This year, 20 students and alumni from Johns Hopkins University have received grants to study, teach, or research across the world through the country's largest educational exchange program. Named for U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright, the Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers opportunities for students and young professionals to meet, work, live with, and learn from the people of their chosen host country. The program awards approximately 2,000 grants annually and operates in more than 130 countries worldwide.
More information about the Fulbright application process can be found on the website of the Johns Hopkins National Fellowships Program. Below, we highlight the exciting work our students and alums will be doing abroad.
Fulbright Study/Research Awards
Lahin Amlani, a medical student at JHU, received a grant to collaborate with the Harvard Global Orthopaedics Collaborative to make surgery for hip fractures available in Malawi. His work there will involve identifying low-cost materials that meet U.S. safety standards, conducting research studies to study the outcomes of this treatment, and working with surgeons to implement it.
Halle Cathy received one of Mexico's Fulbright Graduate Degree Awards to pursue a graduate degree in public health at the Escuela de Salud Pública de México, where she will pursue her passion for nutrition that she hopes will prepare her for a career as a physician. A recent graduate, she also hopes to take language and cooking classes to further expand her connection to her host community.
Eduardo da Costa graduated in 2020 with a bachelor's degree in Medicine, Science, and the Humanities and received funding to research the outcomes of lens implants after cataract surgery in Brazil. On top of his research, his plans include coursework at University of Amazonas in Manaus and aiding with Amazon conservation efforts.
William Edmonds is a graduating senior in political science and economics whose Fulbright-Schuman EU grant spans research in both Hungary and Poland. His proposed research includes quantitative analysis to demonstrate the link between democratic decline and economic inequality, and he hopes to get involved in local hiking and volunteering as a local ESL teacher.
Marlis Hinckley received funding to travel to Mexico through the Fulbright-Garcia Robles All Disciplines – Open Study/Research Award to supplement research for her doctoral dissertation in history. Her project traces the development of botanical gardens in Spain and Mexico and spans time in both Mexico City and Puebla, where she also hopes to participate in singing ensembles and urban gardening.
Autumn Hughes received funding to work on haptic technology in Germany upon receiving her bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering. Her project will work toward the integration of sign language into prototype technology to address the gap between voice-activated technology and its relative accessibility to deaf users. An avid needleworker, she also hopes to connect with her community through the sharing of quilting and crafting traditions.
Alim Leung, a master's student at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, was awarded for her project to address the mental health needs of people in South Africa living with HIV. Partnering with the University of Kwazulu-Natal, she aims to present her findings to the Department of Health to strengthen mental health services, especially those available to people living with HIV in rural communities, and to volunteer with local at-risk youth in her spare time.
Holly Nelson, a doctoral candidate in violin performance at the Peabody Conservatory, was awarded a grant to study tango performance and teaching in Argentina. Anchored in Buenos Aires, she plans to immerse herself in the birthplace of tango to supplement research and experience for her doctoral dissertation, and she hopes to use what she learns to teach tango upon her return. While there, she aims to volunteer as a violin teacher and participate in outdoor excursions to explore the natural beauty of her host community.
Andrea Newman-Rivera will receive her bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and public health studies before her Fulbright in Honduras that will explore the impact of hurricanes on health care. Specifically, she will conduct research about the impact of hurricanes Iota and Eta on La Lima, a community profoundly affected by the natural disasters. Her non-research plans include blogging about her experience and volunteering with local pediatric healthcare.
Laura-Marie Peeples is a recent master's degree recipient from the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Exploring the impact that the Dominican Republic's sugar crisis has had on unintended pregnancy, she plans to work with focus groups to identify potential solutions and collect data. Her community engagement interests include classes in Spanish and dance as well as volunteering at a local health clinic.
Graduating senior Neetika Rastogi obtained the Fulbright-University of Helsinki Graduate Award to pursue a master's degree in neuroscience. She plans to build on her undergraduate interest in neuroplasticity to prepare for a career as a physician-scientist. While in Finland, she aspires to participate in urban farming and cycling communities.
Kaitlin Stouffer, currently working on an MD-PhD at the School of Medicine, secured a Fulbright/Ecole Normale Superieure (ENS) Paris-Saclary Award to continue her graduate research in France, where she and her collaborators will work to refine a mathematical approach to improve diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's disease. A lover of arts as well as science, she plans to complement her ballet training and shadow neurologists while abroad.
Anna Wherry is a PhD candidate in anthropology who received a Fulbright grant to research the state use of criminal law and policing to punish perceived human rights violations by revolutionary forces amid Colombia's protracted conflict. In her free time she hopes to attend literary readings, volunteer with a legal clinic, and immerse herself in local politics through a local community action board.
Sydnee Wong has received a Fulbright award to conduct cancer research in Spain after graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. Focusing on phosphatase recruiting chimeras, a novel treatment involving the interaction between proteins, her research will target the suppression of cancer growth. She hopes to engage with her host community through music, pottery, and beach volleyball.
Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Awards
Isabel Adler graduated with a bachelor's degree from The Writing Seminars and Spanish in 2021 and received a Fulbright grant to further that passion for language in Spain. She plans to explore the archaeological richness and natural beauty of her host community through a hiking group as well.
Julian Colen, who is graduating with a bachelor's degree in international studies and political science, won her award to teach in Taiwan. Outside of the classroom, she hopes to lead extracurricular yoga with her students and create a podcast about their experiences.
Joshua Lee graduated with a double major in international studies and Spanish last year, and this year he acquired a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to teach in South Korea. While there, his community engagement plans include taking cooking and music classes and attending a local church.
Andres Pasuizaca is graduating with a bachelor's degree in public health studies and won funding to teach English in Taiwan. He hopes to connect with his host community by volunteering at a medical facility, coaching sports at his host school, and joining a hiking club.
Sydney Taylor completed her master's degree from the JHU School of Education in 2021 and obtained funding to teach English in Saudi Arabia. In addition to starting a book club in her host community, she is excited to host potlucks and experience local cuisine.
Amanda Yuen, graduating with her bachelor's degree in international studies and anthropology, won her English Teaching Assistant Award for a year in Taiwan, where she hopes to immerse herself in the local arts scene and document her time abroad by creating a podcast.
In addition, two graduating seniors were named alternates: Muhammad Abidi, whose degree is in molecular and cellular biology, and Mira Stone, a triple major in The Writing Seminars, Spanish, and medicine, science, and the humanities. JHU was named a top producer of Fulbrights again this year, with 70% of applicants named semi-finalists and 43% of applicants obtaining grants.
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