Six Rice University graduates have been named Fulbright Scholars this year, receiving grants to fund study-abroad and teaching opportunities across the globe.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers over 400 awards in more than 135 countries for U.S. citizens to teach, conduct research and carry out professional projects. These prestigious scholarships trace their history to 1945, when Sen. J. William Fulbright introduced legislation calling for the selling of surplus war property to fund the “promotion of international goodwill through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture and science.” President Harry Truman signed it into law the following year.
Three of the six Fulbright scholars this year are students within the Center for Languages and Intercultural Communication (CLIC) who have studied Arabic language and culture. These students’ time with the CLIC has provided them the opportunity to become proficient in a second language, hence helping them secure prestigious scholarships such as the Fulbright grant, as well as to effectively conduct research during their trips.
The Rice Fulbright winners received support during the application process from the Center for Civic Leadership, which offers holistic advising for a range of scholarship and fellowship opportunities for graduate study, leadership programs, and international travel and research.
The Fulbright recipients told Rice News how they’ll be spending their time abroad:
Melissa Carmona
"I will be an English teaching assistant in Mexico this upcoming year. My goal is to learn more about the education system in Mexico and hopefully apply that to research projects I do in the future. This opportunity will not only allow me to contribute to the development of English language skills among Mexican students but also provide me with a broader perspective on international education and fostering cross-cultural collaboration. Additionally, I hope to get involved in volunteering in women's empowerment and immigration organizations in Mexico."
Meredith McCain
“Starting in the fall, I will do six months of intensive Arabic study at a language institute in Morocco through the Critical Language Enhancement Award. I will then begin my nine-month grant period at Université Chouaib Doukkali in El Jadida, Morocco. My research project will observe and analyze the processes of linguistic integration in Morocco via sub-Saharan African university students. Through ethnographic fieldwork, I will conduct interviews with migrant students in the major city of Casablanca and in the university town of El Jadida to better understand what languages they adopt in daily life and usage as a means of integrating into Morocco. As a result, I hope to illuminate the ways in which Arabic, French, English, Spanish, Amazigh and other languages interact to create multilingual spaces where Moroccans and migrants coexist.”
Rishi Shridharan
“My life goal is to understand the causes of neurological illness and to develop treatments that improve the quality of life for my patients. Towards that goal, from September 2023 I’ll be conducting research with Dr. Patrik Verstreken at VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research (in Belgium) to explore genes that might allow us to reverse neurodegenerative conditions like dementia. I’m particularly excited to receive the Fulbright because of the unparalleled opportunity to immerse oneself in a new culture and build close friendships, which will scaffold both my personal and professional growth.”
Angel Smith
“This fall, I will be heading to the United Arab Emirates to research climate statecraft. My project aims to create a more encompassing definition of climate statecraft, using the UAE as a case study. I will work with Dr. Linda Smith, an assistant professor of political science at the American University in Dubai, to carry out my research. Climate statecraft is such a new statecraft domain and much of the existing literature focuses on the U.S. and China. By centering the UAE, I hope to provide a more nuanced understanding of how this concept is shaping, and will shape, our world.”
Molly Wancewicz
“For my Fulbright year, I will be an English teaching assistant at a secondary school in Brussels, Belgium. I also hope to pursue a supplementary research project that uses historical research methods to examine the evolving functions of European labor unions; I am fortunate to be placed in Brussels, the location of the European Trade Union Institute. I look forward to applying my teaching experience — I have spent two years teaching English in Houston ISD through Teach for America — as a Fulbright ETA. I’m also really excited to continue practicing my French, and to explore the beautiful cities and natural landscapes of Belgium.”
Stephen Peng
"Through Fulbright, I will be researching the psychosocial and mental health services that cancer patients receive at the King Hussein Cancer Center in Amman, Jordan. I will be working with Professor Rana Dajani from Hashemite University and Dr. Omar Shamieh at KHCC. I am looking forward to furthering my global understanding of health care as well as bolstering my Arabic communication skills."