body strength.

Most importantly, she’s excited to hone her craft with some of the best in the business; to make friends and colleagues, all journeying into this weird and wonderful industry together, and to have undivided, uninterrupted time to devote herself to doing what all of this has taught her she wants to do most: write

Angus Jackson

MA Liberal Studies - The New School for Social Research

Angus is a writer and activist from South London. Since graduating from The University of Cambridge in 2020 with a degree in English Literature, he has spent three years working for charities in the criminal justice system. His current role involves running a creative writing project aimed at inspiring incarcerated people to tell their stories. Finding meeting points like this between the arts and social justice is a longstanding interest of his; in his spare time, as well as writing, he has done some grassroots organising work supporting community-led resistance to prison expansion, housing injustice and police violence.

Angus is aiming to use his two years in New York and the interdisciplinary Liberal Studies course at NSSR to synthesize his work to date as a critical thinker, creative writer and activist. Specifically, he is looking to explore the abolitionist imagination: the ways in which artists, thinkers and activists have sought to envision a world beyond punishment, prisons, policing and surveillance. He also hopes to learn from like-minded organisers and activists, while developing his writing amidst the thriving arts scene in New York and putting his 6’7 frame to good use on the basketball court at long last (though he worries if he can’t manage this in NYC then there’s not much hope for him…)!

Lydia Johnson

Master of Science in Genetics - University of Arizona

Lydia is a 22-year-old Physiology student currently in her final year of her undergraduate degree at Newcastle University. She applied for the Fulbright scholarship whilst on her placement year in Malaysia; after her initial ventures abroad brought so much joy, she realized there was so much opportunity to learn about and experience life in different cultures. Lydia has lived in Europe and Asia and wanted to cross another continent off the list! 

As a research-based scientist, the opportunity to study in US laboratories and be part of the research team was incredibly appealing, especially for the topic Lydia want to specialise in: epigenetics, primarily the influence of environment on disease. As Lydia is with the IIE Placement services, she’s applied to four potential universities that all have fantastic research groups in this field. Her aim is to create more accessible global education system on how to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce the increasing emergence of disease. 

Whilst Lydia is in the US she can't wait to explore and experience the beautiful nature sights that there is to offer. She’s a big fan of being outside, so she’s already excited to plan road trips to the beach and go on various hikes. Lydia is hoping to really become part of the community and create a home away from home. She’s interested in joining different clubs, potentially get into a new sport and meet lots of new people in the next part of her journey. 

Sydney Lo

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MEng Bioengineering - University of California, Berkeley

Sydney is a biotech undergrad at Imperial College London completing her final year after an industrial placement at an immunotherapy company in Oxford. This experience solidified her resolve to create scientific solutions for the betterment of the human condition. Her next academic milestone is pursuing a Master’s in Bioengineering in the United States to gain exposure to a culture generating tangible impact from scientific innovation. Her career path is yet undecided – while employing tissue engineering and synthetic biology methods for hacking the immune system is an exciting prospect, she is equally passionate about applying these approaches to commercialising cultivated meat.

Sydney is determined to embody Fulbright’s commitment to educational exchange by involving herself in STEM outreach activities as part of the Society of Women Engineers. She is also keen on exploring the food scene in California. Sydney hopes to connect with people studying a variety of disciplines, and use her foreign language skills to help forge strong bonds with them. As the advent of novel technologies blurs the lines between science, business, and policy, she hopes to come out of her studies with the skillset and confidence to navigate the biotech industry’s ever-changing landscape.

Caroline Pearsall

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - Doctor of Education in Music and Music Education - Columbia University

Working mainly in tango, popular and contemporary music, Caroline has toured throughout Europe, in Australia, Argentina, North Africa and the Middle East. She has played on Radio France, Classic FM, BBC TV, ITV, Channel 4, and in many festivals such as the Nice Jazz Festival, Oslo World Music Festival, Buenos Aires Tango Festival, City of London Festival.

In 2011 she finished an MMus from Royal Holloway University of London in ethnomusicology. She won a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2014 to go to Buenos Aires for two months to  work on a book about the history of tango violin. She has performed with many incredible tango musicians such as Juan Jose Mosalini, Victor Hugo Villena, Daniel Melingo, La Chicana, Silbando, Orquesta Imperial and Les Fleurs Noires. She currently plays Argentine Folklore with La Tipica Folklorica in Paris. She graduated with another Masters, this time in Education & Technology from UCL in 2022.

Her group the London Tango Orchestra released their first album Primeros Pasos in 2015 and their second Abrazo Abierto in 2021. In 2017 the Caminito Tango Orquesta Escuela was launched where Caroline teaches amateurs and semi-pros the art of tango music. They rehearse once a month and perform in milongas several times a year. This has now been transformed into the Creative Caminito Community Interest Company and a second orquesta has started in Leeds. She is currently preparing for the third album with her tango orchestra and is learning the art of digital storytelling with Story Center in California.

Faris Qayyum

Fulbright Postgraduate Award at Indiana University - Master of Laws (LLM) - Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Faris graduated with a degree in Jurisprudence (Law) from the University of Oxford in 2018, before working in commercial law and qualifying as a solicitor in London. After deciding to return to the academic sphere, he spent time studying Islamic Studies as well as European Law.

Conscious of the growing tides of tribalism and democratic backsliding, Faris sees Law as offering the means to counteract these trends. He is interested in exploring the role that institutions can play in providing checks and balances against these phenomena, as well as considering the design of laws which are culturally sensitive in diverse societies, particularly where religious norms conflict with national legal norms. During his time in the United States, Faris hopes to focus his studies on comparative law, taking advantage of Maurer’s expertise in constitutional design in order to broaden his perspectives. Beyond the classroom, he is looking forward to long trail hikes outside of Bloomington and diving into all the food that the Midwest has to offer!

Beth Richards

Fulbright All Disciplines Postgraduate Award - MA Peace and Justice - University of San Diego

Beth Richards graduated from The University of Manchester in 2020 with a BSc. in International Disaster Management and Humanitarian response, after spending many years volunteering across global development projects. The course gave Beth the opportunity to explore migration and humanitarian topics through a theoretical lens, and after receiving an academic excellence award, Beth went on to volunteer as trustee for the Welsh Refugee Council.

In 2021, Beth moved to Malta to join the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), where she worked across a range of projects supporting asylum seekers and refugees worldwide. Having worked for MOAS, Beth saw people’s lives completely uprooted by environmental degradation and climatic instability, and the secondary impacts of disasters, including social unrest.  Beth also volunteered as a mentor at Integra, supporting vulnerable asylum seekers, where she was inspired to dedicate her research to highlight the need for extensive action on climate change and migration.

Through the Fulbright project, Beth seeks to highlight the needs of climate migrants which are currently being neglected through a lack of international recognition. Having previously worked to dismantle harmful narratives around migration, Beth is very accustomed to the power of rhetoric and so is extremely interested in exploring how information can be best communicated to bring about positive change. She is excited for the research opportunities that lie ahead in the US!

Anekha Sokhal

Fulbright - Elsevier Data Analytics Award - Master of Data Science program - Rice University

Anekha’s passion for solving problems led her to pursue a Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics degree at the University of Warwick. She subsequently joined JP Morgan as their youngest Gas Derivatives Trader where she built and managed the business during the green energy transition, she became hyperaware of the importance of energy flexibility, security, and resilient global supply chains. She developed a data-driven mindset to managing a multi-million-dollar portfolio of financial risk and successfully multiplied trading revenues, expanding both the client base and risk appetite.

Anekha recently launched herself into a new challenge combining the interests that shaped her journey so far - entrepreneurial thinking, data-driven decision-making, strategy consulting and social impact and applying them to transforming a growing jewellery business. Moving from energy to retail, Anekha observed the lack of employment of data analytics and the consequential colossal amount of wastage created through consumer returns. Anekha’s ambition with a master's degree is to contribute to climate change solutions by using big data and AI algorithms to transform the global supply chain logistics for organisations and minimise their environmental impact whilst optimising their finances. Alongside studying, Anekha enjoys being outdoors and plans to travel across the various states in the US. As an avid skier, she is excited to explore the mountains in the US.

Barry Bentley

Fulbright Global Wales Scholar Award - Harvard Medical School

Barry Bentley received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge, where he worked at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. He now leads the Bioengineering Research Group at Cardiff Metropolitan University, and serves as Deputy Director of the EUREKA Robotics Centre.  

Having worked across multiple disciplines, Barry has a diverse set of interests and a passion for problem solving and continuous learning. For a long time, Barry has been particularly interested in the prospect of long-term banking of biological materials, and its potential to increase the supply and accessibility of cells, tissues, and organs for human transplantation. 

As a Fulbright Scholar, Barry will be joining a centre of excellence in biopreservation at Harvard Medical School to learn about the latest research in organ preservation, and work collaboratively with the host to develop a joint programme of research. 

During the visit, Barry is looking forward to exploring the rich and charming history of Cambridge and Boston, and experiencing their thriving academic culture. Schedule permitting, whilst in the US he is also hoping to fulfil a lifelong dream of seeing a rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center. 

Pragya Agarwal

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - CUNY Graduate Center

Professor Pragya Agarwal is a behavioural and data scientist, and founder of a research think-tank 'The 50 Percent Project'. Born in India, Agarwal came to the UK almost twenty-one years on a British Council fellowship to study for a Masters and stayed on to do a PhD. Following a PhD from the University of Nottingham, Pragya held the prestigious Leverhulme Fellowship and has held senior academic positions and visiting fellowships around the globe.

She is currently a visiting professor of social inequities and injustice in the UK, and holds fellowships from University of Oxford, Newnham College (Cambridge), Churchill Trust, British Library/Eccles Center for The Americas, and Royal Literary Foundation. She is the author of four widely acclaimed non-fiction books including Sway (which was Guardian 'Book of the Week'), Hysterical and (M)otherhood, and her writing has also appeared widely in The Guardian, New Scientist, Wired, Scientific American, Times Literary Supplement, Literary Hub, amongst others. Pragya has been awarded the Transmission Prize for 'making complex scientific ideas accessible' and Crucible NESTA award for 'innovative inter-disciplinary work', and funding from Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, Society of Authors, and Royal Society of Literature.

As part of the Fulbright Scholar award, Agarwal will be researching bias in legal systems, specifically in the areas of immigration and reproductive justice. She is also interested in studying the role of maps and data in judicial decision-making.

More information on Pragya's research and writing can be found on her Twitter and Instagram: @drpragyaagarwal and her website drpragyaagarwal.com

Cennydd Bowles

Fulbright Elon University Scholar Award

Cennydd Bowles is an interaction designer and technology ethicist based in London. 

Midway through a career in the UK tech sector and Silicon Valley, Bowles grew concerned about the industry’s mounting ethical problems. This growing interest found him drawn back into academia to study practical ethics at the University of Oxford. His book Future Ethics, an examination of emerging technology ethics from a practitioner perspective, has proven popular with technologists and students alike, and Bowles has subsequently lectured at Google, Facebook, Stanford University and the Royal College of Art on the topic. 

As a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at Elon University, Bowles will research anticipatory ethics, investigating how technology teams can pre-empt and mitigate social and ethical impacts of innovation. Drawing on ideas from futures thinking, safety engineering, and practical moral philosophy, the research will form the backbone of his next book, What Could Go Wrong? Outside of study and teaching, Bowles plans to immerse himself in college sport fandom and share his passion for chess with the local community. 

Gavin Brookes

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - Northern Arizona University

Gavin is a UKRI Future Leader Fellow in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University. He is a linguist, with a particular interest in how people use language in relation to health and illness, in contexts such as the news media and public health communication.  

Gavin’s expertise has given him a deep appreciation of how fundamental language use is to the ways in which we communicate about health, and the implications this can have for how particular illnesses and health issues are understood and indeed experienced. While at Northern Arizona University, Gavin will work with world-leading linguists to explore how news media in the US communicate about dementia to the general public. Also working with project partners from public health and media organizations, it is Gavin’s hope that his work can help to raise better awareness among public communicators in the US about the potential implications of their language use and the choices they make when writing or talking about dementia. This ambition is a personal one for Gavin; he and his family have been directly affected by dementia, and during his studies Gavin worked part-time in dementia care.   

Outside of his research, Gavin enjoys travelling, science fiction and old horror movies, and watching and playing football (or soccer!). When in Arizona, he’s looking forward to hiking, sampling local craft beers, and exploring the Grand Canyon. 

Alun Hubbard

Lloyd's Scholar Award - University of Alaska Anchorage and Brown University

Alun is an applied glaciologist and geophysicist primarily interest in the response of glaciers and ice sheets to atmospheric, oceanic and geological forcing.   He holds an Arctic Five Chair at The Arctic University of Norway - Tromso with a remit to understand the long-term stability and legacy of the Greenland ice sheet and its impact on the environment, landscape, carbon-cycle, and broader commitment to global sea-level rise and impact on society. His approach encompasses the collection of innovative field-data to improve process understanding and to constrain numerical models.  As well as Greenland, he has ongoing research projects across the Arctic, including Alaska, Svalbard and the High Canadian Arctic with additional interests in Patagonia, Asia, New Zealand and Antarctica. He has over 70 months continuous experience working on the Greenland ice sheet and as many successful research/exploration expeditions across far-flung remote regions of the planet, many conducted from his own steel sailboat and a helicopter logistics non-profit that he set up. He is an active commentator on the environment, and has presented for and supported many gong-winning documentaries including BBC's Frozen Planet 1 & 2, Operation Iceberg, Netflix "Our Planet", National Geographic "Chasing Ice" to name a few.  He is excited for the Fulbright year ahead, to be shared between Anchorage and Rhode Island. 

Dominic Johnson

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Southern California

Dominic Johnson will be based at the Roski School of Fine Art, University of Southern California in Downtown Los Angeles for four months from January 2024. His larger project is to produce the first scholarly study of the work of the British South Asian artist Hamad Butt, in the context of art and HIV/AIDS. Butt made a series of sculptures that used toxic or noxious materials in volatile-seeming setups, creating environments that threaten or provoke fear in those who encounter them. Johnson is also curating the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Butt's work, which will tour to major museums in the UK and Europe in 2024-25. While in Los Angeles, Johnson will research how artists, scholars and curators approach ‘recalcitrant’ art that can be difficult to make, show, or acquire, and that rethinks what art does and why it matters.  

Johnson's research to date has tended to focus on performance art and live art, generally from a queer perspective. He is an art historian based in a Drama department, and looks forward to the new challenges of being based in a fine art context. Johnson is also looking forward to enjoying the esoteric histories of Los Angeles and Southern California. Outside of his research, he plans to spend time in Joshua Tree and the Morongo Valley region, to see the iconic Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum of Assemblage Art, and to visit The Integratron, a structure designed by ufologist George Van Tassel as a vehicle for time-travel. 

Adnan Khan

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - The University of Iowa

Adnan is a clinician-scientist in ophthalmology. At the University of Southampton, he recently completed a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded Clinical Lectureship. His research interests include sight-threatening ocular inflammatory and retinal diseases. Adnan qualified from UCL Medical School, combining his medical degree with a PhD in transplantation immunology from Imperial College London. He underwent ophthalmic surgical training in Aberdeen, Scotland. 

There is increasing evidence that an age-related decline of immune system regulation, known as immunosenescence, contributes to degenerative diseases of the macula (the central part of the retina). A UK-wide shortage of donor eye tissue makes it difficult to undertake the most innovative retinal research. Adnan will use his Fulbright year to translate areas of good practice from the novel partnership of The University of Iowa with Iowa Lions Eye Bank. He will use ground-breaking technology to further investigate immunosenescence in macular diseases as a basis for translation into curative therapies. Outside of work, Adnan has a wide interest in music traditions and travel. He hopes to attend as many college football games as possible, not only for the sport, but to experience the great marching bands of the Big Ten athletics conference! 

Eliza McKee

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - New York University

Eliza’s interest in the relationship between clothing, identity, poverty, vernacular culture and folklore was nurtured through the community and family folklore told to her by her grandmothers who were part of a family of linen mill workers and clothing manufacturers from the Linen Triangle in Ulster. Eliza took this interest into her academic studies, first studying fashion design and design history, then completing a BA in Modern History, an MA in Archives, and an MA in Irish History, fusing her passion for Irish history and the history of clothing into her Ph.D, which she completed at Queen’s University Belfast in 2022.  

Eliza is now a social historian specialising in dress, consumption and the material culture of poverty in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Ireland. As Fulbright Scholar, Eliza will be joining Irish Studies academics at Glucksman Ireland House, New York University. Her Fulbright project entitled ‘Irish and Scots-Irish dress, migration and identity formation in the United States of America, c. 1800-1900’ will explore how clothing was used by lower-class Irish immigrants as an expression of community identity and to create belonging. Eliza is looking forward to the opportunities the Fulbright award will give her to share her work internationally and to engage with the Irish diaspora and the community of Irish studies and dress scholars in the US. 

Gemma Morgan

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - George Mason University

Gemma is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Swansea University. She was the winner of Swansea University’s Research & Innovation Rising Star Award, 2022 and a finalist of the Criminal Justice Alliance ‘Outstanding Individual’ award, 2022 and Digital Leaders 100 – ‘Young Digital Leader of the Year’, 2021. Gemma’s research interests are: desistance/rehabilitation, digital technology in desistance-orientated work, youth justice, evaluation methodology, and co-production. Her underpinning research ethos is collaborative, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary and impactful work. She works closely with several public, private, and third-sector organisations to advance knowledge transfer between academia and practice.   

Her most recent work focuses on developing digital technologies for people and organisations in the criminal justice system to support desistance and other positive outcomes. She is the lead inventor of the innovative ‘My Journey’ app which aims reduce re-offending and improve the social of inclusion of people who have offended. During her Fulbright Scholarship at the Centre for Advancing Correctional Excellence - George Mason University, Gemma will be examining how My Journey can be adapted for the US context and will explore the development of other digital technologies. Gemma is excited to immerse herself within different cultures and is looking forward to watching the Washington Wizards! 

Benjamin Owen

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - University of Illinois

Benjamin completed his Masters degree in Aerospace Engineering and Ph.D. studying computational fluid dynamics at the University of Manchester in 2019. He was awarded an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellowship and upon completion of the fellowship, joined the University of Edinburgh as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Ben applies his knowledge of fluid mechanics to blood flow in healthcare settings. Ben’s research surrounds fluid flow dynamics of particles in blood samples – for cardiovascular disease applications during his Ph.D. and for diagnostic devices as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. Having worked closely with clinicians, he understands the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis and novel treatments. 

During his Fulbright Fellowship, Ben will collaborate with Prof. Ian Papautsky at the University of Illinois, Chicago to combine his expertise in blood flow simulations with state-of-the-art experimental methods to investigate how the high cell concentration of whole blood affects the separation of abnormal or diseased cells. This will allow for the creation of inertial microfluidic devices that can separate cancer cells from whole blood, reducing labour, time, and cost, in clinical settings. From cancer alone, over 1 million people die in the UK and USA each year and early detection is crucial to increasing survival rate. During his time in Chicago, Benjamin is looking forward to immersing himself in American culture, experiencing the stunning architecture, watching the Chicago Bulls, and joining a local rugby team. 

Deepika Reddy

Royal College of Surgeons Research Award - Johns Hopkins

Deepika Reddy is a full time Urology Surgical Trainee in London with an interest in prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. Dr Reddy has completed a PhD in this area investigating the use of focal therapy treatment for localised prostate cancer. The result of this work has culminated with the completion of a pilot trial assessing the feasibility of recruiting to a randomised control trial comparing focal therapy to traditional whole gland treatment. Focal therapy is a treatment modality aimed at treating specific areas of disease in the prostate with a surrounding margin in order to minimise the side-effects of urinary and sexual function often seen following surgical removal or radiation to the whole prostate, but is not yet widely available in the NHS. 

With the support of the Fulbright- RCS England Scholar award she will spend 6 months in the USA, based out of the world famous Johns Hopkins, Baltimore to further establish outcomes following radical prostatectomy (surgical removal of the whole prostate) and focal therapy under the supervision of Dr Arvin George. The work will include multi-institution collaboration aimed to collect data across centres that provide both forms of treatment and promote collaboration between these centres and those in the UK.  

Dr Reddy is passionate about pelvic cancer treatment, directing better understanding of the treatment benefits and risks to optimise patient-centred decision making. She is also motivated in promoting diversity with the medical and surgical field, becoming a Fulbright Scholar and representing both the USA and UK in such a field is an invaluable experience. 

David Rose

Fulbright All Disciplines Scholar Award - Cornell University

David is a Rural Geographer who works on aspects of farm extension – engaging, listening, and responding to farmer and other stakeholder views about changes in policy, innovation, or technology. Topic areas include farmer mental health, technology adoption, sustainable transitions, technology ethics, and responsible innovation. 

Megan Lynch

Fulbright Distinguished Award Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Megan is a reception class teacher for 27 four-year-olds and Early Years Leader (EYL) at her central-London school. As EYL, she is a member of the senior leadership team and manages a team of 15 other Early Years staff. She is passionate about play and nature. Her recent focuses have been the integration of play based learning for EY, planning and building a nature garden, and the impact of Oracy and Wellbeing strategies on children's behaviour.

While on programme in the USA, Megan will explore play-based methodologies, such as Reggio Emilla and Montessori approaches, to create child-centred, play-based guidance for teachers and parents. 

Nebiat Michael

Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Nebiat is a history and politics educator at a large secondary school in London. As Head of History, she's created an environment for all to foster a love of enquiry and critical thinking. As Head of House, she is committed to building an inclusive school community beyond the classroom. A proud advocate for cultural preservation, Nebiat serves as a community teacher of Tigrinya. She holds a bachelor’s in Journalism, a master's in World History, and a PGCE in History Teaching. Her interests span from the intellectual joys of reading and creative writing to the physical pursuits of swimming and travelling.

While in the USA, Nebiat will explore how Native Americans’ approaches to the environment have informed a 21^st century approach to ecology.

Denise Becker

Fulbright-University of Leeds Award

Denise Becker grew up in Middletown, Delaware and graduated from University of Delaware in 2023 with a B.S. in Marine Science and concentration in oceanography. Throughout her undergraduate education Denise has worked on several research projects, including her honors thesis studying the North Atlantic Current during a geologic warm interval. Her research area, paleoceanography, often studies the connection between oceans and climate throughout Earth’s history. 

She will be pursuing a Master’s by Research degree at University of Leeds, under the guidance of Dr. Natasha Barlow. She will study the rate of sea level rise in the North Sea during the Last Interglacial using tephra from distant volcanos. Her data will be used by other scientists on the RISeR (Rates of Interglacial Sea-Level Change, and Responses) project to help predict future sea level rise in Northwest Europe beyond the year 2100.  

Denise has never travelled abroad and is excited to join an international research project. In her free time, Denise plans connect her love of earth science with art by painting British landscapes. She is also a Chelsea fan and hopes to attend many football matches. 

Tim Berard

Fulbright-University of Sussex Award

Timothy graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a BA in Political Science and Africana Studies. As an undergraduate, he was very interested in the LGBTQ+ expenses abroad. He has worked in academic, government, and non-governmental settings where he built a strong appreciation for advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. In his free time, he loves baking, traveling, and spending quality time with his husband and his cat Eve. 

Timothy will be pursuing a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Sussex, one of the leading development research centres in the world, where he will be seeking an MA in Migration Studies. Over the course of the grant, he hopes to learn more about the legal challenges that LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers face in the UK, US, and European legal systems. Following his experience in the UK, Timothy strives towards a career in diplomacy. 

Rachel Blankenship

Fulbright-University of Stirling Award in Health, Well-being and Sport

Rachel Blankenship, of Memphis, Tennessee, graduated from East Tennessee State University in 2019 with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design after completing her four years as a student-athlete with the women's soccer program. Following graduation, Rachel travelled to Skövde, Sweden where she played one season of professional soccer before returning to the United States to pursue a graduate degree at Florida State University.  

At Florida State University, Rachel gained a Master of Science in Art Therapy. Throughout her time in this program, Rachel provided art therapy services to adolescent girls in a residential treatment facility, older adults in an assisted living and memory care facility, and adults admitted to an inpatient behavioral health unit. As Rachel learned more about art therapy and what it has to offer, she realized there was an exciting opportunity to merge two of her biggest passions: art and sport.  At the University of Stirling in Scotland, Rachel will be studying sport psychology as she intends to integrate art therapy theory into the mental health treatment of athletes. Rachel is eager to witness the rich history and culture of sport in Scotland and plans to get involved with local sports teams, both as a player and a volunteer coach. 

Maggie Brooks

Fulbright-University of Southampton Award

Maggie Brooks started her academic career by earning an International Baccalaureate Diploma at Kenmore East Senior High School in Buffalo, NY. During this time, she traveled to Haiti where she saw a lack of medical resources available and the difficulty that Haitians had in receiving quality care. This experience moved her to study biomedical engineering at RIT where she enrolled in a class partnered with Engineering World Health, which allowed her to visit Guatemala to help repair medical equipment.  

Since graduating with a BS in Biomedical Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology, she has been working in the medical device industry as a Quality Engineer. 

At the University of Southampton, Maggie will be pursuing a MSc in Amputation and Prothetic Rehabilitation. The program focuses on understanding the amputation and rehabilitation process from a holistic, patient-centered view. The multidisciplinary group of students will explore the patient's needs physically, psychologically, and emotionally. After graduation, Maggie hopes to combine what she learns with her engineering background to improve access to low-cost, quality prosthetic devices for people in low-resource areas. 

Maggie is honored to be a Fulbright recipient and is excited for the opportunity to launch into her dream career. 

Catja Christensen

Fulbright-University of Roehampton Award in Dance

Catja Christensen of Dunn Loring, Virginia is dancing her way from New London, CT to London, UK. After double majoring in Dance and English at Connecticut College, she will continue her research into the ethical preservation of performance and the impact of multiculturalism on dance production today at the University of Roehampton's Dance Practice and Performance M.A. 

Christensen trained at The Washington School of Ballet in DC before expanding her practice and research scope in college. Among many performance highlights, she trained and performed around Ghana in March 2023 with Connecticut College's Dance Department, exploring how dance interconnects with cultural preservation, challenges stereotypes about the African continent, and serves as a model for intercultural integrity. Additionally, Christensen is a journalist; she was Co-Editor-in-Chief of The College Voice in 2022-23 and wrote for Pointe Magazine and The Oslo Desk. 

At Roehampton, Christensen plans on continuing her research into dance as a link between cultures and as a critical link to identity and community. Outside of the classroom, Christensen is an avid Tottenham Hotspur supporter and looks forward to exploring the UK as much as possible. 

Katharine Cognard-Black

Fulbright-University of Birmingham Award

After seeing her first performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at age five, Katharine Cognard-Black fostered her love of Shakespeare by acting in productions of his work, becoming a Folger Shakespeare Fellow, and pursuing undergraduate majors in theater and creative writing at Bucknell University. Through her studies, she came to see that while Shakespeare’s plays feature misogyny and imperialism, they’re also cautionary tales against greed, hatred, and power. 

For her honors thesis, Cognard-Black wrote and directed an original adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, called “Taming of the Shrew(s).” In “Shrew(s),” she distilled Shakespeare’s original text to portray three distinct interpretations—a comedy, a tragedy, and a love story—while asking how Taming might be produced in the #MeToo era. This past summer, “Shrew(s)” was performed at a women’s prison in Missouri, an experience that transformed how Cognard-Black imagines herself as a future director and educator. 

Cognard-Black’s Fulbright award to pursue a master’s degree in Shakespeare and Creativity at the University of Birmingham will support her efforts to use theatre to advocate for social change. Cognard-Black intends to become a theatre professor and director, remaking Shakespearean productions into ones that empower both actors and audiences to confront injustice. 

Madelyn Correllus

Fulbright-University of Sheffield Award

Madelyn graduated from Susquehanna University in 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and music. She became involved in social psychology research, working as a research assistant as well as conducting her own research on social norms and ideologies regarding family structures and relationships. During her junior year, she spent a semester in Prague, learning about cultural differences and taking classes in gender studies and politics of music. Inspired by her time abroad, she wanted her investigation of diverse identities and backgrounds to extend beyond only American experiences. 

At the University of Sheffield, Madelyn will pursue an MA in sociology where she will study emergent ideas and theory and their application to today’s pressing sociological challenges. She is particularly interested in qualitative research methods and sociologies of gender and sexuality.   

Aside from her studies, Madelyn plans to continue playing flute in ensembles, explore Sheffield, and travel around the UK. 

Eddie Custy

Fulbright-University of Strathclyde Award

Originally from Lone Tree, Colorado, Edward Custy graduated from the United States Military Academy with a B.S. in Economics. Edward’s inspiration to serve and attend West Point stemmed from a desire to learn among peers who shared the same values of loyalty, selfless service, and humility that were instilled by his family. As a former Chemistry major, Edward first pursued research on countermeasures to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and PTSD. Recognizing a global lack of research into the distribution of promising, cutting-edge treatment, he shifted his focus to understanding the economics of drug development and commercialization.  

In the United Kingdom, Edward plans to continue this multi-disciplinary research to facilitate efficient, equitable distribution of treatments for both neurodegenerative disorders and orphan diseases to the world’s most vulnerable populations. As a cadet, Edward was involved with the Peace & Dialogue Leadership Initiative, was a captain of the Alpine Ski Team, conducted open-source military research for Special Operations Command, and led 144 New Cadets through Cadet Basic Training where he was recognized as Best Company Commander. Apart from school, Edward can be found golfing, fishing, or exploring the mountains.  

Edward will study for an MSc in Health Analysis, Policy, and Management at Strathclyde Business School in Glasgow, Scotland. Following completion of postgraduate study, he will serve in the United States Army as an Engineer Officer, eventually pursuing service in Army Special Operations Forces. 

Rayleigh Deaton

Fulbright-Royal Holloway, University of London Award

Rayleigh Deaton of Charleston, South Carolina, graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2023 with degrees in media communication and political science. While at UK, she served as two-time editor-in-chief of the award-winning independent student newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel. She also studied abroad at Oxford's Exeter College as part of the university's English Literature Summer School program as an English-Speaking Union TLab scholar during the summer of her junior year. While at Oxford, she fell in love with England and knew she wanted to receive her graduate education there. 

Rayleigh will be earning her MSc in Media, Power and Public Affairs from Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, England. This master's program focuses on the interconnected relationship among those making the news, those reporting it, and those impacted by it. The program perfectly combines her two undergraduate degrees and will prepare her for her future career in international political reporting, helping her gain a better understanding of the exchange of power on each level of the news industry. 

When not writing, Rayleigh enjoys vintage shopping, singing in choir, reading, hiking, and discovering new coffee shops. She is thrilled to go from UK to the UK — exploring London and the surrounding countryside, learning more about life in England, and drinking innumerable cups of tea. 

Eli Duggan

Fulbright-University of Strathclyde Award

Eli is from Concord, New Hampshire and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2023 with a B.S. in Bioengineering and minors in Philosophy and Sustainable Energy. His experiences leading the UNH Energy Club and hiking the New Hampshire 4000 Footers inspired him to work toward a more sustainable energy future.

While at UNH, he cofounded the UNH Energy Club and Apropos Energy Initiative to create a community of students who are curious and passionate about a sustainable energy future. He successfully competed in several idea and entrepreneurship competitions with these peers. He also conducted antibody optimization and biomaterials characterization research at the University of Kansas, Ragon Institute, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Outside of academics, Eli hikes, runs long-distance, reads science fiction, plays soccer, and meditates.

At Strathclyde, he will pursue an MSc in Sustainable Engineering: Renewable Energy Systems and the Environment at the University of Strathclyde. His studies will focus on energy systems analysis and energy policy and include an individual thesis tentatively centered around the impacts of widespread vehicle-to-grid charging on grid stability and efficiency. After Fulbright, he intends to earn a PhD applying computational modeling techniques to energy storage research and embark on a career decarbonizing society through electrification and renewable energy.

Eli looks forward to engaging with the broader Glasgow community by Munro-bagging with the Glasgow Walking and Hillwalking Club and volunteering with the Scottish Communities Climate Action Network.

Patricia Garcia

Fulbright-University College London Entrepreneurship Award

During Patricia’s early undergraduate years, she traded the traditional Miami swimsuit for a lab coat as she traveled over a thousand miles from home for summer research positions at renowned institutions in the US. From engineering 3D skeletal muscle tissue at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to developing a piezoelectrect sensor to detect pressure changes of the radial artery at the University of California Berkeley, she came to understand the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to produce more innovative solutions.  
 
In her journey to be more than a one-dimensional engineer, she came across the world of entrepreneurship. She decided to nurture her entrepreneurial spirit and begin working towards solving a problem she was experiencing as a college student that would then become her award-winning company- unithrifts®. Aside from winning over 25 national pitch competitions, rerouting over a thousand pounds of waste from landfills, and receiving national press from organizations like NASDAQ and Forbes, she has ultimately demonstrated that profit and purpose are not mutually exclusive. 
 
This Fall, Patricia will embark on the MsC in Entrepreneurship at UCL as the recipient of the Fulbright/University College London Entrepreneurship Award. A recent master’s graduate of the University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Patricia hopes to combine her engineering skill set with a world-renowned business education at the UCL School of Management. 

Lucy Grimshaw

Fulbright-University of Manchester Award

Lucy Grimshaw is a data-driven activist with dual degrees in Public Policy and Social Work from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis. As a Black Woman and transracial adoptee, she brings a unique perspective to how race affects mental health and society. At 12, she read Les Misérables and was moved by its redemptive and poverty-crime correlation themes. After visiting a Haitian prison and witnessing events in her hometown of Ferguson in 2014, she became heavily involved in leading protests and equity initiatives. 

Grimshaw has interned with legal/community organizations, researched US/UK incarceration rates for her thesis, and has spoken about social/racial justice from campus-wide events to NPR. She mapped the socioeconomic inequality of The Delmar Divide, a gentrified neighborhood near her hometown, and presented her findings at her local NGA. Her Chancellor gave her the Newman Civic Fellowship, and she now works at a psychiatric rehabilitation home, aiding those affected by inequity coming out of institutions.  

While at UofM, her Criminology MRES will examine the intersection of race, poverty, and crime through a mental health and trauma-informed lens. She aims to reduce incarceration/institutionalization rates for this demographic while maintaining public safety. Grimshaw plans to volunteer with refugees, connect with British family and friends, travel, and enjoy London's theatre scene. Her goal is to become a civil rights lawyer with a JD/PH.D. degree, empowering these marginalized communities through empathy, hope, and redemption. 

Melissa Heald

Fulbright-Global Wales Visiting Student Researcher Award

Melissa Heald, from Houston, Texas, is a Doctor of Nursing Practice student at Baylor University studying to become a pediatric nurse practitioner with dual certification in primary and acute care.  

In addition to her studies, Melissa has worked as a bedside nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital for six years, experiencing COVID-19 and subsequent healthcare worker burnout firsthand in the nation's largest and busiest pediatric intensive care unit. She also works in an educator role on unit and serves as a student ambassador for the National Association for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Her Doctoral Project focuses on healthcare transition from pediatric to adult providers for youth with medical complexity. 

Through her Fulbright award and partnership with Swansea University, Melissa will research resilience in pediatric advanced practice nurses across the UK following COVID-19. This study aims to inform retention and growth of the Welsh advanced practice nursing workforce while fostering international collaboration and connectedness in a time of continuing global healthcare provider shortages. Melissa will conduct her Fulbright research from February through August of 2024 and will be joined in this adventure by her husband and newborn daughter! 

Connor Herbert

Fulbright-Durham University Award

Connor Herbert graduated in 2022 with a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of Cincinnati. 

Since returning to Lincoln, Nebraska, Connor now serves on the city's Pedestrian Bicyclist Advisory Committee, volunteers at the Lincoln Bike Kitchen, and works at both a Starbucks and a local bike store. He also works remotely for the League of American Bicyclists. Treating the last year as a gap year, he wanted to make the most of it by exploring his community and developing a few skills along the way through his rekindled passion for biking. He hopes to continue this pursuit in Durham. 

He is eager to immerse himself back into a school environment. Inspired by his participation in the American Bar Foundation’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in 2021, he has developed a profound appreciation for interdisciplinary approaches to studying law. Connor envisions that his experience with research methods in geography at Durham will invigorate his scholarship on international and domestic government, business, and military relations as he pursues his goal of becoming a professor and practitioner of international space law. Following his Fulbright experience, he plans to enroll in a Political Science PhD program and earn his JD. 

Olivia Jakabosky

Fulbright-University of Exeter Award

Olivia grew up in California and graduated from Montana State University in May 2023 with a B.S. in Conservation Biology and Ecology with minors in Sociology and Global Studies. She is a Udall Environmental Scholar, Truman Scholar finalist, Garden Club of America Scholar, and an AmeriCorps alum with the Prickly Pear Land Trust.  

As an undergraduate researcher, Olivia has been involved in multiple research projects across many MSU labs that center on the human-wildlife interface, such as the Wildlife Habitat Ecology Lab. For her Honors thesis, Olivia partnered with Paraguayan non-profit, Para La Tierra, to conduct a socio-ecological study on urban howler monkeys. Apart from research, as a second-generation Filipinx American, Olivia is dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion and spearheaded MSU’s first Pan-Asian association.   

Combining her passions for science and community, Olivia aims to bridge the divide between humanity and the natural world through community-based approaches. Olivia will be attending the University of Exeter to obtain an M.S. in Conservation and Biodiversity to cultivate the cross-cultural dialogue needed in community-based conservation. As an outdoor enthusiast and an art fanatic, Olivia is excited to discover the UK's natural as well as historic landscapes and visit the Royal Opera House. 

Jessi Johnson

Fulbright-King's College London Award

Jessi never thought she would leave the sunshine of Los Angeles – but the privilege of a PhD had her packing winter coats for London! For 12 years, Jessi was a Professor of writing, law & social justice, and inclusive education. Her research on anti-oppression and student collaboration has been presented at international conferences; her policy recommendations for inclusive hiring practices are in use at universities; and she was the chair of her department’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Committee. In 2022, she was named a USC Master Teacher. She was also a tutor and anti-bias consultant for the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Youth Center.  

Jessi is a first-generation student who experienced systemic exclusion, academic gatekeeping, and imposter phenomenon; and she works hard to ensure her students have much more empowering experiences. With the Fulbright community, she hopes to define education justice as a public health and global sustainability issue. Her Education Policy PhD is trying to answer an important question: how can equitable grading practices help narrow the “academic achievement gap” in higher education?  

If you run into Jessi at a party, she’s the one talking about the dramatic history of the Graham cracker, anime, or rock climbing. Her favorite human is her partner Kenny. She is grateful to the community that champions her on this journey. And despite the snow (something very confusing to an Angeleno), she is thrilled to build a home in London. 

Anders Knospe

Fulbright-University of St. Andrews Award in Arts & Humanities

Anders Knospe, of Charlottesville, Virginia, graduated Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College in 2023 with a B.A. in Philosophy and Computer Science.  

After taking a Philosophy course on a whim his Freshman fall, Anders fell in love with the discipline and became a Philosophy major. For the next three years, he spent his time researching Conceptual Engineering with Prof. David Plunkett and working with political scientist Yascha Mounk on his forthcoming book, The Identity Trap. 

As a Fulbright Scholar, Anders is excited to continue his academic journey studying Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews, where his research will focus on Conceptual Engineering. While he’s there, he plans to explore Scotland and (maybe) learn to golf. Anders is also interested in satire and comedy, and hopes to be involved with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. 

Francine Leung

Fulbright-Loughborough University PhD Award

Francine graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2023 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an additional major in Biomedical Engineering. During her time at Carnegie Mellon, she was a member of the varsity track and field team, competing in the long jump and triple jump. She also worked as a part-time route setter at a local climbing gym. Her passion for sports inspired her to pursue research in biomechanics. 

While working as a research assistant in the Human Movement and Balance Lab at the University of Pittsburgh, Francine collaborated on a project to predict slips and falls during ladder climbing using a motion capture system and inertial measurement units (IMUs) 

At Loughborough, her research will focus on investigating the effects of running shoes and surface properties on running performance using forward dynamics musculoskeletal simulation. After the completion of her Ph.D., she hopes to apply her knowledge at a sports equipment or shoe manufacturing company and improve equipment for athletes in a way that enhances both safety and performance.  

Outside of academics, she plans to continue climbing through Loughborough’s mountaineering club and volunteer as a track coach in the local community with the university's Coach and Volunteer Academy. 

Bilal Memon

Fulbright-London School of Economics and Political Science Award

Bilal Memon was raised in Norwalk, Connecticut. He graduated from Brown University in 2022 with a B.A. in Economics and Applied Math. During his time at Brown, he was an assistant to Professor Jesse Shapiro, researching political polarization and governments’ tolerance to protest. He also wrote and edited for the joint RISD-Brown alt weekly, The College Hill Independent, covering antitrust regulation and labor rights. For his senior thesis, he collected novel data from Civil War recruitment lists to analyze how different experiences of enslavement, such as occupation while enslaved or owners’ wealth, impacted how freedmen experienced the transition to freedom. 

On his Fulbright, Bilal will continue leveraging data to study the past, particularly the history of slavery. As a master’s student in the Economic History department at LSE, Bilal is excited to pursue such research ideas as the effect of the transition from slavery to indentured servitude in the British Caribbean and a comparative analysis of the effect of malaria on European development in the early modern period. 

Joshua Miller

Fulbright-Lancaster University Award in Faculty of Science and Technology

Josh Miller is twenty-three years old and from Johnson City, TN. Since a little kid, he’s always been fascinated by mathematics and nature, which is why his research has largely centered around biological/environmental modeling. Since artificial intelligence has improved by leaps and bounds in the past few years, he has made it his goal to leverage machine learning to study the environment, specifically climate change. Thus, he believes Lancaster University will be a great place to put this into practice. His project will involve using AI to estimate the amount of ozone produced by wildfires in Europe, and he believes that the Lancaster faculty's expertise in academic chemistry and geospatial data analysis will synergize well with his programming skills. When he’s not busy studying and conducting research, he looks forward to exploring the beautiful countryside in Lancaster and going on lots of hikes. 

Lily Mott

Fulbright-Cardiff University Award

Lily Mott, of Evergreen, Colorado, graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia as a Johnson Scholar with a B.A. in Journalism and Politics. She spent her junior year studying politics at the University of Oxford as a participant in the Mansfield College Visiting Student Programme. 

Lily is interested in exploring the intersection between politics and the media and believes in the power that comes from sharing other people’s stories. She is the host of the weekly podcast, “Be the change.”, on which she amplifies the voices of Gen-Z activists, advocates, and changemakers from around the world. 

As the daughter of two public school teachers, Lily enjoys volunteering in local schools and plans to continue to volunteer in Cardiff schools. In her free time, Lily loves exploring new restaurants and coffee shops, hiking, and curling up with a good book. 

At Cardiff University, Lily will pursue an MA in Digital Media and Society to study the intersections between social media, civic participation, politics, and journalism. She ultimately hopes to work as an international correspondent between the UK and the US. 

Tanajia Moye-Green

Fulbright-University of Strathclyde Award

Tanajia Moye-Green (Washington and Lee University) is a sociology major with minors in data science and poverty and human capability studies. She is especially interested in criminal justice reform and the work involved in antiracism overall. She hopes to do research that will draw awareness to the consequences of mass incarceration on Black communities—regarding educational, social, and health outcomes—and how these consequences can span across generations in the absence of much-needed interventions. Since enrolling at W&L, she has served on the Community Anti-Racism Effort board, where she has supported local efforts to visibly oppose racism and discrimination as a community. She has also researched how the criminal legal system historically facilitated racism and negatively impacted the local Black community, and she has worked as a research assistant for multiple professors. 

Mariama Mwilambwe

Fulbright-Newcastle University Award

Mariama became interested in public service at a young age by spending summers helping her Dad, Mboka – the Mayor of her hometown of Bloomington, Illinois –  walk through the neighborhoods of his ward, solving local municipal issues and connecting with community members.  

Mariama graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, with minors in global health, and legal studies. In her time at the University of Illinois, Mariama served as student trustee, Charles P. Wolff Intern for the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, Vice President of Undergraduate Law Review, Office of Government Relations Fellow, and in her favorite role as a farmhand at the Student Sustainable Farm. Most recently, Mariama joined the 2022 cohort of Harry S. Truman Scholars.  

Mariama is passionate about employing sustainable agriculture methods to improve food security, and increasing corporate accountability in agriculture and food production. She feels she found the perfect fit to support her interests in improving health outcomes by revisioning food security with the MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security degree program at Newcastle University. 

Mariama is excited to experience all that the UK has to offer, from the rich history, beautiful agricultural landscapes, and diverse culinary traditions. She is confident that her time in Newcastle will prepare her well for a lifelong career in sustainable agriculture and food justice advocacy. 

Wynn Myint

Fulbright-SOAS, University of London Award

Wynn is from Maryland and graduated from Goucher College in 2021 with a BA in International Relations and French Transnational Studies. His Burmese-American background fostered a deep interest in the politics of Myanmar, and his undergraduate research centered around post-conflict justice and reconciliation, responses to genocide and mass atrocities, and the legacy of colonization on nation-building in the Global South. 

Wynn now works in the international development and humanitarian aid sector as a consultant focusing on race, (in)equity, and “decolonizing” aid: re-imagining how NGOs approach their work with affected communities, as well as evaluating the structure of aid itself. He has also supported the DEI workstream at InterAction, the largest alliance of US-based international NGOs, where he was instrumental in the development and launch of a coalition-wide DEI Compact. 

At SOAS, Wynn will study the relationship of violence and conflict with conflict interventions and aid. He looks forward to examining the UK’s role in leading aid as a former imperial power and reflecting on what American and British actors in the sector can learn from each other to utilize in their peace and development work. After the Fulbright, Wynn plans to continue his work in the development community with an emphasis on peacebuilding and conflict transformation. He is excited to take in London’s vibrant history and multiculturalism while also practicing film photography. 

Bridget Patterson

Fulbright-Global Wales Postgraduate Award

Graduating from Bowdoin College with a Biology major and Oceanography minor, Patterson’s Fulbright will enable her to continue her education with an MSc in Marine Biology from Bangor University. In Wales, Patterson plans to forge connections between researchers and local fisheries to protect essential seagrass meadows, building on the interest in science communication and seagrass ecosystems.  

Passionate about marine ecosystems from a young age, Patterson attended Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki, where she was able to engage deeply in place-based learning and field science. This experience encouraged her to attend Bowdoin College, where she investigated eelgrass epifauna’s adaptations to temperature. A year later, she was awarded a National Science Foundation Research experience for Undergraduates to study eelgrass genomics at UC Davis. 

As a capstone to her research, Patterson engaged in an honors project on how the diversity of species’ characteristics within eelgrass communities can help predict eelgrass ecosystem response to disturbance. Patterson has shared her research not only with the scientific community but has also worked with shellfishers and coastal communities to expand the impact of her science. Upon her return to the US, Bridget plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Marine Ecology. 

Brian Price

Fulbright-John Wood LAMDA Award in Classical Acting

Brian is a member of the Navajo Nation and was raised on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. After the 9/11 attacks Brian felt obligated to serve his country and Native community so he joined the U.S. Navy shortly after graduating high school.  Brian became the first member of the Navajo Nation to become a U.S Navy SEAL. He completed 140 Combat Operations and was awarded 10 medals and three ribbons for Combat Valor and Merit. He also met President Obama due to his exemplary service.

After the Navy Brian was accepted into Columbia University in NYC and is a first-generation student. He received his BA in Drama and Theatre Arts with a concentration in Acting. Since graduating in 2020 Brian has acted in scores of productions in theatres in AZ and NYC, and was cast in Transformers The Last Knight. He is grateful for Fulbright giving him the opportunity to continue to give back to the world through art and to further serve as a representative of the United States and the Native American people. He is excited to train in LAMDA's acting program and visit museums. Upon completion of the Fulbright, he plans to continue acting and start a scholarship company that gives opportunity to indigenous high schoolers and veterans in the fine and dramatic arts. 

Kate Redmond

Fulbright-IOE-Faculty of Education and Society at University College London

Kathryn (Kate) Redmond will soon graduate from Amherst College with a B.A. in Psychology. Afterward, she will pursue an M.A. in Education, Health Promotion, and International Development at the Institute of Education at University College London.  

Growing up with disabled parents, she spent many hours in the American healthcare system and became passionate about helping others obtain access to exceptional healthcare. Her passion for healthcare extended across the globe when she joined the club Health for Humanity at Amherst. Through a close partnership with an NGO based in Rwanda, Heart and Sole Action (HASA), Kate learned about podoconiosis, a chronic disease that permeates the country, and the difficulties Rwandans face in treating the condition. She hopes to continue this partnership with HASA through her M.A. dissertation in which she will examine how education can be used to increase health and well-being in a lower-income country. 

Kate is excited to be a part of Fulbright as it will help her achieve her goal of becoming a physician and improving healthcare access across the globe. While in London, she hopes to volunteer with the NHS, tutor children at the Cardinal Hume Centre, and explore the vibrant literary scene! 

Asael Rodriguez

Fulbright-University of Kent Award

Asael Rodriguez, of Brownsville, Texas, graduated from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Sociology.   

During his undergraduate career, Asael worked for NOAA as a research assistant focusing on projects in the Rio Grande Valley and Lower Laguna Madre. Through his experiences, Asael worked with white-bellied pangolins, one of the most trafficked species in the world, which kindled his drive to fight against wildlife crime. He hopes to become a representative for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in his country. Asael attended the Conference of the Parties to CITES in Panama City, Panama as an international visitor and got his first taste as to what his future could hold. His greatest accomplishment to this day is being licked by a pangolin.  

As a postgraduate student for the University of Kent, Asael will be studying Conservation and International Wildlife Trade in the Canterbury campus. Along with focusing on research and his studies, Asael will prioritize outreach and communication with his community to promote the growth of animal welfare and conservation. Asael hopes to visit local attractions and locations that he was introduced to by films and novels. Other interests of Asael include reading, video games, longboarding, football, and chess. 

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo

Fulbright-Open Study/Research Award

Kheyal Roy-Meighoo graduated summa cum laude from Emory University with a BA in Film and Media and History.  Her passion is bringing together social justice and film, and she has made it her mission to think critically about diversity through art, discover new forms of storytelling through animation, and uncover histories that have not yet been told. 

Kheyal will be pursuing an MA in Animation at the Arts University Bournemouth to create a stop motion animated film that discusses themes of identity, loss, and resilience in the Asian diaspora. She was drawn to Bournemouth because the university includes both theoretical and practical coursework that will allow Kheyal to explore social justice filmmaking. 

Kheyal has chosen to study in Bournemouth because the field of diaspora studies is highly developed in the UK due to the long history of British colonialism in Asia and patterns of Asian immigration. Her MA project will foster a cultural exchange between the US and UK by drawing connections between the legacies of empire in both countries. Kheyal also looks forward to entering the thriving stop motion and experimental animation environment in the UK. 

Zia Saylor

Fulbright-University of Bristol Award

Zia grew up in Pasadena, California, and graduated with honors from Williams College, majoring in Political Science and Economics. 

She has worked for over three years as an advocate for progressive political policies, helping to train and empower women and candidates of color to run for office, and to increase transparency in the Massachusetts State Legislature. In 2020, she published original research on poverty and income inequality in South Africa, and subsequently collaborated with a nonprofit in Kenya on data collection and analysis for public policy and interventions that would protect widows. In addition to her academic and advocacy work, she also has also led interfaith life on campus, fostering connections across communities.  

For Fulbright, she will study at the Bristol Policy Institute, and examine the intergenerational impact of cash transfers as a poverty-fighting mechanism. She hopes to analyze how anti-poverty programs affect intergenerational outcomes and explore solutions to the trap of cyclical poverty. She is excited to study in a policy environment remarkably different from that of the U.S., especially with regard to the transformative climate policy Bristol is famous for. In her free time, she looks forward to reading in the Clifton Downs overlooking the suspension bridge and is especially excited about the powerful art (Banksy and beyond) that has shaped Bristol’s culture. 

Claire Shao

Fulbright-University of Warwick Award

Claire Shao graduated in 2022 from Williams College, Massachusetts, with a BA in Chemistry and History. As an undergraduate, Claire developed a foundation in the biological sciences and an interest in medicine, while simultaneously pursuing an enduring love for history.  

At the University of Warwick, where she will be a postgraduate student in the History of Medicine program, Claire hopes to unite her dual interests in science and history to explore the history of 20th century immigration and the development of the NHS. She is eager to learn from the community of scholars at Warwick’s Center for the History of Medicine.  

Outside of the university, Claire plans to make the most of her year in the UK by exploring as many places as possible and being involved in the local community. After her Fulbright year, Claire hopes to attend medical school in the US, where she will pursue a career in medicine and continued work in the medical humanities. 

Andrew Song

Fulbright-Imperial College London Award

Andrew, originally from Yorba Linda, California, recently graduated from Stanford University with a B.S.H. in Human Biology and a minor in music. He is deeply passionate about advocating for patients with disabilities and their families. For his honors thesis, he researched the mechanism of mitigating deleterious neuroimmune responses by delaying axonal degeneration after ischemic stroke. In his free time, he enjoys leading art workshops for stroke patients at Stanford Hospital, working at music festivals as a volunteer EMT, playing golf and tennis with friends, and surfing along the west coast.  

At Imperial College London, Andrew will be pursuing a Master's in Bioinformatics and Theoretical Systems Biology and will conduct research in axonal regeneration and restorative neuroscience. In high school, he opened the first ACEing Autism clinic in Orange County, a program dedicated to teaching tennis to children with autism. While in London, he plans on spending his free time coaching tennis at the London ACEing Autism clinic, hosting art workshops and music therapy sessions at hospitals, and attending music concerts and sporting events, including Wimbledon. Ultimately, Andrew aspires to become a practicing physician-scientist while continuing academic research in stroke recovery. 

Julia Tokish

Fulbright-University of Leicester Award

A proud resident of Ramsey, New Jersey, Julia Tokish (she/they) graduated from Bucknell University in 2022 with a B.A. in International Relations, Arabic & Arab World Studies, and Theatre. 

As a student at Bucknell, Julia worked on three research projects: conducting research on South Asian-American playwrights, serving as dramaturg for Bucknell’s 2022 production of Fun Home, and translating Mamdouh Adwan’s play Night of the Slaves from Arabic into English for their honors thesis. Inspired by her coursework on international human rights, particularly in regard to immigration, Julia also interned at the Artistic Freedom Initiative and International Rescue Committee, two nonprofit organizations assisting displaced individuals worldwide. 

While at the University of Leicester, Julia will pursue an M.A. in Human Rights and Global Ethics, again gearing their studies toward issues of immigration and displacement. In Leicester, Julia intends not only to immerse herself in the city’s cultural diversity, but to take advantage of the city’s arts scene – especially its theaters. 

Neil Tracey

Fulbright-University of East Anglia Award

Originally from Arlington Massachusetts, Neil is a recent graduate from Georgetown University where he double majored in Government and Economics. He will be pursuing an MSc in Economics with a special focus on competition policy at the University of East Anglia for the 2023-2024 academic year.   While there, he plans to work as a Research Assistant for the Centre for Competition Policy where, among other things, he will help to construct a database of merger decisions for the internal use of the European Commission. Outside of economics, Neil is interested in political theory and wrote his senior thesis on the limitations of the dominant historiography of the relationship between property and democracy. 

Joan Tremblay

Fulbright-University of Glasgow Award

Joan Tremblay has two lifelong interests: animals and stories. She values her connections to other living beings, and imaginatively exploring the worlds of others through literature. Joan has pursued these interests in two fields, graduating from the University of Connecticut with dual bachelor’s in English and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology. But her proudest efforts – including volunteering at a natural science center, conducting wildlife surveys in her Connecticut hometown and sharing her thesis on the effect of Covid-19 lockdowns on carnivorans in the eastern U.S. – have all involved helping people to connect with and care about wildlife around them.  

Joan is thrilled to pursue both interests simultaneously at the University of Glasgow. The Fulbright will allow her to compare U.S. and U.K. conservation efforts and explore influences of folkloric traditions on conservation approaches. She is particularly interested in relationships between humans and nature in Scottish folklore, and how stories can connect people with their immediate ecosystems. Joan hopes the insights she gains will help build greater awareness of and support for wildlife among Americans. While in the U.K., Joan will volunteer with conservation organizations and personally connect with Scottish natural landscapes. She especially hopes to catch a glimpse of Nessie, or at the very least, a European badger. 

Mary Velazquez

Fulbright-Manchester Metropolitan University Award in Creative Writing

Coming from a Puerto Rican household, Mary’s cultural background has greatly influenced her creative endeavors. A fan of reading and writing fantasy and science fiction literature, Mary intends to write a collection of short stories in these genres spotlighting Latino characters, culture, and folklore. She attended Loyola University of Maryland where she earned a Bachelors of Arts degree in Writing, and minored in Studio Arts. During her time at Loyola, Mary was a dedicated member of the university’s Writing Center, serving as a tutor there for two years. The unwavering support and guidance of the Loyola writing department encouraged her to go forth and pursue a MA in Creative Writing, where she will continue developing her highly fantastical, passion project stories focused on Latino representation. 

Having become very close and involved with her undergraduate writing community, Mary hopes to do the same during her time at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is thrilled to be earning an education and honing her literary skills at this prestigious institution with such admirable faculty. Additionally, Mary looks forward to connecting with fellow creatives and learning about the stories of others. Outside of her written work, Mary loves to paint, go bike riding, and explore new places. 

Juan Ventura

Fulbright-Trinity Laban Award in Music & Dance

Juan is a first-generation Salvadoran American, queer dance artist, and fourth-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is passionate about research, performing arts medicine, and arts in health, especially regarding the utilization of dance/movement in those living with chronic conditions for improved physical and mental well-being.  

Juan's research experience includes investigating treatment-related outcomes in cancer patients and risk factors for adverse events in aging Mexican Americans, made possible through funding from the National Institutes of Health, Sealy Center on Aging, and the Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program. Alongside his academic pursuits, Juan has danced with several dance companies including Open Dance Project, Noble Motion Dance, and Galveston Ballet, among others. He has also had the honor of performing in the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show with Lady Gaga.  

While at Trinity Laban, Juan will pursue an MSc in Dance Science where he will learn methods and techniques related to dance research and its applications. His project involves assessing dancers’ understanding of musculoskeletal injuries and providing informative workshops to empower dancers and promote safe practices for career longevity. Juan is eager to study abroad, experience the culture, and connect with other creatives and scientists. 

Selina Vickery

Fulbright-Queen Mary, University of London Award

Selina is from Houston, Texas and graduated from the Honors and Scholars Program at The Ohio State University in 2020 with a B.S. in Neuroscience and minor in Medical Humanities. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, she was member of OSU’s varsity soccer team, conducted cancer research, and virtually volunteered with internationally based non-profit organizations. Selina then began medical school at OSU in autumn of 2020. Her passion for global health and health disparities grew as she completed advanced competencies in Interdisciplinary Case Management for Working with Underserved Populations and Interdisciplinary Studies in Global Health alongside clinical experience. She will be pursuing a Master’s in Global Public Health and Policy at Queen Mary University of London to grow in the field of public health advocacy and learn how to best serve the world’s most underserved populations as a physician. Upon return to the US, she will finish her final year of medical school. 

As a Fulbrighter, Selina plans to immerse herself in the UK’s single-payer healthcare system to learn of its intricacies that make it unique from that of the US. While in London, she will work with research faculty at Queen Mary’s Cancer Prevention Unit. In her free time, Selina looks forward to hiking in the UK countryside, cheering on Premier League matches, and attending orchestra performances. 

Max Wang

Fulbright-University of Nottingham Award

Max Wang grew up in the California Bay Area and moved to Chicagoland to study at Northwestern University, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering in 2022. His interests lie at the intersection of biomedical research and clinical practice. 

Academically, his interests in engineering, neuroscience, and statistics have led him into the interdisciplinary field of MRI neuroimaging, where he has conducted methodological research leading to a first-author publication. Currently, he works on a clinical neuroimaging trial and is motivated by his desire to translate methods that are used in research into day-to-day clinical practice. He was first inspired to pursue clinical work from volunteering with sick children in the Ronald McDonald House at Stanford. Following this passion, he worked as an Emergency Medical Technician in Chicago and continued to volunteer in local nursing homes. 

Through the Fulbright Scholarship, Max will pursue a Master’s of Research at the University of Nottingham, using multimodal MRI analysis to evaluate the effect of a novel transcranial magnetic stimulation protocol for treating chronic knee pain. In the future, he hopes to continue to advance the translation of neuroimaging and neuromodulation techniques into clinical practice as a physician-scientist. 

As a lifelong football fan, he is also looking forward to joining the crowds of Nottingham Forest fans at the City Ground! 

Emma Willette

Fulbright-Queen’s University Belfast Award in Global Security and Borders

Emma graduated from Siena College with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish. Within her undergraduate coursework, she focused on migration, policing, and gender, completing her degrees with a semester-long research paper on the crisis of femicide within the United Mexican States. 

As an undergraduate student, Emma volunteered as an education facilitator at Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, working with students from refugee families as a mentor and educator, as well as interned with The Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington D.C. As an intern with the Woodrow Wilson Center, Emma aided in the editing of their quarterly publication on global displacement and provided event coverage for their academic and international political discussions. Emma also spent a semester studying at Universidad de Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, where she witnessed the cultural and societal impacts of borders between the Basque region of Spain and the rest of the county. At Queen’s, Emma intends to continue focusing on the gendered experience of migration and displacement by studying the adverse impact borders and security policy have on women and girls. Following her time at Queen’s University Belfast, Emma plans to continue to work with non-profit and non-governmental organizations to provide community aid and work in an advocacy role to support displaced women and girls. She looks forward to living in Belfast and exploring the city, visiting museums and historical sites, and making new connections and friendships as she integrates into the Belfast community. 

Sophia Williams

Fulbright-University of York Award

Sophia Williams graduated summa cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology with majors in Anthropology and Criminal Justice and a concentration in Biology in 2023. Profoundly deaf and bilingual in American Sign Language and written English, Sophia is committed to breaking down barriers for marginalized deaf communities in the States and abroad. She was heavily involved in several movements on campus addressing inequity and accessibility for the deaf and hard-of-hearing student body. She has presented at several conferences and worked as a Chief Research Assistant at RIT/NTID’s Deaf Health Care and Biomedical Science Hub.  

An aspiring medical anthropologist and bioarchaeologist, she seeks to bridge the experiences of the ancient body and the modern body regarding disability and access to healthcare. As a 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow, she analyzed centuries-old letters that focus on the English colonization of health. In the summer of 2022, she explored yet another aspect of health and social identity as a student archaeologist in Romania. Through her undergraduate thesis, she learned from deaf Haitian immigrants and their experiences navigating the American healthcare system. 

She is extremely thrilled to be pursuing a MA in Medical History and Humanities at the University of York through Fulbright. She is eager to engage with other scholars at the intersection of historical, literary, social, and cultural perspectives on illness and health. She is very much looking forward to collaborating with the deaf community in the UK (and hopes to improve her BSL fingerspelling reception skills), visiting bookshops in Yorkshire, and eating as many scones as she can. 

Aiden Winters

Fulbright-Royal Veterinary College Award

Aiden Winters, of Cary, North Carolina, is a first-generation graduate of North Carolina State University. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and worked as a Tick Ecology Research Assistant for the Reiskind Lab. 

During his time at North Carolina State University, Aiden was an active member of the Goodnight Scholars Program, a STEM Scholarship designed to empower low-to-middle income students from North Carolina to become transformative leaders in their industry. While in the program, Aiden studied abroad in Adelaide, Australia and Poznan, Poland and participated in two environmental education trips to Trinidad. Upon graduation, Aiden completed a year-long, ORISE Fellowship at the CDC focused on tick surveillance in the United States. 

Aiden is an avid traveler that has been to twenty-two countries and five continents, so he is ecstatic to spend a year in London. He plans to earn a Master of Science in One Health at the Royal Veterinary College during his Fulbright experience. Using the skillset gained from this, he hopes to pay forward the investment made by the Goodnight Scholars Program by working with governmental organizations to help build a future with a reduced burden of vector-borne diseases globally. 

Michael Yang

Fulbright-University of Reading Award in Food Security

Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Michael graduated from Tulane University in 2023 with a B.S. in Cell and Molecular Biology and a minor in Public Health.  

At Tulane, Michael developed a passion for addressing diet-induced diseases, and he dedicated weekends to volunteering in local community gardens and helping lead cooking classes at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine. Michael’s honors thesis detailing his ophthalmology research on diabetic macular edema further explored the relationships between nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease progression. Michael’s proudest accomplishment though was founding the “New Orleans Elementary School Cooking Class Initiative,” a cooking and STEM program aiming to increase early access to health and wellness education that has reached 100+ local primary school students to date.  

In the UK, Michael will pursue an MSc in Nutrition and Food Science at the University of Reading while conducting cardiometabolic research at the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition and creating an initiative to share information and research on food security between the US and UK.  

Upon returning to the US, Michael will attend Tulane University School of Medicine and pursue an MD/MPH in an effort to help continuously address and prevent diet-induced diseases on both the individual and community level. 

Julia Yi

Fulbright-Northumbria University Award in Art & Design

Julia Yi graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2022 with a B.S in International Trade and Marketing and a minor in History of Art. 

Throughout Yi's undergraduate career, she studied the fashion industry in relation to society and culture as a whole. Her major courses focused on sourcing and operational functions within the global trade of apparel goods while minor courses examined the history of costume and textiles.  While enrolled at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Yi interned with various organizations to support local textile designers and sustainability focused designers in New York City. These roles informed Yi's interest in sustainable fashion’s development and research potential. 

At Northumbria University, Yi will pursue an M.A in Fashion Design (Sustainable and Ethical) dedicating her studies to the use of natural dye in textile print and construction. Yi will focus on local sourcing of organic materials from nearby grocers and florists within the city of Newcastle Upon Tyne. On campus, Yi hopes to cultivate a community by joining gardening club and meeting others interested in ecologically conscious creative practices. 

Kaitlin Zablotsky

Fulbright-University of Edinburgh Award

Hailing from sunny California, Kaitlin first visited the UK in 2012 on Fulbright’s Summer Institute at Durham University where she worked on an archaeological dig at a Roman fort, made lifelong friendships, and set a goal to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK.  

Kaitlin studied Finance, Biology, and Theatre at Santa Clara University. After her undergrad, she worked in cancer research for six years at Stanford and the University of California, San Francisco. Kaitlin has worked extensively with cancer patients from vulnerable populations in the SF Bay Area, helping to address economic/social/geographic factors which can prevent patients from accessing healthcare. 

Kaitlin is ecstatic to begin the Master of Public Health degree at University of Edinburgh. Her research will focus on cancer health inequalities in the rural Western Isles. Through direct interviews, she will characterize common experiences with disparities faced by cancer patients and shed light on unmet needs faced by this community. The MPH will help launch her into a career in health policy where she hopes to focus on healthcare system reform. 

She is a performing artist and can’t wait to dive into the vibrant arts scene in Edinburgh. She also looks forward to exploring Scotland’s great outdoors. 

Lee Arnold

Fulbright-University of Roehampton Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Lee Arnold is a visual artist whose practice is an exploration of how we perceive and represent the natural world. As a Fulbright scholar, Arnold will explore how British scientists in the 18th and 19th centuries investigated natural phenomena in the context of today’s climate crisis. Of particular interest is William Playfair, the founder of graphical methods of statistics. 

Arnold looks forward to pursuing his research in the British Library and the Wellcome Center in London, and further afield at the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, the History of Science Museum in Oxford, and the National Museum of Scotland. 

He will be hosted by the University of Roehampton's School of Arts, and he looks forward to discussions with colleagues about developments in the digital humanities and the influence of new media on the interpretation and visualization of information. 

Arnold is a professor of art at Drew University and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter. 

Anna Beresin

Fulbright-University of Sheffield Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Anna Beresin is professor of psychology and folklore at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the US. She holds two simultaneous PhDs from the University of Pennsylvania with a specialization in children’s folklore. She serves as co-editor of the Taylor and Francis publication, The International Journal of Play, and her newest book is Play in a Covid Frame: Everyday Pandemic Creativity in a Time of Isolation, coedited with Julia Bishop of the University of Sheffield. Anna Beresin’s book Recess Battles: Playing, Fighting, and Storytelling won the Opie Award in Children’s Folklore from the American Folklore Society, and she has recently contributed to a book on Play and Social Justice. She has studied primate play, play and art, mock violent play, and breaktime in schools. All of her research asks: How is play a window into creative thinking and social life? Visit her at the globalrecessalliance.org and annaberesin.com. 

Jenny Browne

Fulbright-Queen's University Belfast Scholar Award (Irish Literature)

Jenny Browne is a Professor of English and Creative Writing at Trinity University and the author of four books of poems. Her most recent collection is Fellow Travelers: New and Selected Poems (TCU Press, 2020). A former James Michener Fellow at the University of Texas in Austin, she has received the Cecil Hemley Memorial Award from the Poetry Society of America, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry and two Literature Fellowships from the Texas Writers League. Her poems and essays have appeared widely, most recently in American Poetry Review, Bennington Review, Copper Nickel, Oxford American, The Nation and The New York Times.  She served concurrent terms as the 2016-2018 City of San Antonio Poet Laureate, and the 2017-2018 State of Texas Poet Laureate. 

Erik Bucy

Fulbright-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Erik P. Bucy is the Marshall and Sharleen Formby Regents Professor of Strategic Communication in the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where he teaches and conducts research on visual and nonverbal political communication, news literacy, disinformation, and public opinion about the press. Bucy is the author of Image Bite Politics: News and the Visual Framing of Elections (with Maria Elizabeth Grabe, 2009), editor of the Sourcebook for Political Communication Research (with R. Lance Holbert, 2013), and past editor of Politics and the Life Sciences, an interdisciplinary journal published by Cambridge University Press. Bucy was recently named a Belfer Fellow by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center for Technology and Society to study the visual dimensions of hate speech. He has held research fellowships and visiting positions at the University of Oxford, London School of Economics, University of Michigan, UCLA, and Dartmouth College.