U-M National Leader in Fulbright Student Competition

By Kirstin Olmstead
Published: 10/21/2008

Ann Arbor, MI – The University of Michigan once again led the nation in the number of U.S. Department of State Fulbright award recipients. This is the third time in the past four years that Michigan has topped the Fulbright rankings.

U-M placed first with 31 awardees, Harvard University followed with 29, Yale University with 26, Northwestern University and the University of California at Berkeley were tied with 24, and the University of Chicago with 23.

“We are extremely proud of our students and their success in the prestigious Fulbright competition,” said Mark Tessler, director of U-M’s International Institute and vice provost for international affairs. “The University of Michigan is committed to enriching our academic programs by facilitating educational and research opportunities overseas for our undergraduate and graduate students. We had a large number of students apply again this year and are delighted that so many of our students appreciate the value of study and research abroad.”

Close to 150 U-M students applied for the prestigious scholarship program. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is now the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, and teaching English overseas.

Fulbright Fellows undertake self-designed programs in disciplines ranging from the social sciences, business, communication, and performing arts to physical sciences, engineering, and education. The U.S. Student Program currently awards approximately 1,500 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 155 countries worldwide.

“Michigan’s success can be attributed to the talented, creative and tenacious applicants, and the overwhelming support and guidance provided by faculty throughout the university,” said Amy Kehoe, Fulbright program advisor. 

The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and was established in 1946 by the U.S. Congress to "enable the government of the United States to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries."

Since the establishment of the program, more than 46,000 students from the United States and 150,000 students from other countries have benefited from the Fulbright experience.

For more information on the Fulbright Program, visit www.ii.umich.edu/ii/funding. U-M undergraduate students interested in applying next year should contact Kelly Peckens (kpeckens@umich.edu). Graduate and professional school students, as well as those applying in the arts, should contact Amy Kehoe (akehoe@umich.edu).

This year’s U-M grantees and the country in which their project will take place are as follows:

Katharine Allen, SPH/CMENAS, Master’s – Oman

Understanding and Learning from the Successes of Oman’s Healthcare System

 Chelsea Ams, LSA B.A. (German/Spanish) – Germany

English Teaching Assistantship

 Sara Baumann, LSA B.A. (Sociology)– Bangladesh

HIV Transmission: Youth & Injection Drug Users in Bangladesh

 Jessica Boullion, LSA B.A. (German/History) – Germany

English Teaching Assistantship

 Lisa Calhoun, SPH, Master’s – Kenya

Determination of Disease Burden in Street Children of Kisumu, Kenya

 Denny Chan, LSA B.A. (Sociology/History) – Macao

English Teaching Assistantship

 Elizabeth Davisson, LSA B.A. (German/History) – Germany

English Teaching Assistantship

 Lynn Eckert, LSA B.A. (Biopsychology and Cognitive Science/REES) - Croatia

Another ‘Other’: Lesbians and Gays in Croatian Society

 Lara Finkbeiner, LSA B.A. (History/French) - Ecuador

Plan of Action: Addressing the Colombian Refugee

 Heather Fuller-Iglesias, Psychology, PhD - Mexico

Social Relations and Well-being among Mexicans: The Impact of Migration

 Salem Ghandour, LSA B.A. (Political Science/NES) – Malaysia

Malaysia’s Green Revolution and Its Impact on Rural Communities

 Vaike Haas, SNRE, Master’s – Estonia

Post-Soviet Progress in Tallinn, Estonia: Promoting Multiculturalism through Urban Design

 Brook Hefright, Linguistics, PhD– China

Language Contact and Ethnic Identity among the Bai

 Laura Hilburn, History, PhD - Czech Republic

The Limits of Nationality: Czechoslovakia’s Cultural reconstruction, 1045-1948

 Emily Holt, Anthropology/Archaeology, PhD – Italy

Excavating the Middle Bronze Age on Siddi Plateau, Central Sardinia

 Kristen Hopewell, Sociology, PhD – Switzerland

Global Civil Society and the WTO

 Dana Kaersvang, Law – Netherlands

Jurisdiction of International Tribunals

 Jeanine Markley, Music, Master’s – Finland

Violin Performance and Pedagogy Study in Finland

 Neeraj Mehta, Music, Master’s – Denmark

Musical Instrument Training - Percussion

 Lauren Milewski, LSA B.A. (English/Anthropology) - Hong Kong

English Teaching Assistantship

 Rhana Natour, LSA B.A. (Political Science) - United Arab Emirates

Higher Education and Labor Force Outcomes of National Women

 Kirstin Northenscold, LSA B.A. (English/German/Creative Writing) – Germany

English Teaching Assistantship

 Katharine Raff, Art History, PhD – Italy

Social Class and Visual Experience

 Peter Rock, Architecture, Master’s – Estonia

Architecture Adrift in Contemporary Estonia

 Abigail Sebaly, Art, B.A. – Australia

Collaborative Choreographic Engagement in Melbourne

 Jonathan Shaheen, Philosophy PhD – Netherlands

University of Amsterdam M.Sc. in Logic

 Sarah Shepherd, LSA B.A.  (Anthropology) – Nepal

Fashioning Identity: Cloth’s Importance in Dhimal Concepts of Identity

 John Sloan, LSA B.A. (German/Economics) – Germany

English Teaching Assistantship

 Joseph Torigian, LSA B.A. (Political Science) – China

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Chinese Foreign Policy

 Huong Trieu, Political Science, PhD – China

Social Organizations and Social Welfare in China: A Case Study of Migrant Social Policy

 John Zimmerman, SPH, Master’s - Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan Transformations in Disaster Relief Policies

The Fulbright Program is sponsored by the United States Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Financial support is provided by an annual appropriation from Congress to the Department of State, with significant contributions from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. The presidentially appointed J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board formulates policy guidelines and makes the final selection of all grantees. The Institute of International Education administers and coordinates the activities relevant to the U.S. Student Program, including an annual competition for scholarships. For more information, visit www.fulbrightonline.org.

Fulbrights are awarded to BS/BA graduates, master’s and doctoral candidates, and young professionals and artists to support graduate study or research abroad or professional training in the creative and performing arts (administered by the Institute of International Education, with assistance to U-M students provided by the International Institute).

News Category: students
Department: International Institute