2019 Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors

Current City: Wheaton, IL
Carthage College
a.ash.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Alexander Ash was an English Teaching Assistant in Thailand at a primary and lower secondary school outside of Si Racha, a sub-district on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand. He worked to develop and implement an engaging curriculum that catered to student interests, including lessons on slang, music, superheroes, and monsters. Throughout his term as an ETA, Alexander worked with 17 different classes and 680 students. In addition to his teaching duties, he participated in Thai-American cultural exchange by spending time with students and neighbors outside of school hours and studying Thai language. Alexander completed an internship in Chiang Mai at an English language magazine, CityLife, where he researched Thailand's path to future democratic elections. Among the many aspects of Thai culture Alexander experienced, he hopes to incorporate the value placed on community into his daily life. He currently works in quality assurance at Epic Systems in Madison, Wisconsin.

Current City: Bayonne, NJ
Gordon College
k.bowden.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Katherine Bowden traveled to Kerala, India as a Fulbright-Nehru Student Researcher to learn the language and history of St. Thomas Christians living on the Malabar Coast. For eight months, she lived in a community with Syriac-speaking priests and monks. In addition to taking classes and attending prayers, she visited over one hundred ancient churches to catalogue Syriac inscriptions. After transcribing and translating these inscriptions, Katherine was able to show how the ancient language is used not only for liturgy but also as a means of preserving history. She studied and performed Syriac hymns at schools in India and the United States. Upon returning to the United States, she was hired as a research & data analyst for Cushman & Wakefield in New York City. Katherine hopes to continue her research and gain a better understanding of the Syriac language.

Current City: Glendale, CA
Pomona College
a.brachman.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In the Pacific island country of Kiribati, Aurora filmed a documentary anthology series following the lives of 10 I-Kiribati people. Kiribati is a low-lying atoll nation that is vulnerable to climate change; current projections predict the entire country could be submerged in as few as 30 years. The existential threat to Kiribati has become the dominant global narrative about the nation, and Aurora's project sought to move away from narratives of destruction and instead emphasize Kiribati's vibrant and complex people and culture. She worked collaboratively to craft stories with the subjects of each film, which included the island of Abemama's revered mayor who is a transgender man and an adoptive father; and Kiribati seamen who spend years at a time at sea, spending only a cumulative few months with their families over the course of decades. Upon her return to the United State, the Public Broadcasting Service picked up Aurora's documentary series for television distribution. Aurora currently works for a documentary production company in Los Angeles, California, and will be pursuing an MFA in Documentary Film at Stanford University.

Current City: Louisville, KY
Virginia Commonwealth University
v.diaz.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

As a Fulbright ETA in Jordan, Vanessa taught conversational English classes at Terra Sancta College, a co-ed Christian private school. Her previous experiences working in youth development gave her the tools she needed to bring a new perspective to her fifth- through eighth-grade classrooms. Vanessa established a pen-pal exchange between her students and her own childhood middle school in New Jersey. She also served as the main coach for the 2017 English Language Olympics, helping seven high school students with projects that included directing a stop-motion film, releasing an educational application to address lack of creativity in schools, and donating computer tablets to a local orphanage and cancer patients in the King Hussein Cancer Center.

In her free time, she volunteered with ReClaimed Childhood, a nonprofit that empowers young refugee girls through sports and play. On weekends, Vanessa co-taught English classes at a Gaza refugee camp with Hopes for Women in Education, a center dedicated to women applying for scholarships and learning English. Before her Fulbright, Vanessa studied Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar, where she fell in love with the Middle East. She is currently a Graphic Designer as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer at Global Game Changers, a nonprofit that offers free curricula for educators, helping teach kids about empathy through social and emotional learning.

Current City: Columbus, OH
The Ohio State University
g.dowd.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

As a Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher to the United Kingdom, Garrett Dowd, an engineer and entrepreneur focusing on transport safety and efficiency through automation, was awarded a Master of Science in Technology Entrepreneurship from University College London (UCL). During his time in London, he investigated decentralized software systems to optimize rail and road networks. He also became an F Factor Finalist for one of the UK's premier startup competitions for 19-25 year olds. In addition, Garrett won top prize at Hack Partner's Hacktrain UK/EU 2016, a competition that brings together tech innovators and industry experts to solve problems, and won a UCL Bright Ideas Award. Before London, Garrett worked on electric and autonomous vehicles in Seoul, Bangalore, and Washington D.C. He also co-founded a software startup and led a commercialization team through the National Science Foundation I-Corps program. He is currently a University Fellow at The Ohio State University in the Automated Driving Lab and a contributor to Hyperloop Transportation Technologies.

Current City: Stillwater, OK
Oklahoma State University
c.flynn.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Ethiopia, Colton conducted research and conducted training in the use of remote sensing data to predict crop health. His research focused on tef (Eragrostis tef), an important grain in the Ethiopian diet. Relying heavily on his research counterparts at the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute of Addis Ababa, Colton collaborated with many Ethiopian farmers and scientists. These connections allowed Colton to collaborate with Ethiopians, to further develop the use of open source satellite data to analyze in-field crop health. In addition to conducting his research, Colton traveled to three Ethiopian universities to introduce open source precision agriculture technologies. While in Ethiopia, he traveled throughout the country, experiencing new cultures and scaling the occasional volcano. Since his time in Ethiopia, Colton has focused on sharing his research by presenting at international research conferences and using the data collected to complete his dissertation studies at Oklahoma State University. 

Current City: Hartford, CT
Trinity College
t.huguley.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

While in Trinidad and Tobago, Taniqua worked with girls at St. Jude’s School for Girls, the only all-girls juvenile detention facility in the country. Her research focused on the intersectional factors that led girls to break the law in Trinidad. She also examined how the programs and services provided worked from a rehabilitative perspective. Taniqua had the opportunity to establish an empowerment organization for the girls at St. Jude’s called Trini Girls Rock! consisting of yoga workshops and other wellness programs. She also implemented a financial literacy program in collaboration with a financial educator from the United States. 

Outside of her research, she became an executive board member for girls’ empowerment organization Propelling Young Ladies Who Aspire to Redefine and Reinvent (PYLARR). She participated in several community discussions and volunteered for cultural and academic events. Taniqua is currently the Outreach Director at Open Communities Alliance, a civil rights organization that focuses on desegregating housing in the state of Connecticut. 

Current City: Chicago, IL
Columbia College
n.lawrin.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Namibia, Nina worked with various permaculture sites within the Kalahari Desert, including the Eloloo Permaculture Initiative and Damaraland Farming Cooperative, to utilize their organic waste streams in making nontoxic art through natural pigments, dyes, and cellulose fiber. While much of her research focused on the hunter-gatherer San community, Nina collaborated with local artist groups, including the Kalahari Wild Silk Weavers and Ibenstein Weavers. She also participated in numerous gallery showings, including a solo show at The Project Room and group shows at the National Art Gallery of Namibia and the Arts Association of Namibia. Nina served as a visiting artist at the University of Namibia and supported artists in their portfolio development. She spent her free time hiking the beautiful Namibian landscapes, learning from nature, and volunteering with the UN and participating in their Sunday cook-offs with children in Katuttura.

Nina is co-founder of the Permaculture Chicago Teaching Institute and is currently running her business loveren collections, an organization dedicated to education in re-connecting to wild, urban, perennial plants as food, medicine, and art materials in Chicago.

Current City: Jonesboro, AR
Arkansas State University
c.mealing.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Hailing from Jonesboro, Arkansas, Cameron is a proud alumnus of Arkansas State University, where he majored in Communication Studies and minored in French. He also spent three years in the Marine Corps Reserves and three subsequent years in the Army National Guard. As a Fulbright ETA, Cameron taught English in Ziguinchor, the capital of the Casamance region in the southern province of Senegal. He also volunteered to teach math, art, and Arabic classes to students of all ages. While in Senegal, Cameron coordinated donations from the United States of   school supplies and English books for Senegalese students. He organized movie screenings for his students and volunteered at a Catholic Primary school. Beyond teaching duties assigned through his host school in Ziguinchor, he worked with a feminist group in Senegal to improve their English skills for a conference in Italy. Cameron plans to continue his studies and apply for a Boren Fellowship before pursuing a career as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer. 

Current City: Houston, TX
Florida International University
s.naqvi.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Kosovo, Sahar conducted seminars with the Faculty of Education at the University of Pristina, where she focused on conflict resolution and countering violent extremism. Sahar had the unique opportunity to work with her students in changing their perception about taboo topics in Kosovar society, such as gender roles, segregation, class status, and women’s role in religion. Simultaneously, she worked with international non-governmental organizations and governmental agencies to build a curriculum for primary and secondary schools emphasizing diversity, creativity, and multiculturalism. Sahar provided mentorship for students who were preparing for their teacher’s board licenses and held English workshops for professors to improve their verbal and writing standards. In cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Pristina and the American Corner, Sahar and her colleagues from the Peace Corps and the English Language Fellows Program held community events where they introduced Kosovars to American culture, music, food, and holiday festivities. Sahar’s experience in Kosovo reinforced her love for youth engagement – she is currently working as an interventionist for reading and STEM-based programs in early education in Houston. In the near future, Sahar hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in the field of conflict resolution and countering violent extremism through educational programs.

Current City: Seattle, WA
University of Washington
s.nop.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

On her Fulbright, Sophie partnered with USAID's Development Innovations and conducted ethnographic research and participatory design to improve how technology educators teach coding concepts. Her passion to help people from diverse backgrounds pursue their interests in STEM began in her local community. During her undergraduate years, she volunteered at a computer clubhouse, taught cybersecurity with the Math Science Leadership Program, a program designed to support and inspire students to succeed in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and develop key skills necessary to pursue a career in STEM fields, and spearheaded an all-ages technology conference in partnership with six community organizations and Microsoft.

As a first-generation college student with Cambodian refugee parents, Sophie had a deep curiosity about differences and similarities between Cambodians and Cambodian Americans. Her work helped a team of girls with no prior coding experience place second out of 44 teams at the national Technovation Challenge. In addition to her research, she volunteered with the Asia Foundation and led an interactive Arduino workshop at the YSEALI STEM Education Regional Workshop in Phnom Penh. Currently, she looks forward to building upon her computer science education and research as she pursues a master's degree in design and engineering from the University of Washington.

Current City: Washington, D.C.
University of Nebraska- Lincoln
p.oster.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Peter Oster, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, became interested in Kazakhstan after working as a National Security Archive intern for an oral history conference. As a Fulbright ETA in Kyzylorda, Peter taught English at two STEM-focused high schools, leading lessons emphasizing English as a tool to learn about cultures from around the globe. At American Corner Kyzylorda, a U.S. Embassy outreach program, Peter guided the all-volunteer leadership team on club programming and presented on American culture and society to the public. He also conducted teacher-training seminars for local educators, led weekly English lessons at a children's group home, and participated in community service events with various volunteer groups. Peter now resides in Washington, D.C., where he works in international law and for the federal government.

Current City: San Diego, CA
At-Large
e.perez.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Gal'pagos, Ecuador, Elena aimed to identify the priorities and needs of local residents to develop effective outreach and education to reduce the use of disposable plastics. Recognizing the important'role that'the local community plays in conservation, Elena worked to create an inclusive environment by connecting locals with research and conservation efforts conducted on the island. She introduced local youth to techniques used by visiting scientists to monitor plastic pollution, collaborated with shark researchers to demonstrate the impacts of plastic pollution on sharks, and learned from local senior citizens, who shared alternatives they relied on before single-use plastics became ubiquitous on the islands. Thanks to the support of local research institutions, collaborating nonprofit organizations, and the community, Elena had the opportunity to promote community-focused conservation efforts. Her Fulbright experience highlighted the value of community involvement, the insight gained from diverse perspectives, and the need to push for more inclusive solutions.''

Purdue University
b.rich.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

As a Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher, Benjamin earned his MA in global economy and strategy at the Graduate School of International Studies at Yonsei University in South Korea, where he studied international commerce and its relationship with Korean foreign policy. In addition to his master's program, Benjamin worked as a volunteer tutor with NGOs to help North Korean refugees in Seoul assimilate into South Korean society through English fluency. While in Korea, he also continued his military service in the U.S. Army Reserves, working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District.

Current City: Cleveland, OH
Rice University
s.seballos.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

In Laos, Spencer was an English language instructor at the University of Health Sciences (UHS), the Lao national medical school, as well as the American Center @'That Dam'(ACT), the U.S. Embassy-sponsored community center in the Lao capital of Vientiane. At UHS, Spencer worked with local teachers to plan and teach English lessons to medical students, with an emphasis on building interactivity and creativity by integrating games into the lessons. He also led an English club, hosted exam review sessions, and played basketball with students. At the ACT, Spencer taught classes in English and other special interests, including courses on geography, short stories, and SAT review. He organized special events, such as a workshop on American football before the Super Bowl and a Connect 4 tournament for local students. In his free time, Spencer explored Lao minority cultures and religions, as well as the health care system. Spencer is now a medical student at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University. In a collaborative project with American and Lao medical students and physicians, he is developing free open-access medical education resources for the Lao medical community using social media.'

Current Cities: Los Angeles, CA & New York, NY
Northwestern University
k.silverman.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Originally from California, Kalina Silverman attended Northwestern University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. Her Fulbright project, “How to use ‘Big Talk’ to establish empathy across cultures,” led her to interview and present speeches to local citizens, social media influencers, migrant workers, business people, expats, students, religious community members, and strangers throughout Singapore. ‘Big Talk’ is a communications approach focused on skipping small talk and asking deeper questions to build more meaningful connections with people from all walks of life. She found that certain Big Talk style questions, such as “What has been your favorite age so far and why?”, “What do you hope for?”, and “What do you miss?” were relatable amongst different cultures. While in Singapore, Kalina also took hang drum, watercolor painting, and dancehall lessons. NBC featured Kalina's research, and she is currently expanding her Fulbright project through the Big Talk platform, composed of videos, a question card game, international community initiatives, and events. More information about her project can be found at makebigtalk.com.

Current City: Everett, WA
New Mexico State University
v.simone.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Valerie K. Simone was born and raised in El Paso, Texas, in the U.S. border region near Juarez, Mexico. As a Fulbright ETA to Bosnia and Herzegovina, she worked with the Islamic Faculty of the University of Sarajevo. She taught first- and second-year university students, using hands-on active learning strategies with engaging visual and verbal activities. 

Valerie has bachelor's degrees in English and anthropology, and will soon graduate from New Mexico State University with a master's degree in cultural anthropology. Her graduate studies focus on border identity and the way that individuals straddle cultural contexts and how that affects their daily lives and identities. Valerie is a mother to a 7-year-old son, who stayed with her for her Fulbright year in Sarajevo. She has had a passion for visual documentation since she was a young child and has owned and operated her photography business since 2011. 

Current City: Ann Arbor, MI
University of Michigan
c.ukachukwu.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

Chiamaka conducted research in Dr. Jean-Francois Collet's lab at the de Duve Institute in Brussels, Belgium. Her project focused on understanding how bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics in order to identify ways to prevent deaths caused by bacterial infection. In addition to using science to promote global health, Chiamaka is also committed to diversity, inclusion and supporting underrepresented groups in STEM and beyond. She created the Instagram account @FulbrightNoir to highlight the projects of black Fulbright grantees, using it as a platform to increase awareness about the Fulbright program and to encourage more underrepresented groups to apply. Outside of the lab, she joined local dance groups and performed Afrobeats, a style of dance that is influenced by all regions within the continent of Africa. As a first-generation Nigerian-American, she particularly enjoyed learning about the Congolese community in Brussels and found community among people of the African diaspora. Chiamaka is now a Ph.D. student in the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS) at the University of Michigan. Currently, she studies the structure-function relationship of potassium ion channels as it relates to sudden cardiac death. She serves as the Co-President of the African Graduate Students' Association and is a member of the PIBS DEI task force where she helps develop programming to foster an inclusive environment on campus.

Current City: Huntsville, AL
University of Alabama- Huntsville
t.wammen.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

While in Belgium, Tal performed research in aerothermodynamics at the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (VKI), located just outside of Brussels. Tal studied the operations of the Longshot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel, the only facility of its kind in the world. The Longshot is used to generate hypersonic flow velocities _ airflows faster than five times the speed of sound. Tal's research project helped VKI scientists perform experiments and interpret data used to greatly improve the operations of the Longshot facility. In addition, Tal offered his engineering expertise to the local Engineers Without Borders chapter and attended several fundraising events supporting water distribution projects in Africa. Tal's interest in aviation led him to become a certified pilot and eventually pursue a career in the aerospace industry. Tal is currently a rocket propulsion test engineer for NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where he has worked since graduating from the University of Wyoming in 2013 and the University of Alabama-Huntsville in 2016.

University of Alabama- Tuscaloosa
p.white.alumniambassador@fulbrightmail.org

As a Fulbright U.S. Student Researcher to Poland, Pandora conducted research on type 2 diabetes at the Poznan University of Life Sciences. Her research focused on exploring the potential of bitter melon and trivalent chromium to be used as nutritional supplements to reduce the effects of Type 2 diabetes, using a rodent model. Outside of the laboratory, White travelled around Poland and shared African American heritage and Southern U.S. culture with college students.

Pandora's interest in global health began in 2012, when she studied at the University of Ghana in Accra with support from the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. In 2013, she graduated from Alcorn State University with a bachelor’s in chemistry. In 2013, she conducted research on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Bangalore, India at St. John's Research Institute through the NIH Minority Health, and International Training Program (MHIRT). In 2015, she researched the effects of trivalent chromium on wound healing in Taichung, Taiwan at National Chung Hsing University through the National Science Foundation's East Asia Summer Pacific Islands Program. In 2019, Pandora earned her doctorate in biochemistry from The University of Alabama. Upon completion, she started a postdoc at Cayetono Heredia University in Lima, Peru with support from the NIH Fogarty Global Health Program. Pandora returned to the USA to work as  a visiting assistant professor of Chemistry at various institutions. She has also won 4 Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund grants funded by the Department of State to complete projects such as building water filters in Pakistan, bringing international education to high school students in rural Mississippi, and increasing awareness of international exchanges among underrepresented groups.