With Rotary’s support, Ecker is currently earning her Master of Science in Food Security from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland so she can fulfill her mission of strengthening local and global food systems through sustainable, ecological practices.

Ecker is the eighth �鶹��Ƶ student in six consecutive years to receive District 7690’s Rotary Club’s Global Grant; the only recipients since 2021 have been �鶹��Ƶ students and alumni. She follows Faith Leslie ‘21, Allison Potter ’22, Kiara Hunter ’23, Megan Curling ’23, Ava de Bruin ’23, Nazaneen Shokri ’24, and Holly Miranda ‘20. All recipients since 2022 have had at least one major in public health, a testament to the Department of Public Health’s ability to successfully prepare leaders who address the most pressing public health concerns of the 21st century.

This opportunity is not limited to public health majors, though, and all interested �鶹��Ƶ students and alumni should contact the National and International Fellowships Office for more information about the application process. Applications will be due in mid-December, and the office will start supporting applicants in early November.

An undergraduate experience ‘rooted in collaboration’

Ecker arrived at �鶹��Ƶ as a Teaching Fellow prepared to major in elementary education, but everything changed for her after taking one course: Introduction to Public Health. She started to observe the intersections between education and public health and realized that a career in the field would allow her to meaningfully combine her interests. Soon after, she declared a double major in public health and international & global studies with a minor in French and joined the Global Partnership Scholars Program (formerly the Periclean Scholars Program) to put her newfound passion into practice.

As a Global Partnership Scholar, an experience she calls “an honor and one of the most meaningful parts of [her] �鶹��Ƶ experience,” Ecker spent three years learning about building ethical partnerships locally and abroad. She traveled to Jamkhed, India twice to work on the Comprehensive Rural Health Project, and served as a peer mentor to a younger cohort of scholars traveling to Sri Lanka. These experiences, paired with Ecker’s semester abroad in Denmark, helped shape her into an ethical, global citizen.

In addition to her international experiences, Ecker also knew she wanted to complete undergraduate research to make a long-term impact locally. Under the mentorship of Scott Morrison, professor of education, Ecker worked extensively with the , a grassroots organization in a historically Black Burlington neighborhood. Founded in 2017 by Lydia Jones and Joyce Moore, MCG’s mission is “to educate, empower and encourage individuals through acts of service and giving.”

Ecker’s project included two years of Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR), an approach that makes community members equal partners in the research process. She spent months attending community meetings, volunteering at the garden, and surveying residents to understand their needs. Ecker then worked in partnership with Morrison and Ashlie Thomas—a gardener, author, and nutrition scientist—to create “Rooted Together,” a free eight-week program for children in Morrowtown that combined gardening, literacy, math and nutrition lessons. She also worked to co-create service-learning opportunities so more �鶹��Ƶ students can get involved with the garden in the future.

“Bringing more professors and students to the table to support Morrowtown and its garden reflects the importance of putting the ‘co’ in collaboration,” she said.

In addition to these impressive achievements, Ecker also served as the co-president for the French Honors Society and an �鶹��Ƶ 1010 Peer Educator. She credits her successes to her wide range of �鶹��Ƶ mentors.

“I am fortunate to have mentors across public health, education, engineering, environmental science, French, and the International & Global Studies Program,” she said. “My primary mentor, Dr. Morrison in the School of Education, profoundly influenced my �鶹��Ƶ experience. My interest in food systems began with our research project, and his mentorship is part of the reason I am pursuing a master’s in food security. Equally as important, Molly Green, Amanda Tapler, Scott Wolter, Jacob Rutz, Sophie Adamson, Olivia Choplin, Mussa Idris, Waseem Kasim and Andrea Sinn also shaped my undergraduate experience through a deeply interdisciplinary lens. They continuously supported and challenged me to reach my full potential, and I would not be where I am today without their mentorship.”

An alignment of values

With these rich experiences under her belt, it only made sense that Ecker would continue to pursue advanced education in the field of public health, which is how she discovered the Master of Science in Food Security at The University of Edinburg, a program that combines foundational training alongside valuable international fieldwork placements. Ecker knew this was the next best step for her but needed support to make it a reality.

By working with the National and International Fellowships Office, Ecker learned about the Rotary Global Grant and the natural ways it aligned with the work she’d already done.

“I was motivated to apply because Rotary’s values and goals align closely with my own values and academic aims,” she explained. “I found a scholarship and a community that truly values serving others, which is what I have tried to do through my work with the Morrowtown community and my on-campus leadership. I chose Rotary because it supports selfless future leaders and global citizens who will make an impact.”

This alignment was also clear to the Piedmont District 7690 Rotary Club, and after a rigorous application and interview process, Ecker heard the news she’d been hoping for: she was the next recipient of the $30,000 grant. Now, Ecker is in the second month of her graduate studies at Edinburgh.

“I am thoroughly enjoying my modules. I am taking two core modules, Frameworks to Food Systems and Sustainability in Food Production, along with an elective called Sustainable Entrepreneurship. It has been amazing to finally study the theories, history, and vulnerability assessments of food security in depth, while also learning about the entrepreneurial and business side of the food system,” she said.

Looking ahead, she is eager to complete her dissertation project and an international field trip with her master’s cohort in April. While her dissertation ideas are still in development, Ecker hopes to focus on topics like sustainable business models in food systems or entrepreneurship and resilience in food-insecure communities. The international field trip will take place in Morocco, where she will learn about a new food system and visit international and local food security organizations.

Outside of the classroom, Ecker has loved exploring Edinburgh with her flatmates and members of the Rotary Club of Braids. One of the hallmarks of the Rotary Global Grant is the connections that are forged with local chapters so recipients feel welcomed and supported during their transition abroad.

“My Rotarian international hosts, Duncan, Paul, and Anne, have been a supportive community,” she said. “Duncan even picked my parents and I up from the airport when we arrived! My family was also invited to attend a Rotary luncheon to meet the Braids chapter. I could not think of a more wholesome welcome to a new country!”

While Ecker is still deciding what comes after the Master of Science program, she might go straight to work within international food security, or perhaps continue on to earn her PhD—her commitment to improving the lives of others is steadfast and clear. She is already well on her way to becoming precisely the kind of “selfless leader and global citizen” that Rotary International seeks to amplify.

The transformative program is designed to support scholars at multiple points in their undergraduate years and early career. Renewable for up to two years, the UGSP provides:

• $20,000 per academic year to support undergraduate education expenses
• A 10-week full-time summer internship at the NIH immediately following the year of scholarship support
• One year of full-time employment with the NIH post-graduation

Because Barnes and Sterling have won the award as juniors, they are eligible to receive up to $40,000 in scholarship support, two paid summer internships (one between their junior and senior years, and another following graduation) and two years of employment upon graduation.

Approximately 15 scholars are selected each year from a nationwide pool of hundreds of applicants, and �鶹��Ƶ students have been remarkably successful in this competition in recent years. The federally-funded program was on pause last year, but Samantha Hinton ’25 was selected in 2024, and three seniors—Genesis Tolbert ’24, Christopher D’Inzeo ’24 and Samuel Ramirez ’24—were selected in 2023. The addition of Barnes and Sterling to the list means that �鶹��Ƶ has been represented in the three most recent cohorts of this highly selective program.

The next application cycle for the NIH UGSP will open in Spring 2027. Interested students should contact the National and International Fellowships Office to learn more.

Sofia Barnes ’28

Sofia Barnes is a chemistry and psychology double major from Port Washington, New York. At �鶹��Ƶ, Barnes has worked under the mentorship of Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry, on an analysis of toxic metal concentration in medicinal herbs and spices in the United States. The research aims to fill the knowledge gap around potential contamination of medicinal herbs and spices by creating a nationwide catalog outlining the metal accumulation in numerous medical herbs and spices. This experience helped foster Barnes’ love of research and pushed her to seek out external opportunities like the NIH UGSP.

Thanks to the robust structure of the award, Barnes will be freer to deepen her research impact at �鶹��Ƶ and the NIH.

“This award will not only give me the opportunity to further my career as a researcher and give me the chance to connect with mentors and peers to help push and encourage me,” she explained. “It has also provided me with the support to be able to lessen the monetary stress that comes with my undergraduate degree, which allows me to focus more on making the most out of my time in undergrad. It allows me to expand my reach with my post-grad options and where I may go after �鶹��Ƶ which before felt more limited.”

In addition to her research, Barnes is active across campus. She is a service ambassador in the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, a member of Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority Incorporated, a chemistry tutor, and has previously served as a SMART mentor and Peer Educator. Her constellation of �鶹��Ƶ mentors includes Andrew Moffa, assistant Director for the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, Justin Clar, associate professor of chemistry and director of �鶹��Ƶ’s Undergraduate Research Program, and Dr. Dan Wright, associate professor of chemistry.

Parker Sterling ’28

Parker Sterling is a double major in biology and history with minors in chemistry, neuroscience, and peace & conflict studies from Randleman, North Carolina. As an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow, Sterling is working under the mentorship of Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, to test the feasibility of a dual-drug intravaginal ring for menstrual pain. She’s supplemented her ECF research experience by assisting with data collection and processing in the �鶹��Ƶ Physical Therapy Department’s Glen Raven Biomechanics Lab.

The NIH UGSP will be a critical step in Sterling’s development as a research scientist. While she remains committed to STEM research on her journey towards medical school, Sterling is equally committed to earning her master’s in history while working at the NIH. She seeks to understand not only the science, but also the historical and social contexts that have shaped scientific inquiry and advancement.

Sterling is highly engaged on campus outside of her research and academics. She is the Business Lead (and former President) for the Phoenix Racing Team, a physics TA, a senior resident assistant in the Global Neighborhood and a Leadership Ambassador with the Center for Leadership. As a reflection of her wide breadth of involvement, Sterling’s �鶹��Ƶ mentors span disciplines and departments; the list includes Jonathan Su, associate professor of engineering and chair of the Department of Engineering, Andresa Bresler Bezerra, assistant teaching professor of chemistry, Efrain Rivera-Serrano, assistant professor of biology, Amanda Kleintop, assistant professor of history, and Matthew Banks, engineering lab manager and advisor for the Phoenix Racing Team.

�鶹��Ƶ has been repeatedly recognized for the number of its alumni who participate in the Fulbright Program as teachers, graduate students, and researchers and has been named a top-producer of Fulbright students in six separate years. Students and alumni interested in the Fulbright Program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office. The deadline to notify the office of your intent to apply for Fulbright in this upcoming cycle is June 1, 2026. Rising seniors are required to work with the National and International Fellowships Office to apply for Fulbright, and alumni are highly encouraged to do so.

Those who received awards this year are:

Azul Bellot ’26

Azul Bellot, a double major in psychology and sociolinguistics with a minor in TESOL, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. She is The �鶹��Ƶ Commitment scholar in the Odyssey Program and a student scholar with The Center for Engaged Learning.

Bellot has been preparing for an experience like Fulbright long before she arrived at �鶹��Ƶ. Reflecting on her early years, she says, “Growing up as the daughter of Mexican immigrants, I was my family’s translator from a young age. I navigated formal systems, adult conversations, and bureaucratic spaces in both English and Spanish long before I had the language to describe what that experience was doing to me. It gave me a deep understanding of what it means for language to be a gateway, and what it costs when that gateway is closed.”

These formative years laid the groundwork for her time at �鶹��Ƶ, where she developed her own independent sociolinguistics major, volunteered as an English tutor for children and adults, and conducted research on meaningful mentoring relationships. To Bellot, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain is “the most honest intersection of everything [she’s] been working towards: language, identity, education, and community.”

After Fulbright, Bellot plans to pursue more international fellowships before returning to academia to earn her PhD in Applied Linguistics. Her �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Archie Crowley, assistant professor of English; Nina Namaste, professor of Spanish; and Sylvia Muñoz, assistant dean of students and director for the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity Education.

Anya Bratić ’26

Anya Bratić, a double major in international & global Studies and public policy with a minor in public health, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Vietnam. She is an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow, a Periclean Scholar, and the Student Government Association Student Body President.

To Bratić, Fulbright represents the intersection of her two greatest passions: global engagement and teaching. She found ways to blend these passions during her time at �鶹��Ƶ. As a Periclean Scholar, she had the opportunity to study abroad in India to understand what mutually beneficial relationships look like in practice, not just in theory. As a student consultant with the Center for Design Thinking, she developed a love for teaching and facilitation, specifically the challenge of guiding others through the structured process of finding meaningful solutions to “wicked” problems. Serving as an English teaching assistant will allow her to refine her intercultural and teaching skills while strengthening diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam.

After Fulbright, Bratić is interested in pursuing a career in diplomacy or global social impact. “Simply put, I want to work at the intersection of people, policy and purpose,” she says. Bratić’s constellation of �鶹��Ƶ mentors includes Amanda Tapler, associate teaching professor of public health studies; Safia Swimelar, professor of political science and public policy; Sean McMahon, professor of entrepreneurship; and Danielle Lake, director of design thinking and associate professor of human service studies.

Molly Moylan ’26

Biochemistry major Molly Moylan has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain.

At �鶹��Ƶ, Moylan took every opportunity to foster and blend her passions for STEM research, teaching and service. As a researcher, Moylan worked with chemistry professor Dan Wright to study trace metals within medicinal herbs and spices. She refined her teaching skills by serving with America Reads, the Village Project, the CityGate Dream Center, and more. Most notably, Moylan found a way to combine her passions by co-founding Imagine Science, a program designed to address declining student engagement in science education by bringing hands-on experiments and activities to local after-school programs.

In Spain, Moylan will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in Galicia, a region that is especially interested in promoting students’ scientific thinking skills. This Fulbright year will serve as crucial preparation for Moylan as she applies to medical school. The language and cultural skills she will gain in Spain will allow her to better serve Spanish-speaking patients in the future.

Moylan’s most influential �鶹��Ƶ mentor has been Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dan Wright. “Dr. Dan Wright has been instrumental in my success at �鶹��Ƶ,” she said. “Through his continued support, my confidence in both my personal and professional capacities has grown immensely, and I am extremely grateful to have had him as a mentor.”

Madison Powers ’25

Madison Powers, who graduated in 2025 with a degree in journalism and a minor in Spanish, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Spain. At �鶹��Ƶ, Powers was a communications fellow and a 2023 Pulitzer reporting fellow. Since graduating, she has served as an editorial intern at Garden & Gun Magazine in Charleston, South Carolina.

Powers has long had her sights set on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Spain. During her undergraduate years, she spent a semester in Sevilla and fostered her dual passions for cross-cultural exchange and global education. Eager to return, she applied for Fulbright in last year’s application cycle and was named a semifinalist. She remained so committed to the value of a Fulbright experience that she chose to reapply this year, and her hard work and persistence paid off.

Powers will serve as an English teaching assistant in Madrid. She is excited to live and work in a large, diverse city while improving her Spanish language skills and forming connections with her community. Serving in Madrid will also allow her to work closely with students on Global Classrooms/Model UN projects, which are important to the development of their critical thinking and cross-cultural skills.

This Fulbright year will serve as a bridge between Powers’ current and future journalistic work. Upon returning to the U.S, she plans to work as a journalist reporting on and working in Spanish-speaking communities. Her �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Kelly Furnas, associate teaching professor of journalism; Jan Register, administrative assistant for the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life; and Pablo Celis-Castillo, associate professor of Spanish.

Aryanna Vindas ’25

Aryanna Vindas, a graduate of the class of 2025, has received a Fulbright grant to teach English in South Korea. She graduated with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Asian studies.

Serving as an English teaching assistant in South Korea is a natural extension of the work Vindas began at �鶹��Ƶ. She completed a two-year undergraduate research project about Korean Buddhist mindfulness, studied abroad for a semester in South Korea, and undertook a rigorous course of Korean language study. Simultaneously, she developed her teaching skills by serving as a volunteer English teacher, tutoring Spanish, and leading and assisting dance classes.

Because her grant does not begin until January 2027, Vindas has chosen to go above and beyond to prepare. She will spend this summer in South Korea completing intensive language study at Yonsei University in Seoul, which will help her integrate more successfully into her future host community and build more meaningful relationships with her students.

After Fulbright, Vindas plans to enroll in graduate school to continue the research on Buddhist mindfulness she began at �鶹��Ƶ. Vindas’ �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Renay Aumiller, associate professor of dance; the “wonderful” dance staff; and Pamela Winfield, professor of religious studies and associate director of international & global studies.

In addition to these students, one senior has been named an alternate. Alternates are still in the competition and have the chance to be promoted to finalists (recipients of the grant) up until the official start of the grant period. We will update this story as we continue to hear news of their progress.

Rebecca Lovasco ’26

Rebecca Lovasco, a psychology major with minors in women’s, gender, and sexuality studies and neuroscience, has been selected as an alternate for a Fulbright study/research grant in Taiwan to earn a master’s degree in Mind, Brain, and Consciousness at Taipei Medical University.

Lovasco is an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow who went on to win the Lumen Prize. Her research, which integrates cognitive neuroscience, clinical psychology, and philosophy of mind, explores how anxiety and depression affect reinforcement learning and conscious visual perception. Outside of her research, Lovasco is proud to have served as a law enforcement crisis counselor with the Campus Alamance program.

Lovasco’s �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Kristina Krasich, assistant professor of psychology; William Schreiber, associate professor of psychology; Kim Epting, professor of psychology; Alexa Darby, professor of psychology; and Jill McSweeney,��assistant director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and assistant professor of wellness.

Miranda is the sixth �鶹��Ƶ student in five consecutive years to receive District 7690’s Rotary Club’s Global Grant. She follows Faith Leslie ‘21, Allison Potter ’22, Kiara Hunter ’23, and joint recipients Megan Curling ’23, Ava de Bruin ’23 and Nazaneen Shokri ’24. All recipients since 2022 have had at least one major in public health, a testament to the Department of Public Health’s ability to successfully prepare leaders who address the most pressing public health concerns of the 21st century.

This opportunity is not limited to public health majors, though, and all interested �鶹��Ƶ students and alumni should contact the National and International Fellowships Office for more information about the application process.

From �鶹��Ƶ to the CDC

At �鶹��Ƶ, Miranda double majored in public health studies and international & global studies and minored in geography. She made the most of her undergraduate experience by engaging in research and service, and studying abroad in Tanzania. Outside of the classroom, she worked in the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and is proudest of her time as a Multifaith Intern.

The combination of these experiences prepared Miranda well for a post-graduate career with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where she served for five years. She first served as a COVID-19 epidemiologist in Kentucky before transitioning to a new role at the Vermont Department of Health, where she specialized in public health emergency preparedness and response. Miranda’s time with the CDC helped her clarify her passions and refine her professional philosophy: “equitable access to healthcare is essential for thriving communities.”

With this domestic training under her belt and her philosophy front of mind, Miranda was ready to go global.

An Intersection of Values

When the time came to think about furthering her education, Miranda grew confident in her decision to look beyond the United States.

“I knew I wanted to shift my career toward global health, but I also knew I did not want to do so without first understanding my own interests, values, and limits through hands-on experience,” she explained. “When I began thinking about graduate school, I realized that studying abroad would allow me to expand that perspective while learning how health systems operate in a different cultural and policy context.”

Miranda was drawn to Taiwan for its strong public health infrastructure and commitment to disease prevention. National Taiwan University’s MSc in Global Health program, with its emphasis on international perspectives, offered an unparalleled opportunity for her to deepen her academic and technical training.

To support her goal of attending NTU’s Global Health program, Miranda began working with the National and International Fellowships Office at �鶹��Ƶ, which assists students and alumni in identifying and applying for externally funded scholarships and grants. She first applied for a study/research grant through the and was unfortunately unsuccessful, but undeterred. She continued conversations with Ann Cahill and Nicole Galante, director and assistant director of the �鶹��Ƶ National and International Fellowships Office, and it quickly became clear that she was a perfect fit for another fellowship: The Rotary Global Grant.

Guided by their core areas of focus, Rotary is a highly values-based organization that seeks to support students who are just as passionate about solving the world’s problems as they are. The intersection between Miranda’s work and Rotary’s goals was evident to both Miranda and her advisors.

“I couldn’t think of a better fit. It’s almost as if Holly has spent her whole life preparing to be a Rotarian without actually knowing it,” said Galante.

It was no surprise, then, when Miranda applied for and ultimately received the $30,000 grant that enabled her to begin graduate studies in the fall of 2025.

Returning to the Classroom While Arriving in a New Country

Returning to the classroom after five years—in a new country, no less—presented its challenges for Miranda, but she quickly found her footing.

During her first semester, she took courses like Global Health Science, Introduction to Epidemiology, and Social and Behavioral Health, while also participating in field trips to the National Health Care Agency, the global think tank CAPRI, and the Taiwan International Workers Association. To get the most out of her experience in the country, Miranda also took advantage of the free Chinese language courses offered by NTU for international students. Her intensive winter course met for three hours a day, five days a week.

As she looks towards the remainder of her time in the program, Miranda is eager to begin her master’s thesis.

“I’m looking forward to conducting my thesis research, focusing on adolescent mental health. I am honored that Professor Shu-Sen Chang is my thesis advisor; he is a leading expert in mental health and suicide prevention in Taiwan and the region. It is a privilege to be part of his lab and to contribute to this area of public health, which I am deeply passionate about,” she said

Once she graduates, Miranda will be well prepared to re-enter the workforce, strengthening health systems, enhancing disease surveillance, and improving outbreak preparedness. In the long term, she aspires to lead outbreak response efforts with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), combining the values and experience she’s gained from �鶹��Ƶ to Taiwan, to no doubt make this world a better and healthier place. 

Fulbright grantees are not just funded to teach or research—they are expected to serve as valuable cultural ambassadors in their respective host countries, both representing the United States and learning about their new communities.

Fulbright grants are awarded on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. As semifinalists, these �鶹��Ƶ students and alumni have been recommended by the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education for final consideration by review panels in their respective host countries. Semifinalists will be notified of their final award status this spring, beginning in late March, barring any delays or disruptions at the federal level.

This year’s Fulbright semifinalists are:

Azul Bellot ’26

• Psychology and Sociolinguistics
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Spain

Jo Bogart ’26

• Creative Writing and Classical Studies
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to the United Kingdom

Anya Bratić ’26

• International & Global Studies and Public Policy
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Vietnam

Rony Dahdal ’26

• Computer Science, Math, and Philosophy
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to Sweden

Jubitza Figueroa ’21

• Political Science
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Spain

Alex Fleischmann ’26

• Psychology
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to South Korea

Rebecca Lovasco ’26

• Psychology
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to Taiwan

Caroline Mitchell ’26

• Middle Grades Math and Special Education
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Bulgaria

Molly Moylan ’26

• Biochemistry
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Spain

Madison Powers ’25

• Journalism
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Spain

Aryanna Vindas ’25

• Dance Performance & Choreography
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to South Korea

�鶹��Ƶ students and alumni interested in the Fulbright Program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office. To begin the Fulbright application process, please visit the Fulbright Application Process page to register for one of the following virtual Fulbright information sessions during the spring semester:

• Wednesday, March 11 at 4 p.m.
• Thursday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m.
• Thursday, May 21 at 12 p.m.

�鶹��Ƶ has been repeatedly recognized for the number of its alumni who participate in the Fulbright Program as teachers and researchers and has been named a top-producer of Fulbright students in six separate years. This year, 50% of �鶹��Ƶ’s 28 applicants were named semi-finalists in January.

The Fulbright Program has experienced unprecedented disruptions since January 2025. The review process, which is governed by extensive and detailed treaties between the US and host countries, requires an initial US review phase (during which semi-finalists are determined) followed by host-country review phase (during which the finalists are determined). This process ensured that host communities have the final say in which applicants are selected. This year, the host-country review phase was, according to multiple reports from host countries, followed by an additional round of scrutiny by the US State Department, and some host countries reported that upwards of 40% of their selected applicants were rejected. It is unclear if fewer grants were awarded overall as a result of this scrutiny.

A significant portion of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program staff were furloughed in March, which led to severe delays in fund dispersal and finalist announcements. This month, the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the presidentially-appointed board of directors that oversees the Fulbright Program, but is not responsible for its day-to-day operations, overwhelmingly voted to resign in response to the Trump Administration’s interference in the 2025 review process. The future of congressional funding for Fulbright remains in question.

Those who received awards this year are:

Margo Buchanan ‘25

A double major in theatrical design & technology and political science with a minor in German studies, Margo Buchanan has been selected for a Fulbright grant to teach English in Germany. She is from Raleigh, North Carolina.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Buchanan took every opportunity she could while at �鶹��Ƶ to learn about Germany. She conducted two-years of independent research about opera scenic design in Germany as an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow, served as president of the German Club, and spent a semester studying abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. It was her semester abroad that inspired her to return to the region after graduation.

In addition to the Fulbright US Student Program in Germany, Buchanan was selected for the Teaching Assistantship Program of the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education (BMB), administered by Fulbright Austria. She will spend this summer working as a stage crew lead for the Santa Fe Opera before heading to Austria to teach English, where she is eager to build on the teaching and mentoring experience she began in high school.

Buchanan’s �鶹��Ƶ mentors include her German professors, Kristin Lange and Scott Windham, and Luis Silva, technical director for the Department of Performing Arts.

Rachel Maccini ‘25

Rachel Maccini, a double major in special education and middle grades mathematics with minors in psychology and German studies, has been selected for a Fulbright grant to teach English in Germany. The Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa graduate is from Westford, Massachusetts.

At �鶹��Ƶ, Maccini was a dedicated student educator who also served as the captain for the �鶹��Ƶ Cheer Team. She blended her interests in teaching with German studies, serving as a teaching and learning assistant for a German language course and earning entry into Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society. Maccini’s desire to live in Germany after graduation was solidified during her Winter Term course in Germany, and the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany is what she describes as “the perfect fit.” After Fulbright, she plans to return to the US to work in education and hopes to utilize her experiences in German classrooms to support multilingual and neurodiverse students.

Maccini’s most influential �鶹��Ƶ mentor is Kristin Lange, who initially encouraged her to apply for Fulbright.

“Dr. Kristin Lange has made a huge impact on me,” said Maccini. “Her love for the German language and her passion for teaching are truly contagious. Anyone who takes a class with her can feel it.”

Cristy Mariné ‘25

A double major in cinema & television arts (BFA) and strategic communications, Cristy Mariné has been selected for a Fulbright grant to pursue a master’s degree in creative industries at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. She is from Caracas, Venezuela and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Mariné was a highly engaged �鶹��Ƶ student who completed five internships—including one in Los Angeles with E! News, and another with a photography studio in Sorrento, Italy—and directed three short films. One in particular, “Corazones Dulces,” centered on a Latina who grieves the loss of her grandmother through baking, and was the only film in Spanish at 2024 Cinelon Film Festival. The master’s in creative industries at Exeter, which will allow her to blend creative and business courses while interning with a British creative agency, is the natural next step in Mariné’s goal of making short films that tell authentic stories about underrepresented groups.

Mariné’s constellation of mentors is wide, including Staci Saltz, Youseff Osman, Kai Swanson, Jessalyn Strauss, Sylvia Muñoz and MJ Larrazabal.

“All of my mentors at �鶹��Ƶ have challenged me in ways that have helped me grow into the person I am today, she said. “For that, I am forever grateful.”

Celia Roskin ’20

Celia Roskin, an elementary education major (policy studies minor) from the class of 2020, has been selected for a Fulbright grant to teach English in Taiwan. She is from Durham, North Carolina.

At �鶹��Ƶ, Roskin cultivated her passions for teaching, language learning and cross-cultural exchange. She spent a Winter Term in Malawi teaching English to primary school students and a summer in Cordoba, Argentina, taking Spanish language classes at the local university. She also completed the Peace Corps Prep Program and volunteered with the Village Project and the Boys and Girls Club. These experiences prepared her for her current role as an Educational Resources Specialist at the Library of Congress, where she creates, coordinates and facilitates professional development for educators by utilizing primary sources from the Library’s collections.

“I continue to feel a calling to classroom teaching,” she explained. “I’m ready to get out of my comfort zone and explore a new culture and different approaches to early education.”

A year as an English teaching assistant in Taiwan will allow Roskin to expand her teaching philosophy and pedagogy while exploring the Taiwanese approach to literacy education. She plans to return to the Library of Congress with new skills and resources to provide for US educators.

Roskin’s �鶹��Ƶ mentors include education professors Erin Hone and Marna Winter.

�鶹��Ƶ students and alumni interested in the Fulbright program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office.

Established in 1951, is the nation’s oldest continuous investment in the U.S. STEM workforce. The program provides financial support and professional development to outstanding students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

This year, the NSF GRFP received over 13,000 applications for 2,000 advertised awards. However, due to funding cuts, only 1,000 promising researchers were named recipients and over 3,000 were named honorable mentions—a marked shift from previous years when far more recipients were named than honorable mentions. Honorable mentions might still have the chance to be named recipients should more funding become available, and this story will be updated should any changes occur.

To learn more about the NSF GRFP and other nationally competitive awards like it, students and alumni should visit the National and International Fellowships Office’s website to schedule an appointment.

Chris D’Inzeo ’24

Chris D’Inzeo graduated from �鶹��Ƶ in 2024 with a degree in chemistry. At �鶹��Ƶ, D’Inzeo primarily worked with Vickie Moore, associate professor of chemistry, on a three-year project focused on evolving cell line models of chemoresistant cancers and understanding the roles of nucleic acid structures in the progression of chemotherapy resistance. Off campus, he was an Amgen Scholar at Duke University, where he worked in Amanda Hargrove’s lab on two different projects generally aimed at developing RNA as a target for therapeutic small molecules, and a student researcher at UNC Chapel Hill with Jeff Aubé and Ahlam Armaly on a project focused on the synthesis of a marine natural product with antimicrobial activity.

D’Inzeo was also a Periclean Scholar, a member of the marching band (drumline), and the co-founder of STEM Saturday, a STEM outreach program for Alamance-Burlington high schoolers.

D’Inzeo began his career with the National Cancer Institute after he received the highly competitive NIH Undergraduate Scholarship in his senior year, which provided a pathway for employment with the National Institutes of Health. He’s currently working with Jay Schneekloth with the NCI on projects aimed at developing bifunctional RNA targeting molecules as novel therapeutics. This will no doubt prepare him for his greatest academic challenge yet: a doctorate in chemistry at Princeton University.

D’Inzeo’s �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Vickie Moore, Ahlam Armaly, Tony Rizzuo and Dan Wright.

Alana Evora ’23

Alana Evora graduated from �鶹��Ƶ in 2023 with degrees in biology and computer science. An Honors Fellow, Evora won the Lumen Prize in 2021 to support her research project, “Simulating Vibrational Soundscapes to Investigate the Effect of Vibrational Road Noise on Animals.” Under the mentorship of �鶹��Ƶ professor Jen Hamel, as well as in collaboration with Rex Cocroft (University of Missouri) and Shyam Madhusudhana (Curtin University), Evora created an open-source software tool called VibePy for studying vibrational communication, which is now freely available for download and shared in an open-access publication in the journal “Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata.” In addition to her impressive undergraduate research, Evora is proud of her work as a Writing Center consultant, and as one of the chartering members of �鶹��Ƶ’s first Asian interest sorority, Kappa Phi Lambda, Inc.

Since graduating, Evora has been working as a research technician at Duke University in the lab of Arnaldo Carreira-Rosario, where they use fruit flies to study how the brain becomes active for the first time during development, and how this early neural activity influences behavior. She is excited to stay at Duke in the fall to join the Neurobiology Graduate Training Program in the School of Medicine, studying developmental and systems neurobiology.

Her �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Jen Hamel, Elizabeth von Briesen and Brant Touchette.

Aubrey Spicola ’25

Aubrey Spicola is a graduating senior with a major in astrophysics and a minor in mathematics. As an Honors Fellow, Spicola has been working with Tony Crider to develop a multiplayer mixed-reality planetarium intended to supplement introductory course materials in college astronomy with 3D visuals. She was also selected for a competitive NSF REU at Cornell University in 2024 where she worked with data from a recent release by the MeerKAT Telescope as part of the Thousand-Pulsar-Array program and focused on analyzing radio observations to study the timing properties of pulsars, and how these objects can be used to probe the interstellar medium.

In addition to her impressive research, Spicola is a senior residential assistant, an astronomy teaching assistant, and a tutor in the Koenigsberger Learning Center. She is particularly proud of her work as a planetarium specialist for nearly three years with the Schiele Museum of Natural History, where she wrote and created several seasonal shows, and helped lead an expedition for museum guests to Texas to view the solar eclipse in April 2024.

Spicola is eager to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this fall to earn her doctorate in physics. She will be attending as a Royster Fellow, UNC’s premier doctoral fellowship, which will provide her the opportunity to explore different research labs as she begins her graduate studies.

Her �鶹��Ƶ mentors include Tony Crider, Kyle Altmann, Chris Richardson, Emily Evans and Martin Kamela.

The award, given by , provides scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. Scholars all demonstrate an early passion for research, often exhibited by completing multiple projects at the undergraduate level. To apply, all students must first receive university nomination—which can be a competitive process itself—and universities can only nominate up to four students per year, meaning that the competition at the national level is particularly stiff. This year, Goldwater received over 5,000 applications and named 441 scholars, Karty among them. Karty had his sights set on Goldwater before even beginning at �鶹��Ƶ.

“My biggest motivation for applying to the Goldwater Scholarship was my dad, Professor Joel Karty,” he explained. “He is proud to have mentored Geoffrey Lynn, the first Goldwater recipient in �鶹��Ƶ’s history, so it is really fulfilling for it to come full circle with me receiving the Goldwater Scholarship as well.”

Karty’s main research interest is robotics, specifically agricultural robotics, and he is no stranger to the research process. He began college-level research as a senior in high school when he had the chance to work with Jon Su, associate professor of engineering, on a project left unfinished by two students who’d graduated.

“I started working with Jacob when he was in high school, and even then he was one of the brightest students I’ve ever encountered: Jacob literally accomplished in a day what took a team of students a year,” said Su.

The pair kept this momentum going and evolved the project into an Honors Fellows thesis proposal called “Lensfree Holographic Imaging and Machine Learning to Protect Freshwater Resources” that ultimately won Karty the Lumen Prize. 

“Using a lensfree imaging setup that I designed and built, I take pictures of a sample of activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant as I vary the amount of food this sample receives,” Karty explained. “Then, using machine learning techniques, I am currently thinking a convolutional autoencoder combined with K means clustering, I will predict the harmful foaming of the bacteria.”

His Lumen research is only the beginning. On campus, Karty has also worked extensively with Blake Hament, assistant professor of engineering, on a project utilizing 3D data collection to individually farm pea plants. Like Su, Hament sings Karty’s praises, commending him for his “wonderful blend of intellect, creativity, perseverance, and strong work ethic.” Off campus, Karty completed an NSF REU at Oregon State University where he built an apple picking robotic gripper and a data collection system that will allow the robot to use Learning from Demonstration to pick an apple like a human would.

All of this is only the beginning for Karty. Following his graduation in 2026, he plans to earn a doctorate in Robotics to continue his work researching and developing agriculture robotics to produce food more efficiently.

Karty is the ninth �鶹��Ƶ student to be awarded the Goldwater Scholarship, following Rony Dahdal ’26,�� Danielle DaSilva ’24,��Madison George ’23,��Ashlyn Crain ’22,��Anna Altmann ’23,��Mariana Kneppers ’18,��Kelsey Van Dalfsen ’12�����Ի���Geoffrey Lynn ’07. �鶹��Ƶ students interested in the Goldwater Scholarship or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office.

awards approximately 2,200 grants annually in all fields of study, with recent graduates and graduate students undertaking international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and primary and secondary teaching worldwide. Founded in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.

Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected based on academic and professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. As semifinalists, these �鶹��Ƶ students and alumni have been recommended by the National Screening Committee of the Institute of International Education for final consideration for a Fulbright award. They will be notified of their final award status this spring beginning in late March.

This was another strong year for Fulbright applicants from �鶹��Ƶ, with 50% being recommended as semifinalists. This number is even more impressive when you consider that �鶹��Ƶ applicants have increasingly pursued study/research grants in recent years, which are the most competitive Fulbright grants to obtain. While the Fulbright U.S. Student Program’s average acceptance rate is 20%, the study/research grants �鶹��Ƶ students applied for this year have an average acceptance rate of 6.9%.

This year’s Fulbright semifinalists are:

Margo Buchanan ’25

• Theatrical Design & Technology and Political Science
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Germany

Drew Fetterolf ’25

• Biochemistry and Religious Studies
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to Kenya

Ryan Gibbons ’25

• Environmental & Ecological Science and Cinema & Television Arts
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to the United Kingdom

Daniel Haley ’25

• Philosophy and Psychology
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to Ireland

Rachel Maccini ’25

• Special Education and Middle Grades Education
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Germany

Cristy Mariné ’25

• Cinema & Television Arts and Strategic Communications
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to the United Kingdom

Madison Powers ’25

• Journalism
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Spain

Claire Przybocki ’24

• International & Global Studies and Economics
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Poland

Bailey Reutinger ’25

• Statistics and Biology
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to the Netherlands

Sydnie Rogers ’22

• Philosophy
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Rwanda

Celia Roskin ’20

• Elementary Education
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Taiwan

Nicholas Rugbart ’25

• International & Global Studies
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research grant to Taiwan

Morgan Seate ’25

• Philosophy
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright study/research Grant to the United Kingdom

Sadie Smith ’25

• Strategic Communications and International & Global Studies
• Semifinalist for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship to Bulgaria

�鶹��Ƶ students and alumni interested in the Fulbright Program or other nationally competitive fellowships are invited to contact the National and International Fellowships Office. To begin the Fulbright application process for grants in 2026-27, students should visit the Fulbright Application Process page to register for one of the following Fulbright information sessions during spring semester:

• Wednesday, March 5 at 4:00 (virtual)
• Thursday, April 10 at 4:30 (in person)
• Wednesday, May 21 at noon (virtual)

The program provides up to $20,000 per academic year in tuition, educational expenses and reasonable living expenses to scholarship recipients, and it can be renewed for up to four years. Scholars will spend ten weeks during the summer following each year of academic support working in an NIH research laboratory. After graduation, they will spend one year for every year of support as a full-time employee conducting research at NIH.

�鶹��Ƶ students have been remarkably successful in this competition in recent years. Last year, three seniors—Genesis Tolbert ’24, Christopher D’Inzeo ’24 and Samuel Ramirez ’24—were selected as scholarship program recipients.

As an �鶹��Ƶ College Fellow with a double major in public health and political science, Samantha Hinton discovered a passion for health-related research with real-world applications during her time at �鶹��Ƶ. She applied for and received the Lumen Prize in her sophomore year to fund her two-year project studying the impacts of immigration enforcement on Latinx healthcare utilization in Alamance County, which both inspired and prepared her to apply for the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program.

Molly Green, assistant professor of public health studies and Hinton’s research mentor, is confident that this experience will allow Hinton to continue the important work she began at �鶹��Ƶ.

“Samantha is a truly exceptional student who has been a joy to work with,” said Green. “From the moment we started working together to plan her Lumen project proposal, Samantha has gone above and beyond to understand the material and ensure that her work would be both rigorous and meaningful to the community. Getting awarded the very prestigious NIH Undergraduate Scholarship is a wonderful opportunity for Samantha to further her public health training. I know she’ll gain invaluable experience working at NIH after she graduates from �鶹��Ƶ and cannot wait to see where this opportunity continues to take her.”

In addition to her Lumen project, Hinton’s semester abroad helped prepare her to receive the NIH UGSP.

“My study abroad experience in Peru was a lifechanging experience,” said Hinton. “While there, I had a chance to conduct a secondary research project, investigating the use of traditional medicine and birthing practices in the Peruvian Amazon. This experience further solidified my interest in health research and gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in another culture!”

In the future, after her time with the NIH, Hinton plans to earn a doctorate in health behavior or medical anthropology with the hopes of becoming a professor.

The 2025 application for the NIH Undergraduate Scholarship Program is now open! Interested students should contact the National and International Fellowships Office for support with the application process soon, or to learn about other nationally competitive awards, as soon as possible.