2015 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors

Current City: Cincinnati, OH
Institution: University of Cincinnati
DAcon.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Italy, Derrell Acon conducted research on the subject of “The Sadist Observer of the Verdian Heroine” and presented his lecture-recital, “Whence Comes Black Art: The Construction and Application of Black Motivation,” or “Da Dove Viene La Black Art.” He traveled to locations of interest to the Italian opera composer, Giuseppe Verdi, including Busseto, Roncoleverdi, Sant’Agata and Parma, as well as translated and tailored his conferenza-spettacolo for Italian audiences. Derrell was also a guest researcher at the Institute of Verdian Studies in Parma and attended many conferences, lectures, operas, and recitals related to his research. Derrell performed “Da Dove Viene La Black Art” at such venues as the Liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci in Milan and the American University of Rome. Derrell was also the only American scholar presenting that year at the “In Mourning and In Rage” conference in Rome. He is currently a professional opera singer and doctoral candidate at the University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music, where he also teaches studio voice.

Current City: Brooklyn, NY
Institution: University of California, San Diego
CAguila.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In the remote city of Manado, Indonesia, Christina Aguila assistant taught English to students at a private Christian high school, SMA Eben Haezar. In addition to teaching and partnering with Indonesian educators, Christina facilitated an after school English club and coached students in speech and debate skills. She initiated a conversation and pen pal exchange between Indonesian and American students to promote cultural exchange while enhancing students' English skills. Outside of school, Christina volunteered at a community English camp, which supplements education for students from rural communities. She frequently engaged community members in conversations about American diversity and enjoyed sharing her insights about growing up in Northeast California. Christina’s time in Indonesia furthered her interest in a career in international development and led her to pursue graduate studies in public administration. She is currently a master’s student at New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Current City: Boise, ID
Institution: Lesley University
JAndruss.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

While in Montenegro, Joanie Andruss assistant taught courses in academic writing and communication to over 100 students at two campuses of the University of Montenegro. She also created a variety of community outreach and engagement opportunities, including weekly children’s English classes at the American Corner and an oral history project, “The Zavjestanje Project.” During her grant, she presented at the IX International Conference on English Language and Literature in Niksic, Montenegro, and the International Poetry Conference in Cetinje, Montenegro. After attending the Regional English Language Midyear Conference in Budapest, Hungary, she designed professional development workshops for English teachers throughout Montenegro to share best practices she learned at the conference. Joanie is now an instructor at Boise State University’s Intensive English Program where she continues her development as an ESL educator.

 Current City: Cambridge, MA
Institution: Centre College
JBaer.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Malaysia, Julie Baer taught English just outside the fishing village of Pontian, located off the Strait of Malacca.  She taught at a primary school, SK Seri Bunian, where she worked closely with teachers to help her preschool through sixth grade students develop confidence in their English.  In addition to working in the classroom, Julie established an after school club that encouraged students to think creatively, coached an action song team, and implemented several camps and field trips designed to reinforce classroom topics, such as space technology and the respecting the environment.  She also worked with other teaching assistants to help facilitate discussions at schools throughout the region.  After returning from Malaysia, Julie interned with Congressman Jim Cooper (TN-05) where she began a research project to help policymakers and other interested parties better understand the magnitude of the Fulbright program worldwide.  Through combining her interest in mapping and data visualization, she continues to work on engaging ways to show the interactions that Fulbrighters have while on their grant.  Originally from Clarksville, Tennessee, Julie is now continuing her studies in international education policy at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

Current City: Cleveland Heights, OH
Institution: Spelman College
TBernard.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

After a semester abroad in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Taylor Bernard developed a strong interest in teaching English in Latin America, which led to her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship to Costa Rica after graduating from Spelman College. In Costa Rica, Taylor assistant taught college level English courses at La Universidad Nacional in Heredia. Her courses focused on highlighting grammar, writing, and North American culture. Taylor also collaborated with faculty members and distinguished Afro-Costa Rican author, Quince Duncan, to give several presentations on Afro-Hispanic culture. Taylor also volunteered locally in a nursing home, offering small English courses throughout the week. In conjunction with her assistant teaching responsibilities, Taylor also held small discussion groups outside of the classroom to help students practice their English speaking skills. If she had to say what she enjoyed most about her Fulbright experience, it would be the amazing connections she made with her students and how much she learned from them as their teacher.

Current City: Austin, TX
Institution: University of Texas at Austin
TBurd.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In a township outside of Cape Town, South Africa, Tiffany Burd conducted a strengths-based needs assessment, which was used to develop HIV prevention programs. Working closely with a local nonprofit, Drakenstein Palliative Hospice, Tiffany spent hours conducting interviews, surveys and focus groups to better understand the ways in which this township community worked together to achieve their hopes and dreams. Her findings led to the development of a community mobilization model that trains community role models in holistic health principles, human rights, civic engagement, and leadership. The Hospice Palliative Care Association of South Africa has since recognized this program as a best practice model of care. Outside of her research, Tiffany gained a deeper understanding of South African music. She now works in Austin, Texas, as a consultant for a grassroots community-based nonprofit.

Current City: Somerville, MA
Institution: Howard University
MEchols.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Medellin, Colombia, Megan Echols researched Integrated Urban Projects (PUIs) and innovative methods of transportation in the Medellin Metropolitan Area. The goal of her research was to document and gain a greater understanding of the of impact of PUIs, government-sponsored architectural projects that have been constructed in disinvested communities, as well as the complex history of rapid urbanization on Medellin’s complex, mountainous urban terrain. She was affiliated with La Universidad Nacional de Colombia sede Medellin. Outside of her research, Megan traveled through Colombia and worked with Afro-Colombian youth in collaboration with the nonprofit FedeAfro. Megan is currently working on a Master’s in Urban Planning at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.

Current City: Arlington, VA
Institution: College of New Jersey
BFurman.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Tajikistan, Bryan Furman partnered with Population Services International, a public health non-governmental organization, to conduct research on donor politics in the mental health sector. He also collaborated with the U.S. Embassy and USAID in Tajikistan on development and public diplomacy initiatives. Alongside his research, Bryan taught English language courses at the American Corner in Dushanbe and assisted the American Councils office in Tajikistan with interviews for the U.S.-Central Asia Education Foundation Enterprise Student Fellowship. Bryan recently received a Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship to fund his Master’s in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies at Georgetown University before joining the U.S. Foreign Service.

Current City: Hadley, MA
Institution: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
RGomezGabriel.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

While on her Fulbright in Spain, Radhameris Gomez Gabriel examined the various engineering, educational, and policy practices that have been taken throughout parts of the FEVE Rail system in the Northern Region of Cantabria in Spain. Her work focused on the various methods of facilitating the safe movement of vulnerable road users at highway-rail at-grade crossings. Radhameris was hosted at the Universidad de Castilla La Mancha in Toledo; her research was presented at the Spanish Fulbright Commission’s Mid-Year Meeting and the Berlin Seminar in Germany. In addition to her research, Radhameris volunteered as an English teacher for unemployed adults and mentored a senior undergraduate thesis proposing a redesign of the City of Toledo’s pedestrian facilities. Radhameris is currently a Ph.D. candidate in transportation engineering and human factors at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Current City: San Antonio, TX
Institution: The University of Nebraska-Lincoln
SHerzog.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Romania, Stephanie Herzog spent one semester assistant teaching English and America Studies at Ovidius University in Constanta, a city off the coast of the Black Sea, and a second semester assistant teaching English Literature Analysis at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iasi, a city in Eastern Romania near the border of Moldova. Stephanie designed course curricula that enabled undergraduate students to further explore and develop their academic research skills. In the classroom, Stephanie worked with a discussion-based model and ensured that her students became agents of their own learning experience by having them select and explore subjects of their own interest. Outside of the classroom, Stephanie learned more about higher education student services by speaking with faculty about current student activities and support systems. She developed an English Language Enthusiasts Club at Iasi, emphasizing activities such as discussion groups and creative writing workshops. Additionally, Stephanie encouraged service learning with university students by visiting middle school children to teach a session of their English language class. Stephanie enjoyed giving lectures and holding cultural activities at the local American Corners. Back home in the United States, she is now working as an international student adviser.

Current City: Seattle, WA
Institution: Seattle University
SKahsay.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and a long-time Seattle resident, Senay Kahsay has always lived in coffee-loving cultures. Seattle's specialty coffee scene and the craft of the Ethiopian coffee ceremony inspired his interest in the coffee industry. Senay returned to his birthplace as a Fulbright U.S. Student to study the Ethiopian coffee supply chain's demand forecast practices. In Addis, Senay collaborated with the Ethiopia Commodity Exchange (ECX) to identify opportunities for improving demand management practices by interviewing farmers, cooperatives, processors and exporters. Outside of his research, Senay created connections in Addis through the ECX soccer team, the local tennis club and Addis Ababa's vibrant live music scene. Senay currently works for the Boeing Company's Supplier Management organization as a Market Intelligence Analyst.

Current City: Chicago, IL
Institution: University of Notre Dame
PKramer.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

Patrick Kramer’s Fulbright project in Singapore tackled dengue virus, the agent that causes dengue fever. Under the guidance of Professor Thorsten Wohland, he teamed with a multidisciplinary group at the National University of Singapore to study how the virus transforms from a noninfectious to an infectious state on a single-particle level. This work, which he later presented at an international conference, promises to better inform drug and vaccine design for the disease. Outside of the lab, Patrick joined the local running club Kikikukiki, which explored the island through running events. He also found himself as an amateur photographer, coffee connoisseur, and one-time Bollywood backup dancer during his Fulbright year. He recorded many of his adventures on his blog, Shipping Off to Singapore. Patrick is currently an MD candidate at the Loyola University Chicago – Stritch School of Medicine.

Current City: Fresh Meadows, NY
Institution: Arizona State University
KLin.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

While in South Korea, Kristine assistant taught English to second grade through sixth grade elementary students at Jeungan Elementary School in Cheongju, located in the center of Korea. During winter break, she used a Fulbright Korea Alumni Foundation Community Grant to support and lead an English camp, which focused on improving the students’ understanding of American culture and traditions through hands-on activities, while also providing American and Korean students an opportunity to engage in cultural exchange through letters and gift giving with elementary school students in Maryland. Kristine volunteered at a local orphanage for children with disabilities, took Korean dance classes, and traveled to Seoul weekly to teach English to North Korean defector children and adults. Additionally, she participated in the Kim Dae Jung Peace Marathon, raising money and awareness for North Korean defectors in South Korea, and met with Richard Stengel, the Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, as a representative of Fulbright Korea. After her Fulbright, Kristine led a teaching workshop for new grantees during the Fulbright Korea summer orientation. Kristine is now pursuing a Psy.D. in School Psychology at St. John’s University. She remains involved with Fulbright Korea Alumni Relations.

Current City: Brooklyn, NY
Institution: Harvard Kennedy School of Government
JMartin.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

Joshua Martin was an inaugural Fulbright Public Policy Fellow in the Strategic Coordination Cell of the Ministry of Planning and Development of Côte d’Ivoire, where he worked with the Ivoirian government to assert its self-driven development priorities through better aid coordination mechanisms. He also provided strategic guidance to Côte d'Ivoire's National Committee on Eligibility for the Millennium Challenge Corporation, involved primarily in passing reforms related to corruption and the business environment (the country achieved "Threshold" status for the first time in 2014). Josh is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School's Master in Public Policy program, concentrating in Political and Economic Development. He has previously held posts at Princeton University and Cordoba Initiative, and consulted for USAID, the World Bank, the National Democratic Institute, and Caerus Associates in Washington, DC. He currently is a Senior Associate at ideas42, a behavioral economics laboratory for public policy innovation.

Current City: Richmond, CA
Institution: University of San Francisco
LNellies-Ortiz.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Germany, Larena Nellie-Ortiz assistant taught English to elementary school students at the Paul-Moor School in Berlin. While at Paul-Moor, Larena started an after school English club for students of various grade levels and abilities, with a focus on communicative language learning and cultural exchange. She was also actively involved with her host community by teaching German with Multitude e.V., a non-profit organization that provides free German classes to recently arrived refugees across Berlin. In addition to assistant teaching, Larena took German and intercultural communication classes at the Humboldt University, and pursued her interest in photography. Larena is now an ESL and German teacher in California, where she continues to improve educational opportunities for refugees through volunteer work with Refugee Transitions, an agency that supports refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants with educational services in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Current City: Oakland, CA
Institution: Wesleyan University
IGross.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Teresina, Brazil, the country’s hottest capital city, often referred to by locals as “the Inferno,” Ilana Robbins Gross assistant taught English to university students studying to become English teachers. In addition to her weekly cultural and language classes, Ilana would regularly visit her students’ home towns in the surrounding countryside and organize day-long cultural workshops at schools and community centers. Ilana was “adopted” by a number of local families and spent her weekends swimming in the river and eating barbeque. Ilana also became obsessed with forro, a northeastern Brazilian dance, which she has continued to pursue back in the United States. Before moving to Brazil, Ilana worked in New Orleans as a community organizer and is currently working at a tech start-up that uses mentoring to support professional development.

Current City: Detroit, MI
Institution: Loyola University Chicago
ASiddiqi.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

During her Fulbright grant, Armaan Siddiqi conducted research on one of Morocco’s largest and most influential religious organizations, the Qadiri Boutchichiyya Sufi order. She specifically examined the order’s political activism and increased leadership opportunities for Muslim women and youth. Aside from an interest in North African history and politics, Armaan has a background studying and working with refugee and migrant communities both in Chicago and her native San Francisco Bay Area. Her ongoing interests are in the role of religion in cultural adjustment and resettlement. Armaan recently graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Middle Eastern Studies and is currently a freelance Arabic translator, interpreter, and editor, while continuing her involvement in refugee communities.

Current City: New York, NY
Institution: Western Kentucky University
ASurina.AlumniAmbassador@fulbrightmail.org

In China, Allie Surina researched teacher beliefs and student participation in elementary school math classrooms in Xi’an, an historic Northwestern city that stands at the crossroads of cultural tradition and modern opportunity. Allie was based in Shaanxi Normal University — known as Northwest China’s “Cradle of Teachers”— a key university for the improvement of the teaching profession. Allie divided her time between researching China’s education reforms and observing local classrooms to gain intuition about differences in teaching culture. For her Fulbright research, she was interested in the ways that math achievement is framed to children in terms of its impact on future opportunities and family happiness. Allie had the privilege of leading math teacher cultural exchanges, in which she confirmed that increased pressure to engage students with simultaneously decreasing budgets is a common theme across cultures. Away from her research, Allie and her female graduate peers discussed the pathway of personal leadership in times of cultural and economic change. Her friends’ stories of perseverance in service of China’s betterment inspired Allie to help international students find resources and support to pursue public service in their home countries. After returning to the United States for graduate studies at Columbia University, Allie created workshops for international graduate women in STEM fields. These workshops provide a collegial environment where women in science can define and pursue leadership opportunities.