The Fulbright U.S. Student Alumni Ambassador Program was established in 2008 to identify, train and engage a select group of approximately 15 Fulbright U.S. Student Program alumni each year to serve as representatives, recruiters and spokespersons for the Fulbright Program. They are selected annually through recommendations from Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassy staff, area managers, the Fulbright Student Program Outreach Division and are approved by the sponsor of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors come from an array of different ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, states, fields of study, institutions; they have participated in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program in all world areas.
Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors represent the program's rich diversity and play a key role in increasing knowledge about Fulbright opportunities. They provide testimonials about their Fulbright experiences at conferences and campus presentations and offer application tips in written articles, video and podcast interviews, webinars and at special events throughout the United States. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program relies on the Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors to mentor potential applicants, sharing what a Fulbright grant is really like, along with how to address the challenges of living abroad successfully and how best to meet the Fulbright Program's ultimate goal—to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries.
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.
Christina Aguila
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Indonesia, 2013-2014
Christina Aguila
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Indonesia, 2013-2014
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.
Joanie Andruss
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Montenegro, 2013-2014
Joanie Andruss
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Montenegro, 2013-2014
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.
Julie Baer
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Malaysia, 2011-2012
Julie Baer
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Malaysia, 2011-2012
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.
Taylor Bernard
Fulbright U.S. Student in International Relations Costa Rica, 2012-2013
Taylor Bernard
Fulbright U.S. Student in International Relations Costa Rica, 2012-2013
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.
Tiffany Burd
Fulbright U.S. Student in Public Health South Africa, 2013-2014
Tiffany Burd
Fulbright U.S. Student in Public Health South Africa, 2013-2014
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.
Megan Echols
Fulbright U.S. Student in Urban Development & Planning Colombia, 2013-2014
Megan Echols
Fulbright U.S. Student in Urban Development & Planning Colombia, 2013-2014
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.
Bryan Furman
Fulbright U.S. Student in International Relations Tajikistan, 2013-2014
Bryan Furman
Fulbright U.S. Student in International Relations Tajikistan, 2013-2014
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.
Radhameris Gomez Gabriel
Fulbright U.S. Student in Engineering Spain, 2013-2014
Radhameris Gomez Gabriel
Fulbright U.S. Student in Engineering Spain, 2013-2014
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.
Stephanie Herzog
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Romania, 2012-2013
Stephanie Herzog
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Romania, 2012-2013
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.
Senay Kahsay
Fulbright U.S. Student in Business Ethiopia, 2013-2014
Senay Kahsay
Fulbright U.S. Student in Business Ethiopia, 2013-2014
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.
Patrick Kramer
Fulbright U.S. Student in Chemistry Singapore, 2013-2014
Patrick Kramer
Fulbright U.S. Student in Chemistry Singapore, 2013-2014
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.
Kristine Lin
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant South Korea, 2013-2014
Kristine Lin
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant South Korea, 2013-2014
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.
Joshua Martin was an inaugural Fulbright–Clinton 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.
Larena Nellies-Ortiz
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Germany, 2013-2014
Larena Nellies-Ortiz
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Germany, 2013-2014
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.
Ilana Robbins Gross
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Brazil, 2012-2013
Ilana Robbins Gross
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Brazil, 2012-2013
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.
Armaan Siddiqi
Fulbright U.S. Student in Anthropology Morocco, 2011-2012
Armaan Siddiqi
Fulbright U.S. Student in Anthropology Morocco, 2011-2012
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.
Allie D. Surina
Fulbright U.S. Student in Education China, 2012-2013
Allie D. Surina
Fulbright U.S. Student in Education China, 2012-2013
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.
Nathaniel Taylor
Fulbright U.S. Student in Engineering South Korea, 2013-2014
Nathaniel Taylor
Fulbright U.S. Student in Engineering South Korea, 2013-2014
In Korea, Nathan Taylor researched the differential killing
effects of electric plasma treatment on normal and cancerous skin
cells at Kwangwoon University in Seoul, South Korea, working in the
Plasma Bioscience Research Center (PBRC). His project was a
collaboration between Drexel University and Kwangwoon to develop
better methods of directly treating cancer using plasma devices.
The focus of Nathan’s project was to do a comparative study between
the effects plasma power supplies developed in the United States
and Korea, which output different voltage and current profiles on
cancer cells in order to see which type of source might be more
effective. Nathan applied his knowledge of plasma to living cells
by working closely with highly experienced professors and students
at the research center. He learned how to grow and treat living
cells as well as techniques for quantifying the products of plasma
treatment in biological experiments. The results of his study
showed that the plasma devices used could kill cancer cells with
minimal damage to normal skin cells. Nathan is currently a Ph.D.
candidate in mechanical engineering at Drexel University in
Philadelphia, with a research focus on the application of
microsecond pulsed electric plasmas.
Amaka Cypriana Uzoh
Fulbright U.S. Student in Public Health Brazil, 2012-2013
Amaka Cypriana Uzoh
Fulbright U.S. Student in Public Health Brazil, 2012-2013
Based in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Amaka Cypriana Uzoh studied health
systems optimization strategies for Brazil’s federal universal
health system as it transitions from a primary agenda of infectious
disease control, to one of managing the chronic disease burden that
has accompanied its GDP rise over the last two decades. Special
attention was paid to the shifting demand and disparities in public
versus private mental health services in the context of the
country’s burgeoning domestic “crack use” epidemic. Amaka conducted
this investigation from the urban policy thought cell Centro de
Estudos da Metropole (CEM; Center for Metropolitan Studies) housed
in a Brazil’s national strategy and planning think tank Centro
Brasileiro de Análise e Planejamento (CEBRAP; Brazilian Center for
Analysis and Planning).The product of a bicoastal upbringing
between New York and Northern California, she received a bachelor’s
degree in biomedical engineering from Harvard University in 2011
and is currently a medical student at Emory University School of
Medicine. Heavily influenced by her Fulbright experience in Brazil,
Amaka’s interests lie in developing interactive health maps as
real-time metrics for disaster preparedness and health impact at
the intersection of urban planning and emergency medicine.