The University of Georgia announced on Sept. 11 that 15 recipients of Fulbright study and teaching grants will take advantage of disparate programs in countries ranging from Brazil to Vietnam. Six of the 15 have received academic and arts grants and nine will be teaching English.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program with the support of the U.S. government and through binational partnerships with foreign governments aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and people of other countries. The program sponsors U.S. and foreign participants for exchanges in all areas of endeavor including the sciences, business, academe, public service, government and the arts.
Maria de Rocher, chair of UGA’s Fulbright selection committee, said in an announcement, “The great number of Fulbrights awarded again this year is further evidence of our students’ remarkable academic accomplishments and strong commitment to solving the world’s most pressing problems.”
The six recipients of Fulbright academic and arts grants are:
Jennifer Alexander of Athens will spend a year in Vietnam working with independent solid waste collectors to evaluate date management strategies. A 2016 graduate, she will return to UGA after the Fulbright to pursue a master’s degree in environmental engineering and continue researching waste management and plastic pollution issues.
Kristen Gleason of Paolos Verdes, Calif., will investigate the contemporary arctic based in the Norwegian city of Tromso to continue her studies in environmental theory and aesthetics and to complete a novel that will serve as her dissertation. She is a doctoral candidate in English and creative writing.
Jonathan McCombs of Dallas, Tex., is to work with urban geographers at the Center for Economic and Regional Studies in Hungary. He is to graduate from UGA in 2020 with a doctorate in geography.
Michelle Paterick of Cumming and most recently of Honduras, is pursuing a master’s degree in education and learning at the University of Turku,located in southwestern Finland in the city of Turku. She is to compare Montessori schools in the U.S. with public schools in Finland. She graduated from UGA in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology.
Keysa Rosas-Rodriguez of Hormigueros, Puerto Rico, is to investigate the consequences of land conversion to palm oil production on the quality and quantity of freshwater resource available to communities in Tabasco, Mexico. A doctoral candidate in integrative conservation and economy at UGA, she is on schedule to earn her degree in 2020.
Nicholas Twiner of Dunwoody is to complete his master’s degree in linguistics at Queen Mary University in the United Kingdom. He is to specialize in syntactic theory and sociolinguistics and write a thesis on English dialects. He graduate from UGA in December 2017 with bachelor’s degrees in linguistics, classical languages and classical culture.
Nine alumni received Fulbright English teaching assistantship awards listed below alphabetically by their host countries and UGA degrees. They are:
Brazil: Lilian Zhu of Iowa City, Iowa, graduated in May with degrees in Romance languages and Latin American and Caribbean studies. She will be teaching English at a federal university.
• Colombia: Shornima KC of Kathmandu, Nepal, graduated in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. She will teach English at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Medellin.
• Malaysia: Kara Pemberton of Statesboro graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and entertainment and media studies. In addition to teaching English, she will engage with her local communities through dance and documentary film.
• South Korea: Rachel Kelley of Marietta graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs. Beyond teaching, she wants to improve her Korean and learn more about Korean politics. Maggie Little of Cumming graduated in May with a bachelor’s in political science and a master’s degree in public administration. With a background in theatre and arts education, she plans to start an after-school club for students interested in the arts.
• Spain: Laura Moeller of Augusta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in science education, chemistry and Spanish. She is teaching at Colegia Decroly in Madrid working with students from 12 to 17 years old. Elizabeth Jennings of Marietta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and world language education. Rachel Tepper of Alpharetta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and international affairs. Both Ms. Jennings and Ms. Tepper are working in the La Rioja region assisting English teachers in elementary schools.
• Vietnam: Caroline Beadles of Atlanta graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in international affairs and pre-physician assistant courses. Outside of her English teaching duties, she looks forward to learning Vietnamese and offering professional development workshops.
To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, click here.
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