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 - University of California

Pragya Agarwal moved to the UK from India to study for a Masters and then a PhD from The University of Nottingham, further to which she held a Leverhulme Fellowship and senior academic positions in the UK and abroad. Currently she is a visiting professor of social inequities at Loughborough University and a visiting scholar at University of Oxford. She is the author of four widely acclaimed books on inequalities and bias, and reproductive justice. Her writing also appears in Scientific American, New Scientist, WIRED, The Conversation, The Guardian, Prospect Magazine, among others.  

Pragya is the founder of a research think-tank, ‘The 50 Percent Project’, that examines gender and racial inequities around the world. She is a Fellow of Royal Society of Arts and Royal Geographical Society and recently been awarded a British Library Eccles Centre fellowship to research her next book. She was awarded a Crucible fellowship by NESTA for ‘innovative inter-disciplinary research’, and a Transmission Prize in 2022 for ‘making big complex scientific ideas accessible’.  

Pragya is a highly sought-after speaker and has a strong media profile, and has given talks at the Sydney Opera House, Met Police, British Museum, Royal Society, Google, National Slavery Museum, United Nations, The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Science Museum Boston, and Microsoft. 

As a Fulbright Scholar at University of California Irvine, Pragya will be investigating judicial bias, especially how bias affects decision-making in the areas of domestic violence, reproductive justice and immigration laws, and the role that maps play in the judicial domain.  

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. 

Harriet Piercy

Distinguished Teacher, Vanderbilt University

Harriet is in her eighth year of teaching English at Haggerston Secondary School in Hackney, London. Most recently as a head of faculty, Harriet has led curriculum design and staff development in the English department. Throughout her career Harriet has expanded educational opportunities for students through enrichment activities, including theatre trips, workshops with political speechwriters, and lectures from university academics. Harriet’s hobbies include drawing and printmaking and she regularly draws on visual culture in her lessons. 

Harriet’s inquiry project explores best practice in classroom oracy and seeks to identify the most effective, engaging and inclusive methods for developing students’ public speaking skills. On her return, Harriet hopes to apply lessons and ideas from her time in the American classroom to improve outcomes for students with the greatest barriers in the school community.

Jill Somerville

Distinguished Teacher, Vanderbilt University

Jill Somerville is a highly motivated Nursery and Primary school teacher, currently based in Northern Ireland. After obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Queens University, Jill embarked on a career in teaching by completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) and more recently, a Masters in Early Childhood Studies at Stranmillis University.

Jill has always been passionate about exploring different education systems around the world, which has led her to visit Iceland, Slovenia, and Norway to observe and implement new strategies to ensure the best possible learning experiences for the children in her class. She strongly believes in constantly evolving her teaching practices to meet the changing needs of her students. Jill is a trained Forest School leader, which enables her to incorporate nature-based learning experiences into the curriculum. She is also a passionate advocate for Play to Learn More, a methodology for learning through movement. Jill strongly believes in the benefits of outdoor play and how it can create an inclusive environment for all children in the 21st century world.

In her classroom, Jill can often be found exploring different seasons and learning new skills with her students, regardless of the weather. Her passion for teaching extends beyond her classroom as she is also interested in how American educators create inclusive environments for their students. She is excited to travel to America, visit famous geographical landmarks, and attend some CrossFit gyms during her trip.

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. 

Christopher Campbell

Fulbright-Loughborough University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Christopher M. Campbell, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor for the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Portland State University. He focuses on a number of criminal justice related issues, with his recent work focusing on policies impacting people who use substances. As nations recognize the harmfulness of incarceration, many localized jurisdictions aim to divert the lowest-level, and particularly drug offenders, away from custody. Consequently, it is a critical time to examine the role of public and officer perceptions as it relates to diversion efforts. Dr. Campbell was selected for a Fulbright Scholar position at Loughborough University in England to study diversion efforts for people who use substances, and the acceptance of such efforts by law enforcement and the public. His project implements mixed-methods, using surveys and interviews of citizens and police to examine how perceptions of similar efforts differ between the US (Oregon), and England (West Midlands). 

Jess Chloros

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

Jessica Chloros is an Objects Conservator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA and a Visiting Lecturer at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. At the Gardner Museum she focuses on the conservation of sculpture and decorative arts. She also carries out technical research, mentors emerging professionals and conducts implicit bias training to support the museum’s DEAI work. Recent projects include technical studies of European and Asian polychrome sculpture and the research and treatment of a Roman marble sarcophagus.  

As a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Dundee, Jessica will explore ways to increase the accessibility of two-dimensional works of art for blind and partially sighted museum visitors. Jessica holds an MS in Art Conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and a certificate of Advanced Training in Objects Conservation from the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies at the Harvard Art Museums. 

Luis Alfonso Dau

Fulbright-University of Leeds Distinguished Scholar Award

Luis Alfonso Dau is an Associate Professor of International Business and Strategy and the Robert and Denise DiCenso Professor at Northeastern University. He is also a Buckley Visiting Fellow at University of Leeds and a Dunning Visiting Fellow at University of Reading. His research focuses on the effects of institutional processes and changes on the strategy and performance of emerging market firms. His research has won numerous awards and has appeared in top journals in the field, including AMJ, JIBS, JMS, JWB, MIR, GSJ, ETP, and JBV. He has served on the Executive Board of the Academy of International Business as Vice President of Administration, as well as Representative-at-Large for the Strategic Management Society’s Global Strategy Interest Group. He is a member of the editorial boards of JIBS, JIBP, JWB, GSJ, and JIM. Please see luisdau.com for full CV. 

Kelly Davis

Fulbright-University of Birmingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

As a rape prevention educator and rape crisis center volunteer during college, Davis saw first-hand the ubiquity of alcohol consumption during sexual assault. Her curiosity piqued, Davis began her research program into the study of alcohol-involved sexual assault during graduate school. Since then, Davis has led numerous research projects related to sexual violence, with grant funding from the National Institutes of Health, including the prestigious NIH MERIT award. Her projects include an evaluation of Safer Bars, a sexual violence bystander intervention program implemented within alcohol serving establishments, as well as laboratory-based studies of men’s alcohol-facilitated sexual aggression. While at the University of Birmingham, Davis will work with her UK colleagues to translate scientific knowledge regarding alcohol-involved sexual assault from research settings to routine practice. 

James DiLellio

Fulbright-Lancaster University Scholar Award (STEM-Science and Technology)

Dr. James A. DiLellio was recently promoted to professor of decision sciences, effective in the 2023-24 academic year, at the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Northwestern University and an MBA (finance) from Pepperdine. His current research interests are primarily in nonlinear optimization, simulation, and Kalman filtering techniques to model a variety of investment problems. The application of this research covers portfolio management, retirement planning, commodity price modeling, and the analysis of investment strategies. He has published over 20 research papers, most recently in Energy Economics, Decision Sciences, the Journal of Economics and Finance, Financial Services Review, and the Journal of Investing.  Dr. DiLellio also has over a decade of domestic and international experience in the aerospace and defense industries at Raytheon, Boeing, and The Aerospace Corporation.   

Colleen Doherty

Fulbright-University of York Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Can plants help the transition to clean energy? Colleen Doherty is an Associate Professor in Biochemistry at North Carolina State University. Her lab studies how the plant circadian clock helps plants adapt to stress. However, the severe impacts of changing climates on plants have motivated her to use the incredible power of plant biochemistry to fight climate change. A significant limitation in the clean energy transition is the availability of rare earth elements essential for lightweight electric vehicles and durable batteries. Doherty uses plants to accumulate these elements from coal and energy wastes. At the University of York, in the Center for Novel Agricultural Products, she will research ways to alter the chemical form of these elements in the plants to make them valuable for downstream industrial uses. Her Global Scholar period will be from January- April. Doherty’s ten-year-old daughter will join her and despite being told otherwise, she hopes to meet the Nac Mac Feegles.  

Carol Elkovich

Fulbright-Scotland Distinguished Scholar at the Glasgow School of Art

Carol Elkovich is an installation artist. In Scotland, Ms. Elkovich will undertake the Motherland Project, exploring textiles traditions and landscapes to produce paintings and textiles. Her research ruminates on the Scottish diaspora and the loss of textile traditions stemming from Scotland. As an Associate Professor of Art at California College of the Arts in San Francisco, California, Ms. Elkovich is active in developing innovative arts pedagogy. Her research invents equitable critique techniques and explores the impact of gamification on the creative process. She has presented her research at art education conferences and is a contributing author in Let’s Talk About Critique; Reimagining Art and Design Education, University of Chicago Press, 2023. Working with students and faculty at Glasgow School of Art, she will engage in conversations and games on topics of Reading the Landscape and Instilling Creative Confidence in Art Students. 

Karen Giuliano

Fulbright-Edinburgh Napier University Scholar Award (Nursing)

Karen is Co-Director of the Elaine Marieb Center for Nursing and Engineering Innovation, and Professor, Institute for Applied Life Sciences and the College of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Karen is also a nurse scientist at Baystate Medical Center, Springfield MA. With a clinical background in critical care, a passion for research at the point-of-care, and 25+ years of global experience in the medical product development, Karen’s focus is to improve the delivery of care for nurses, and the experience of care for patients and family.  Her expertise includes human-centered design and clinical outcomes research. In addition, her own interdisciplinary program of research is focused in two main areas: non-ventilator hospital-acquired pneumonia and IV infusion safety using IV Smart Pumps.   

Karen is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, holds a BSN and PhD (Boston College), an MBA (Babson College) and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship (Yale University). 

Edith Gonzalez

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

Dr. Gonzalez is an Assistant Professor of Archaeology and Critical Museum Studies at University at Buffalo – State University of New York. Her background is in museums with leadership positions at informal learning institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Long Island Children's Museum. She has a deep commitment to life-long learning and creating low stakes learning environments so that researchers can share their work and visitors can discover their passions. Her research focuses on the historical archaeology of the English speaking Caribbean, transatlantic slavery, bio-prospecting, and cultural heritage. She is a current Research Fellow at All Souls College - Oxford University and in 2024, will be a Fulbright Scholar at the British Library - Eccles Centre for American Studies, delving into a vast collection of 18th-century documents to learn about the mysterious past of the island of Barbuda, West Indies. 

Heather Green

Fulbright-Cardiff University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Heather Green’s Fulbright will take her to the mudflats of the Severn Estuary from Feb–June 2024, where she will work with the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences and the Severn Estuary Partnership at Cardiff University to realize the full scope of Tidal Timespace: Imprints & Palimpsests, an interdisciplinary art project that examines and celebrates the ecology and culture of the Severn Estuary. She will map the visible remains seen at low tide and capture them in a series of casts recording the still-wet, intricate patterns inscribed by snails, currents, and other beings, and gather images and stories about the Estuary for an artist book detailing the diversity and signature of this vital landscape that borders both Wales and England. Green is an Associate Professor of Printmaking and Book Arts at Arizona State University. Her work explores the historical and ecological narratives of the Gulf of California in Sonora, Mexico, a place she has known since childhood. 

Aida Hozić

Fulbright-Oxford-Pembroke Distinguished Scholar (Politics and International Relations)

Aida A. Hozić is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Florida. Her research is situated at the intersection of feminist political economy, cultural studies, and international security. She is currently writing about merchant capitalism in Southeastern Europe, visual representations of race in international politics, and diffusion of global art markets.  She is the author of Hollyworld: Space, Power and Fantasy in the American Economy (Cornell University Press, 2002) and co-editor (with Jacqui True) of Scandalous Economics: Gender and Politics of Financial Crises (Oxford University Press, 2016). She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her work has been supported by the John D. and Katherine T. MacArthur Foundation, IREX, Institute for Turkish Studies, Open Society Institute, Fulbright and other fellowships. Her public writing has appeared in Foreign Policy, Al Jazeera, Politico Europe, Le Monde, Phenomenal World, Guernica, etc. 

David Koons

Fulbright-University of Exeter Scholar Award

Professor David Koons is the James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair of Wetland & Waterfowl Conservation at Colorado State University. He is a population ecologist with > 20 years of experience studying migratory birds. His additional interests include natural resource management, population dynamics, life history evolution, and aging. He is also a decorated educator with extensive experience advising students and teaching both quantitative and field courses. Before his most recent position, Professor Koons was on the faculty at Utah State University where he was awarded several teaching awards and in 2013 he received the Robins Award for best researcher across all disciplines. He conducted post-doctoral research at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany, attained a Ph.D. degree from Auburn University, and attained M.S. and B.S. degrees from Montana State University. He is also a proud member of the British Ecological Society. 

Kyle T. Mays

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

Kyle T. Mays (he/him) is an Afro-Indigenous (Saginaw Chippewa) scholar of Afro-Indigenous studies, urban history, and contemporary popular culture. He is an Associate Professor in the Departments of African American Studies, American Indian Studies, and History at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of three books, including: City of Dispossessions: Indigenous Peoples, African Americans, and the Creation of Modern Detroit (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022); An Afro-Indigenous History of the United States (Beacon Press, 2021), and Hip Hop Beats, Indigenous Rhymes: Modernity and Hip Hop in Indigenous North America (Suny Press, 2018). He is also the co-author of a forthcoming book, Rethinking the Red Power Movement (Routledge, 2023). 

Ellen Millender

Fulbright-University of Nottingham Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Ellen Millender is the Omar & Althea Hoskins Professor of Greek, Latin, and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Humanities at Reed College, Oregon, US, where she has taught since 2002. She publishes broadly on the ancient Greek city-state, Sparta. Her research includes investigations of Spartan austerity, leadership, literacy, kingship, military organization, gender mores, and emotional practices. She is currently completing a series of studies of the role that spectacle and performance play in fifth- and fourth-century accounts of Sparta. 

Professor Millender will be spending her Fulbright at Nottingham University's Center for Spartan and Peloponnesian Studies. She will be completing a monograph on the role that Athens' democratic ideology and hegemonic rivalry with Sparta played in fifth- and fourth-century constructions of Sparta as a peculiar society similar to Athens' barbarian enemies to the East. 

Joanne Myers

Fulbright-Durham University Scholar Award (All Disciplines)

Joanne Myers has long been fascinated by archival materials, but that interest remained in the background of her scholarly work until, in 2017, a chance encounter with a manuscript prayer book from the 1720s reignited her interest. The anonymous prayer book spurred a series of questions: Who wrote it? Why would someone create a handwritten book over two centuries after the arrival of the printing press? Was the work tedious? How did the nun who wrote this book understand the meaning of her labour? That serendipitous encounter spurred her current interest in English Catholic devotional culture in the 1600s and 1700s, with a focus on scribal practice in English continental convents. At Durham, Myers will be spending most of her time in Palace Green Library, surveying the manuscript and print libraries of the Poor Clares of Rouen, which include many books penned by the same nun who created that prayer book Myers encountered years ago. 

Paul Roth

Fulbright-University of Manchester Distinguished Scholar Award (Humanities)

How does a philosopher who writes about historical explanation account for his intellectual journey that results in applying for and receiving a Fulbright fellowship. In short, a fortuitous set of events brought to Roth’s attention how his interest in the altered relation of the history and philosophy of science that occurs in the 20th century connects with how conceptions of logic have morphed in that time. Scholars at The University of Manchester pursue this very particular innovative and exciting work in the history of logic, and so it is off to Manchester he goes.  

Roth’s specific Fulbright project attempts to forge the hitherto untold story of how philosophy of history, philosophy of science, and philosophy of logic have mutually influenced and altered one another. The heart of the narrative concerns how logic, and especially the logic of science, has reshaped the logic of explanation, and so ultimately reconfigured what to count as a rational understanding of ourselves. 

Jason Schneiderman

Fulbright-University of Nottingham Scholar Award

Jason Schneiderman is the author of five poetry collections, most recently Hold Me Tight (Red Hen, 2020), and including the forthcoming Portrait of Icarus as a Country on Fire (Red Hen, 2024). He edited the anthology Queer: A Reader for Writers (Oxford UP 2016). His poems and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies; he is a longstanding co-host of the podcast Painted Bride Quarterly Slush Pile. His awards include the Emily Dickinson Award, the Shestack Award, and a Fulbright Fellowship. He is longtime co-host of the podcast Painted Bride Quarterly Slush Pile and a guest host for American Public Media's The Slowdown. He is Professor of English at the Borough of Manhattan Community College and teaches in the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College.

Jacqueline Shea Murphy

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

Jacqueline Shea Murphy is professor of dance studies at the University of California Riverside, and prize-winning author or editor of several books, including Dancing Indigenous Worlds: Choreographies of Relation. She writes about Native American and Indigenous dance artists creating in but beyond coloniality. Her first Fulbright took her to Aotearoa where she learned about Māori contemporary dance. This Fulbright, at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University, Belfast, allows her to explore her Irish roots, asking: what constitutes “Indigenous” in Ireland and in Irish dance? How do bodies in physical relation, bodies in ancestral relation, and centuries of bodies emigrating and immigrating affect that question? She will study what Irish contemporary dance shows about negotiating space with each other. Following Indigenous scholars who cite storytelling as ‘decolonizing methodologies,’ she will also finish a YA speculative fiction novel set in 1846 Ireland, based on family history. 

Matthew Winters

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

Matthew S. Winters is Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Illinois. His research interests include the allocation and effectiveness of foreign aid, the political-economy of governance, and voter attitudes toward corruption. He has conducted research in Bangladesh, Brazil, Indonesia, Malawi, Mali, and Uganda. Winters has published articles in Journal of Politics, World Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Comparative Politics, International Studies Quarterly, and World Development, among other outlets, and has worked as a consultant for USAID, AusAID, and the World Bank’s Independent Evaluations Group. Winters received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University, was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance at Princeton University, and has held a Council on Foreign Relations / Hitachi International Affairs Fellowship in Japan.   

Changqing Wu

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

Dr. Changqing Wu is a Professor of Food Toxicology at University of Delaware. Her research is on toxicities and bioactivities of natural and synthetic phenolics, with a focus on developing new methods to understand toxicity of emerging food contaminants such as nanoplastics. With unique physiochemical properties, nanoplastics have big toxic risks to life on Earth. Food intake is a key route of human exposure to nanoplastics. Huge knowledge gaps exist on the health impacts of nanoplastics-containing foods. During the visit at the University of Birmingham, she will leverage facilities and resources to study the health impacts of nanoplastics within foods. The research will identify the fates of nanoplastics in common food preparation steps and evaluate the dynamics of nanoplastics during digestion to understand its role on human health. She is excited to know more of UK and enhance institutional collaboration on fundamental and applied research regarding the nanoplastics within foods. 

Tiphanie Yanique

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

Tiphanie Yanique will be the inaugural Fulbright Scholar to the BVI, working within the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College. She will teach a decolonial and environmental studies literature course and a fiction workshop.  She is the author of the novel, Monster in the Middle, which was published in 2021 and on numerous best of the year lists.  Monster in the Middle was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award and is a finalist for the Townsend Prize.  She is also the author of the poetry collection, Wife, which won the Bocas Prize in Caribbean poetry and the United Kingdom’s Forward/Felix Dennis Prize, the novel, Land of Love and Drowning, which won the Flaherty-Dunnan First Novel Award, the Phillis Wheatley Award, and an American Academy of Arts and Letters Award.  In the BVI she will be researching for her collection of essays on how the Black body stays safe in the outside world.  Tiphanie’s family, which includes her three small children, will be outdoors whenever possible.