2023 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors

yewande.addie@fulbrightmail.org 

Yewande received a Fulbright Study/Research award to complete a cultural communication study on media coverage of opioid misuse in Nigeria. During her award, she was based in Lagos at the University of Lagos’ Department of Mass Communication. The research Yewande undertook while on her Fulbright helped to support her dissertation research and ultimately led to the completion of her PhD from The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications. While in Nigeria, she was able to mentor several Nigerian graduate students locally, evaluate student health communication campaigns, facilitate workshops on pursuing graduate education abroad, develop several collaborative research projects, and promote research opportunities on campus radio. Yewande is a narrative change researcher in RTI’s Transformative Research Unit for Equity (TRUE), a research center focused on the policies, practices, systems, and narratives that maintain historic or contemporary inequities among marginalized groups and communities. Yewande hopes to continue building a career that affords her the opportunity to strategically use storytelling and narratives in her research and as a modality for healing and social change. Yewande/She/Dr. is a proud HBCU graduate of Florida A&M University, a Nigerian American, and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Ask Me About: Being a Fulbrighter from an HBCU, Grad student life abroad

emma.alquist@fulbrightmail.org

Emma, an Appalachian native, served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malta, splitting her time between two secondary schools and the University of Malta. At the secondary schools, Emma created lessons that provided opportunities for cultural exchange, while helping more than 150 students enhance their English language proficiency. As a visiting lecturer at the University, she taught Public Speaking and Professional Development courses to both traditional and non-traditional students. When not working with the Maltese schools and institutions, Emma volunteered with two Non-Governmental Organizations that provide support to migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers residing in Malta. She taught English classes for women residing in Malta’s Open Center facilities, which provide shelter and public services. In addition to teaching, she assisted the women with creating CVs and completing job applications, and organized clothing drives and social outings for those seeking refuge. Combining her love for rock climbing and her drive to serve, she coordinated with the Maltese climbing community to take a group of students from the centers on a guided excursion. Outside of teaching and her community engagement, Emma tried to explore every inch of the 17-mile-long island, scoping out new climbing spots and traveling during school breaks to see new parts of Europe. Her Fulbright experience has encouraged her to pursue her passions for medicine, diplomacy, and travel. She is currently working as a medical assistant in Bozeman, Montana, and plans to attend a physician assistant program with the goal of becoming a Foreign Service Medical Provider.  

Ask Me About: STEM studies, How being from rural Appalachia helped me relate with the tight-knit communities in Malta, How I learned to intersect diplomacy and medicine

eloise.arnot@fulbrightmail.org

During her year as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, Eloise was placed in the small town of Prostejov in the Moravia region of the Czech Republic. She worked at a business academy in Prostejov’s town center that served about 250 students from villages across the country. Eloise taught English and American culture classes and ran a conversation club after school. While on her Fulbright, she made a point to connect with students outside of school to use English in a more casual setting to help them learn to converse informally. Eloise emphasized to students that English is always evolving and there isn’t a right or wrong way to express yourself, and language should not be an insurmountable barrier. The strong communication, interpersonal, and adaptive skills that her Fulbright experience fostered have allowed Eloise to make global connections throughout the United States, UK, and Czech Republic. Her passion for connecting with individuals led to an interest in the human relations field. She is currently a graduate student at Cornell University studying Industrial and Labor Relations. After graduating in May 2023, she plans to move to Washington D.C. and work in the public sector.

Ask Me About: Identifying as LGBTQ+ abroad, Pursuing DEI goals, Connecting with students outside of the formal ETA setting

janika.berridge@fulbrightmail.org 

During her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, Janika co-led English lessons for more than 400 10th and 11th grade students and supported after-school English clubs for students and teachers. Outside of school, she co-hosted interactive presentations that highlighted U.S. culture, promoted U.S. exchange programs, and introduced regional English teachers to new classroom games. Every week, Janika joined a local English-speaking community’s Thursday night discussions, contributing U.S. perspectives on a variety of topics. She also introduced the U.S. government-sponsored Community College Initiative (CCI) Program to her Indonesian peers, three of whom received the scholarship to study in Virginia, Maryland, and Wisconsin. Serving as a cultural ambassador for the United States confirmed Janika’s interest in a public diplomacy career, leading to her current position as a Junior Program Officer in the BridgeUSA Office of the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. She plans to attend graduate school as a 2023 Pickering Fellow in preparation for a future career in the U.S. Foreign Service. 

Ask Me About: Being a first-generation college student, Being a first-generation U.S. Citizen, Educational Opportunity Fund, Low-income, Being Black abroad. 

esteem.brumfield@fulbrightmail.org 

For his Fulbright Study/Research program, Esteem conducted research at Stellenbosch University, just north of Cape Town, South Africa. His original plan was to conduct field research on learning disability accommodations in a classroom at the prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated, to examine how incarcerated individuals with learning disabilities access and use education as a form of rehabilitation in prison. Due to the constraints of conducting field research under Covid conditions, he changed his project to focus on literature reviews and engage with professors in the education, sociology, law, and health disciplines to understand the cultural contexts of disability and prison rehabilitation. 

Outside of his research responsibilities, Esteem volunteered with a university-based prison education program to further his cultural exchange experience and gain direct experience with the community-based context around incarceration in the Western Cape. As a volunteer, he visited local prisons in the Western Cape and observed prison education classes. With no prior published research on this topic, Esteem’s Fulbright project offered novel insight into education, disability, and social justice, raising new questions for future research around disability and rehabilitation both in South Africa and abroad. Currently, Esteem consults with non-profits on criminal justice reform projects with a focus on building community relationships with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals. His research approach centers on community participatory research and community building. He has served as research director of the Mass Incarceration Lab at Brown University, drawing on his Fulbright experience to design and curate a digital archive on U.S. mass incarceration. His goal is to attend law school and focus on public interest and federal appeals cases relating to prison health care and improving conditions of confinement.

Ask Me About: Being a minority abroad, Volunteering with a local community abroad, Being a first-generation student and researcher, Adapting and overcoming research hurdles, Finding support for your research project, Being a community college transfer student

odalis.castro@fulbrightmail.org 

During her Fulbright Study/Research program in Kraków, Poland, Odalis was based at the Jagiellonian University, where her research focused on modulators of skin inflammation and their role in skin cancer development when they become dysregulated. Ultimately, this research aimed to understand the molecular foundation of tumor development and further contribute to developing therapeutic strategies to treat skin cancer. In addition to her Fulbright research, Odalis collaborated with the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw and UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in finding ways to mobilize and maximize aid for incoming Ukrainian refugees to Poland after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Additionally, she led STEM initiatives with Perspektywy Women in Tech, a non-profit aiming to amplify STEM opportunities for women in Poland. Currently, Odalis is involved with healthcare advocacy groups around Colorado, working and advocating for more affordable and equitable healthcare. She is passionate about health advocacy and bridging the language gap for Spanish-speaking communities when they seek healthcare. Odalis plans to attend medical school to provide medical care to low-income and underserved populations in the United States.

Ask Me About: Being a first-generation college student, being Latinx, Women in STEM, Being a minority abroad, Being a Fulbrighter from a Hispanic-Serving Institution

mando.eijansantos@fulbrightmail.org 

During their Fulbright experience in Japan, Mando was a visiting researcher at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (TITech,) investigating the relationship of radiation dose rate and DNA damage and repair in human cells. They established a collaborative relationship between TITech and UC Irvine that they hope to strengthen during their graduate school career. After clarifying the radiation survival curves of different types of human cells at TITech, Mando is now applying the knowledge they gained to cancer treatment development at UC Irvine. While in Japan, Mando visited the sites of the nuclear disasters to learn about each event from a more personal perspective, as details about these events are sparse in U.S. education. Mando connected with residents of Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima and collected valuable witness reports of the events. Lastly, Mando was honored to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community and activism in Tokyo during their stay. Mando is currently a first-year Biomedical Engineering Ph.D. student at UC Irvine, further researching the effect of nuclear decay on human cells and applying this knowledge to cancer treatment. 

Ask Me About: Identifying as LGBTQ abroad, Preparing for graduate school during Fulbright, Finding community despite language barriers, Organizing your own research pathway, Addressing stigma from perspectives of USA and abroad

iran.hernandez@fulbrightmail.org 

On her Fulbright, Irán spent ten months in the United Kingdom obtaining a master’s degree in automotive engineering at Coventry University in partnership with Aston Martin. She conducted research within the department of mechanical, aerospace, and automotive engineering, working on computational modeling of clean energy systems. Irán’s Fulbright project, centered on developing a Micro Gas Turbine model designed to support an electric vehicle charging station, is the topic of a forthcoming publication. While in the UK, Irán served as part of the university’s Student Ambassadors program, where she was able to speak to prospective students about the opportunities of cultural exchange and the benefits and resources available for graduate study. She also participated in cultural exchange opportunities by joining an Irish Gaelic football team and the university dodgeball team, as well as the university’s Christian Union. She is currently attending Duke University as a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, working on sustainable forms of energy technology through the modeling and analysis of Enhanced Geothermal Reservoirs.

Ask Me About: Being Latinx abroad, Being a Woman/Minority in STEM

julius.mansa@fulbrightmail.org

For his Fulbright Study/Research project, Julius investigated the use of fintech (financial technology) in the Islamic finance system of Bahrain. Specifically, his research study looked at the implementation of fintech in the country’s Islamic banking system and the challenges to its widespread implementation and growth in the asset management subsector. Placed at the University of Bahrain in Manama, the country’s capital, Julius also assisted the University of Bahrain’s College of Business in re-organizing the Master of Business Administration capstone course by creating an externship consultancy option for the program’s graduate students. The data that Julius collected and analyzed during his Fulbright gave Bahraini academics and business leaders an in-depth look at how fintech implementations and integrations can enhance operational efficiency, and, for retail banking operations, user experience. Currently, Julius is the Managing Partner of MaxPoint Advisors, an outsourced and fractional Chief Financial Officer advisory firm that provides forward-thinking strategic corporate finance solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. Julius also serves as an adjunct professor of finance and accounting at Martin University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Julius’ future plans include finishing his Doctor of Business Administration and expanding his consulting firm from Indianapolis, Indiana to the Chicagoland area.

Ask Me About: Being an African American man in the MENA region as a Fulbright researcher, How researchers are perceived by the Bahraini government and other government entities in the MENA region, Being a Muslim American in the MENA region, My approach to fintech research in Bahrain, My experience as a faculty member at the University of Bahrain

joanna.martinez@fulbrightmail.org 

Joanna’s experience as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant consisted of two separate educational placements in the San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec and Huajuapan de León regions within the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. In Tuxtepec, she assisted with all grade levels at a rural high school, where she created activities that connected vocabulary lessons with U.S. culture. A memorable cultural activity Joanna designed involved vocabulary and phrases about Halloween in the United States, a lesson that ended with a dance along to "The Monster Mash," “This is Halloween,” and "Thriller" soundtracks. Outside of the classroom she collaborated with the larger community to research education access and policies in rural communities. In Huajuapan, she taught students with a higher level of English at la Universidad Tecnológica de la Mixteca (UTM). Here, she hosted a conversation club where she led discussions about current events in the United States, and compared the culture of UTM with her experience of attending a Historically Black University (HBCU). In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she signed up for the dance course “Danzas Prehispanicas” at the town’s community center. Within the dance courses she was able to connect with community members, learn history through dance, and learn about the indigenous community of La Mixteca. Her Fulbright experience has strengthened her passion for community collaboration, diplomacy, and public policy. After her Fulbright, Joanna was selected to serve as a Fellow for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation. 

Ask Me About: Being a first-generation College Student, Being a Fulbrighter from a Historically Black College and University, Being Indigenous, Being a first-generation U.S. Citizen, Being Latinx, Low-Income

andrea.ori@fulbrightmail.org 

As a Fulbright Study/Research participant in France, Andrea completed a master’s degree in microbiology (in French) at the Université de Paris VII, an important step in her medical research journey. Through a research partnership at the Pasteur Institute, she conducted research on the structure and dynamics of the proteins that aid bacteria in adhering to the host. The Fulbright award allowed Andrea to learn the importance of scientific collaboration and become more independent in her research, working with mentors at a world-renowned research institution. Based on her Fulbright research, she has gone on to coauthor a publication that gives insight into protein stability, an essential factor for protein and cellular function. Outside of the lab, Andrea volunteered for Special Olympics France, which helped her understand the cultural differences surrounding perceptions of people with special needs. Currently, Andrea is pursuing a Ph.D. in molecular biophysics at Johns Hopkins University. Upon completion of her degree, Andrea aspires to dive into antibiotic resistance research to identify how bacteria adapt to survive, with the goal of establishing medical interventions to overcome these adaptations.

Ask me about: Women in STEM, Ph.D. programs, Enrolling in a university abroad

katherine.perez-rivera@fulbrightmail.org 

During her Fulbright, Katherine studied carbon dynamics and water quality in streams impacted by acid rain in the Czech Republic. She was hosted by the Czech Geological Survey (CGS) and conducted monthly fieldwork in the Slavkov Forest, a protected area located two hours from Prague. Fieldwork in the Slavkov Forest consisted of collecting surface water samples, measuring flow conditions, downloading data, and maintaining water quality sensors. She also contributed to an ongoing 30-year CGS long-term stream water chemistry monitoring project. In addition to her research, Katherine engaged with the local community, where she shared her experiences as a Puerto Rican woman in STEM and gave lectures about water resources. She collaborated with the American Center, run by the U.S. Embassy in Prague, and a local non-profit focused on water management education. For Katherine, the impact of her Fulbright experience was being able to connect and engage with others beyond her research and share her identity and culture as a Puerto Rican, while learning about the different experiences and interests of the Czechs she met. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech, after which she plans to continue doing research and serving the community by providing experiences for locals to engage in scientific research at different stages and learn more about freshwater resources.

Ask Me About: Being a minority abroad (Hispanic, Latino, Puerto Rican), Learning a new language, international collaborations, Engaging with locals while abroad

james.ricks@fulbrightmail.org 

James Ricks completed a Fulbright Study/Research award in the arts to Nepal, where he partnered with a Nepali nonprofit, The Oda Foundation, to create a visual anthropology photo series about spiritual dhami jhakri healing in the rural, western part of the country. His Fulbright project was especially focused on the healthcare experiences of women in the community and the influence of gender on both traditional and biomedical healthcare experiences. James’ work in Nepal resulted in a photo gallery depicting several healing ceremonies, highlighting women’s experiences navigating the local healthcare landscape, which can at times be both complicated and dangerous. His gallery show and a forthcoming publication of collected interviews will contribute to ongoing efforts to document these practices and negotiate their role in a dynamic healthcare setting like rural Nepal. James currently works in the Seattle area in heart and vascular research with Swedish Health Services and plans to pursue a medical degree beginning in the fall of 2023. He is passionate about healthcare access and expansion, especially in rural, underserved regions like Kalikot, Nepal where his Fulbright project took place.

Ask Me About: Creative research grants, Medicine, Shamanism, Anthropology, Photography

chanterries.roberts@fulbrightmail.org

As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Montenegro, Chanterries taught conversational English to university students in years 1, 2, and 3 at two universities. As her side project, she volunteered in the community, facilitating youth English clubs at the American Corners run by the U.S. Embassy, assisting in the application, recruitment, and interviewing process for U.S.-Montenegro student exchange programs, and coordinating activities such as a collective performance event during Black History month. Prior to her Fulbright, Chanterries had recently returned from being a Peace Corps Volunteer in Western Samoa, where her experience as a Primary English Teacher and teacher trainer in another country instilled a passion in her to continue serving the world. After earning degrees at Spelman College (undergrad) and Northcentral University (graduate), she elected to apply to Fulbright as an At-Large applicant, rather than through a Fulbright Program Adviser at her alma mater. Since her Fulbright, she has managed programs that provide pathways to STEM and technology access and education to under-resourced youth and their communities. She is currently program director at Compudopt, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing full digital equity solutions.

Ask Me About: Applying as an At-Large applicant

david.robledo@fulbrightmail.org

An expert in science communication who is now a researcher and lecturer at MIT, David took a less traditional path to higher education and his Fulbright in Costa Rica. On his Study/Research program, he conducted independent research, observing and interviewing small-scale fishers and labor organization leaders to document the biodiversity and nutrition economy benefits of the industry. Through his Fulbright study, he learned that the environmental constraints of small-scale fishing, such as rough tides, high velocity winds, weeks-long stretches when fishing is poor, and almost daily downpours or storms in season, introduce persistent limitations on the small-scale fishers he studied in Costa Rica. As a Hispanic former laborer from a farmworker family in south Texas, David understands the importance of research for the benefit of people who may be overlooked or forgotten. Having gone back to college after raising a family, David has experienced the struggles of achieving higher education. He now lectures in science and engineering communication at MIT while conducting further research, writing research papers, and producing a documentary film about the global problems he has studied and observed.

Ask Me About: How to set up interviews or observations with traditional/cultural workers and groups and how to sensitively conduct this research, Applying as a non-traditional student and from a Hispanic background

kelsey.schober@fulbrightmail.org

For her Fulbright Study/Research award, Kelsey enrolled in a graduate program in Political Science at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, where she undertook research to examine the relationship between natural resource policy and climate change in the Arctic. She also served as Vice President for the Circumpolar Students’ Association at the university and a representative on the Youth Advisory Board of Gender Equality in the Arctic, as well as Education and Outreach Coordinator for the ArcticNet Student Association. The Fulbright award allowed Kelsey to complete a master's degree, deepened her expertise in natural resources and climate policy, and strengthened her commitment to using her skills to advocate for a sustainable future back home in Alaska. Following her Fulbright, she completed original thesis research on the relationship between oil policy in the Northwest Territories and Alaska in order to consider how tackling Arctic climate change requires a rethinking of how communities in rural and Arctic regions approach resource extraction. Currently, Kelsey is the Alaska policy lead for The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental non-profit working at the intersection of communities and nature. Long-term, she intends to advocate for climate and natural resource policy that centers on equity and responding to community needs, particularly in rural areas.

Ask Me About: Being a first-generation college student, Being from a rural/underserved area, Arctic studies, Fulbright as a means to direct-enroll in graduate programs

malik.seals@fulbrightmail.org 

Malik received a Fulbright research award to Germany in the biological sciences to study the immunoregulatory role of pregnancy displayed in patients living with multiple sclerosis (MS). Researchers have found that pregnancy is a natural stabilizing period in many autoimmune diseases, including MS, which is a chronic, inflammatory autoimmune disease in which rogue immune cells attack the protective covering of the nerve cells. Malik conducted his research at Berlin’s Charité, one of the largest university hospitals in Europe. He worked under the mentorship of clinicians, immunologists, and data scientists in a translational neuropsychiatry research lab. His findings shed light on how B cell numbers and certain functions are modulated throughout pregnancy, and could yield novel therapeutics for pregnant patients with MS. Malik is currently a graduate student at Emory University, completing his master’s in bioethics while interviewing for MD/Ph.D. (MSTP) programs, with the aim of becoming a physician-scientist studying the drivers of neuroinflammation and dysfunction in immunoregulation. 

Ask Me About: Being a minority abroad, Being a minority in STEM, Finding a community abroad, Mental health

melissa.silva@fulbrightmail.org 

After receiving a Gilman Scholarship to study in Spain as an undergraduate, Melissa obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Modern Languages in Spanish and Russian at University of North Georgia and undertook a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in the Kyrgyz Republic. She was placed at Bishkek State University (БГУ), where she shaped her community engagement around the interests of her students and planned a Talent Show, a Halloween/ Día de los Muertos celebration, and conversation clubs. To showcase her Mexican American culture at the Halloween/ Día de los Muertos celebration, she created a piñata competition and a Halloween costume contest for her students. Outside of БГУ, she volunteered as an English teacher at Bishkek Community College, where she also started Talking Clubs. The Talking Clubs facilitated discussions about U.S. culture and provided an opportunity for members to practice their English skills. On the outskirts of Bishkek, she also taught English to the youth group at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church. After her Fulbright, Melissa taught and coached soccer for two years and is now a Public Health Data Analyst at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and a Mortgage Loan Officer.

Ask Me About: Being a first-generation college student, Being Hispanic, Being Mexican American, Being a minority abroad, Going to Kyrgyz Republic/Central Asia, Studying Russian and Spanish

omar.taweh@fulbrightmail.org 

For his Fulbright Study/Research award in Jordan, Omar studied how access to various social services influenced the health outcomes of refugee populations, specifically adolescents, resettled across Jordan. Working with social workers affiliated with German Jordanian University, Omar helped lay the foundation for understanding how differential access to support services impacted the mental health of adolescent refugees. His Fulbright experience had impact both in Amman and in the United States, where he is establishing an evidence-based connection between poorer mental health outcomes in adolescent refugees and insufficient access to social services in the country of resettlement. Many Non-Governmental Organizations and institutions -- notably Save the Children and the Jordanian Association of Social Workers -- have used these findings to build and revise support programs for refugee youth. Omar is currently a 3rd year medical student at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Worcester Refugee Assistance Project, helps run the UMass Asylum Clinic, and is the Co-Director of the Student Advisory Board for Physicians for Human Rights. A photographer by trade, he also spends a great deal of time creating surreal art. A queer, first-generation American of Lebanese parentage, Omar aspires to deliver healthcare services to queer, Arab, and displaced populations in the United States and in the Middle East.

Ask Me About: Being LGBTQ+ in the Middle East, Navigating a disability abroad, Being “from” the region your Fulbright will take you to, Completing a Fulbright prior to Medical school.

david.vizgan@fulbrightmail.org 

On his Fulbright U.S. Student Study/Research program, David conducted research at the Cosmic Dawn Center (DAWN) in Copenhagen, Denmark, investigating a correlation between ionized carbon and physical properties within a large sample of simulated galaxies with luminosity distances of over 13 billion light years. During his Fulbright, he published two first-author papers on his research. One of these works was on research he started and completed in Denmark, while the other paper was the culmination of his undergraduate thesis at Wesleyan University. A third paper on research he conducted at DAWN was accepted for publication at the start of his Ph.D. studies. He credits his Fulbright experience with making him more confident, creative, and capable both as a scientist and a human being. Aside from his prolific research and scientific publication, David got involved in the community by joining the chess community in Denmark; he helped his local club gain a promotion in the Danish Chess League and interviewed the Danish grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen for his podcast, “64: A Chess Podcast.” Now a first-year Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois, David is conducting research on radio observations of gravitationally lensed dusty star-forming galaxies.

Ask Me About: STEM, Conducting collaborative research, Being Jewish abroad