Huskies Chart Global Paths, Forward Fulbright Applications
Northeastern University is proud to share our 2020 slate of applicants to the Fulbright US Student Program. Northeastern students and alumni submitted a record number of applications for the Fulbright this year, even in the midst of the pandemic.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is America’s premier international exchange fellowship, with a mission to promote mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. Through the Fulbright, awardees can either pursue study/research opportunities or teach English in one of over 140 countries worldwide.
Reflecting Northeastern’s status as a global, experiential research university, our students and recent graduates have applied to pursue projects around the world and across a wide field of endeavor — read on to learn about these exciting projects.
Ajoa Addae, COS’20, Biology
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Canada
Addae proposed to create a biodegradable sunscreen formula for darker skin tones via researching skin cancer within communities of color, also serving as a resource to educate people of color on sun protection.
Rosemary Ajegwu, COE’21, Industrial Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, South Africa
Ajegwu proposed to create a short documentary series in Johannesburg, South Africa, to highlight how LGBTQIA+ Black and coloured South African artists express themselves through art.
Tarah Almonacy, COS’21, Psychology
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Spain
Maria Alvarez, COS’21, Psychology
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Mexico
Cameron Barone, CSSH’20, English/Communication Studies
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Colombia
Anna Brown, CSSH’21, Political Science/Intl Affairs
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Turkey
Erica Choate, DMSB’21, International Business
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Uruguay
Lydia Cleaveland, COS’20, Psychology
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Spain
Leah Cohen, COS’20, Psychology
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Australia
Cohen proposed to analyze hate crime rates within Australian states, both with and without a “gay panic” defense, and how the law affects LGBTQ+ lives and wellbeing overall.
Nicolas Contreras Preciado, DMSB’19, Marketing
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Mexico
Contreras-Preciado proposed to study international business in Mexico, specifically marketing and operations, preparing him to think of conceivably owning a business of his own there.
Emily Eastman, COE’21, Environmental Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Indonesia
Eastman proposed to focus on how mangrove forests and aquaculture ponds interact with each other in Kendari, Indonesia, ultimately advocating for more environmentally friendly practices to protect ecosystems and mitigate climate change.
Kerry Eller, COE’21, Bioengineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Uganda
Eller proposed to analyze challenges that biomedical device innovators face in low- and middle-income countries in order to create policies to improve those challenges in the future.
Efosa Enoma, COS’21, Cell and Molecular Biology
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, France
Enoma proposed to identify the epigenetic drivers for triple-negative breast cancer, specifically among different racial groups, hoping to establish a better prognosis for the cancer, leading to better treatment for patients.
Ellie Furuta, Bouvé’21, Health Science
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Spain
Solana Garcia, COS’21, Cell and Molecular Biology
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Spain
Garcia proposed to use certain bioinformatics approaches to determine immune pathways being suppressed by the infections causing infectious diseases, allowing for better health outcomes for patients.
Tyler Gogal, COE’21, Mechanical Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Iceland
Gogal proposed to study promising new methods for carbon capture to address and alleviate a major contributor to climate change.
Shellaina Gordon, COS’21, Biochemistry
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Australia
Gordon proposed to, ultimately, develop therapies to be used in conjunction with Tcell therapy to block tumor escape and create a longer- lasting response with extended survival.
Yitzhak Henry, CSSH’23, Political Science
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Jamaica
Henry proposed to look into factors affecting community resilience in urban coastal communities, ultimately hoping to expand the discussion of the role of public policy in community resilience.
Morgan Hines, COS/CSSH’19, Biology/English
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, United Kingdom
Hines proposed to study communications and interactions between enslaved populations and the surgeons who conducted medical practices on slave trading ships from 18th century Liverpool to combat philosophies that perpetuate racial disparities.
Connor Holmes, Bouve’21, Health Science
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, India
Holmes proposed to investigate and examine how connections and every day activities pursued by transgender women sex workers impact their health, in an attempt to combat stigma.
Michael Kalmeta, CSSH’17, International Affairs
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Brazil
Jacob Kaplan, COE/Khoury’21, Computer Engr/Computer Science
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Taiwan
Sharon Kim, CSSH’20, Political Science/Business Adm
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Spain
Catherine LeBlanc, COS’21, Biochemistry
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Germany
LeBlanc proposed to investigate the effects of environmental stress in areas of the mouse brain that relate to stress.
Stephan Lee, COE’21, Industrial Engineering
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Spain
Sophia Ly, COS’21, Environmental Science
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Australia
Ly proposed to promote transnational collaboration efforts through an exchange of information, skills and network contacts between the U.S. and Australia.
Lynnsey Martin, Khoury’21, Computer Science
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Taiwan
Caroline McCadden, Khoury/CSSH’21, Computer Science/Economics
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Germany
McCadden proposed to learn about high-functioning data protection policies in Germany and work to shape the policies that still need to be created in the U.S. regarding protection from data breaches.
Meghan McCallister, COE’21, Environmental Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, New Zealand
McCallister proposed to study resilient, sustainable infrastructure that is responsive to community needs while building an international network of resilience scholars to develop and execute ideas.
Natalie McGowan, COS’21, Behavioral Neuroscience
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Australia
McGowan proposed to study Australia’s school-based program for vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer, to understand how other countries might replicate Australia’s progress toward eventual elimination of the disease.
Karl Meakin, CSSH’21, Politics/Philosophy/Economics
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Singapore
Meakin proposed to study land use equity, accounting for factors such as access to open space, quality of available open space, access to low-carbon and convenient transport, heat island effects, and climate risk factors, in Singapore.
Larissa Morikawa, CSSH’21, Political Science/Intl Affairs
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Japan
Morikawa proposed to identify indicators of social capital and disaster resilience within ethnic communities by measuring their social networks.
Claire Moront, COE’20, Bioengineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Australia
Moront proposed to continue her current knowledge of neurodegenerative diseases, by undertaking research toward treatments for those diseases.
Naqiya Motiwalla, CSSH’21, Political Science/Intl Affairs
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, New Zealand
Motiwalla proposed to examine the refugee resettlement program in Auckland, New Zealand, drawing connections between Muslim and Māori communities, and encouraging the inclusion of marginalized voices in policy making.
Avi Natan, COE’21, Chemical Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Sweden
Natan proposed to study industrial processes for deriving new materials from wood, as a more sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based plastics.
Michael Nelson, Khoury/COS’20, Computer Sci/Physics
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Laos
PhiYen Nguyen, CSSH’22, Public Policy
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Vietnam
Oluwabusayomi Obey, CSSH’18, International Affairs
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, United Kingdom
Obey proposed to examine international security, specifically in Glasgow, UK, and learn how to best navigate international politics.
Lauren Pamas, CPS’15, MS Nonprofit Management
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Spain
Pamas proposed to earn the International MBA at Instituto de Empresa in preparation for a career as an entrepreneur in the international tourism sector.
Elise Papazian, COE’21, Environmental Engineering
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Armenia
Nathalie Perry, COE’21, Bioengineering
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Colombia
Aditi Peyush, COS’21, Psychology
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, United Kingdom
Peyush proposed to focus on policy reform to provide students with a comprehensive education and reduce educational inequalities.
Samantha Price, Khoury/COS’21, Computer Science/Linguistics
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Taiwan
Isabella Ragazzi, CSSH’21, Intl Affairs/Economics
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, United Kingdom
Ragazzi proposed to earn the MSc in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment at University College London, developing tools to leverage the immense challenge of the climate crisis into an opportunity to reshape our society to function in concert with the environment and promote justice.
Sagi Ravid, COE’21, Chemical Engineering
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Spain
Ravid proposed to study drug delivery and immunotherapy tactics to selectively target cancer cells and prevent them from metastasizing.
Sofia Ringstrom, Bouvé’19, Nursing
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Greece
Ringstrom proposed to study the barriers to breastfeeding faced by Syrian women in refugee camps in Greece.
Maggie Rodriguez, CSSH’21, Economics
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Malaysia
Gisselle Rodriguez Benitez, CSSH’21, Economics
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Chile
Rodriguez-Benitez proposed to implement a comparative impact analysis of educational funding equalization policies in Chile and the U.S., presenting an opportunity to understand the relationship between centralization and equality.
Joseph Schmitt, DMSB’19, Finance
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Zambia
Schmitt proposed to study the impact Zambia’s existing infrastructure has on ecotourism, assisting local leaders in understanding how investments to their infrastructure will facilitate improving ecotourism.
Gloria Schmitz, CSSH’24, Public Policy
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Sweden
Schmitz proposed to provide insights into the way equity goals are incorporated into climate change mitigation planning efforts in Sweden, and use those findings to enhance climate change mitigation planning efforts.
Taylor Snead, KCCS’21, Computer Science
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, Taiwan
Snead proposed to earn the Master’s in Austronesian Studies at National Tsing Hua University, with an emphasis on the study of underrepresented language groups, specifically the indigenous peoples of Taiwan.
Stephanie Stumbur, Bouve’21, Health Science
Award: Fulbright English Teach Assistant Grant, Russia
Amanda Ventura Molina, CSSG’21, International Affairs
Award: Fulbright English Teach Assistant Grant, Palestinian Territories (West Bank)
Jamie Walliker, DMSB’19, International Business
Award: Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Grant, Taiwan
Megan Warshofsky, CAMD’21, Theatre
Award: Fulbright Study/Research Grant, New Zealand
Warshofsky proposed to focus on global leadership and break into the entertainment industry to fight for gender equality by supporting female filmmakers, producers, directors and creatives.