(Corvallis, OR, February 18, 2025) Oregon State University’s National and Global Scholarships Advising office is pleased to announce that fourteen students and recent graduates have been named semi-finalists for the 2025-2026 Fulbright U.S. Student Program by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Final selection of US Student Fulbright awards will be confirmed in spring 2025.
Maggie Anderson graduated in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. If selected for a Fulbright, Maggie will spend an academic year as an English Teaching Assistant in Costa Rica, engaging students in language practice and cultural exchange lessons. A former AmeriCorps member, Maggie values education and community outreach and is excited to immerse herself in her Costa Rican community. Upon return, Maggie hopes to pursue a career in environmental education and will use her Spanish language skills to connect with local communities in the United States.
Christopher Bateman graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Science. For their Fulbright, Christopher proposes to explore the potential of hemp as a sustainable global commodity. If selected, Christopher will travel to the Netherlands where they will become the bridge between hemp research in the Netherlands and Oregon, where climate conditions are similar. Under the mentorship of Dr. Luisa Trindade at Wageningen University and Research, Christopher hopes to earn an MSc in Agroecology. In addition, Christopher will join Dr. Trindade’s MultiHemp project, which focuses on breeding hemp cultivars with enhanced biomass yield. Upon return to the United States, Christopher hopes to work with the USDA and OSU’s Global Hemp Innovation Center to explore the potential of hemp for use in bio-based products like textiles and building materials.
Lindsay Beaman graduated in 2024 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Psychology and certificate in Medical Humanities. In collaboration with Dr. Megan Munsie at the University of Melbourne, Lindsay proposes to explore advertising regulations for unproven stem cell therapies in Australia, where stem cell marketing has seen less growth than in the US. With her research, Lindsay hopes to further collaboration between the US and Australia in tackling ethical concerns associated with the marketing of unproven therapies and to understand the success, limitations, and impact of policy regarding stem cell interventions marketing. Upon return, Lindsay will attend medical school while focusing on equity-based bioethics research and policy.
Becca Harmonsen will graduate in 2025 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design and a minor in Photography. For her Fulbright, she proposes to complete Northumbria University’s Communication Design master’s program in the United Kingdom. Becca’s degree will center upon advocacy for accessible healthcare. She hopes to use the knowledge she gains not only from her degree program, but also from her research into the UK’s universal healthcare system to communicate complex healthcare issues to the public, and ultimately advocate for healthcare reform in the United States. Upon return, Becca will embark on a graphic design communications career and hopes to work in healthcare advocacy.
Kendal Hobbs will graduate in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and a minor in Chemistry. If selected for a Fulbright, Kendal will spend the academic year in Sweden, where she will collaborate with Dr. Andreas Nilsson of Lund University to analyze marine sediment samples using Dr. Nilsson’s novel geomagnetic modeling technique. Kendal will contribute directly to Dr. Nilsson’s global model by analyzing marine sediment samples she collected from Alaska’s Baranof Fan. With this data, Kendal seeks to fill the gaps in the Pacific’s magnetic record and contribute to the greater understanding of Earth’s magnetic field. With the creation of a more comprehensive record of marine sedimentation worldwide, this work will pave the way for scientists to gain insight into future geomagnetic developments. Upon return, Kendal will pursue a PhD in geophysics and hopes to continue to collaborate internationally to further the study of marine geology.
Kenneth Kang graduated in 2024 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Business Analytics. For his proposed Fulbright, Kenneth seeks to embark on a Master of Science degree at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom in Data Science with a focus on Environmental Science. Kenneth will use his degree to help businesses understand how to align sustainability initiatives with profitability. In addition, Kenneth is excited to learn from the UK’s environmentally friendly policies while maintaining its economic standing. Upon return from his Fulbright, Kenneth will begin a career in data analysis and work with US organizations to increase their sustainability while growing profits.
Yaya Kiss is graduating in 2025, with a degree in Biochemistry and Biophysics and a minor in Chemistry. Working with the University of Heidelberg faculty in Germany to apply to Fulbright, she hopes to study the structure of a transmembrane protein found in heart cells. Overexpression and overactivity of this protein is associated with atrial fibrillation. Within the lab, she hopes to investigate the structure of this protein when bound to a drug candidate that is undergoing clinical trials to treat atrial fibrillation.. Yaya hopes to continue to build on her skill sets as a researcher, and pursue an MD/PhD program in structural biology.
Catie Leebrick is graduating in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with minors in Education, Sociology, and Film Studies. For her proposed Fulbright, Catie hopes to travel to Mexico where she will spend the academic year as an English Teaching Assistant. As a former student of a dual immersion school, Catie hopes to become fully bilingual in Spanish and English with the goal of becoming a social studies teacher in a dual immersion classroom in the future. During her time in Mexico, she seeks to gain a deeper understanding of Latin American culture and expand her pedagogical knowledge. In addition, Catie plans to immerse herself in her community in Mexico by volunteering at museums, taking art and cooking classes, and creating a documentary that captures the perspectives of those she will meet.
Brontë McKinnis will graduate in 2025 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. With her proposed Fulbright, Brontë seeks to travel to Ireland, where she will work with Dr. Ramesh Padamati at the Polymer Research Centre at Trinity College Dublin. With Dr. Padamati, Brontë hopes to develop a coating to enhance the biodegredation of antifungal food packaging. In her work, Brontë will explore Irish attitudes towards reducing food waste and creating a circular bioeconomy. Upon return, Brontë will bring with her new perspectives on what communities in the US can do to reduce plastic waste. She will pursue a PhD in chemical engineering with research centering on how to make plastics recyclable and compostable.
Brenna Prevelige is currently pursuing a PhD in Integrative Biology, set to graduate in 2028. For her Fulbright, Brenna proposes to conduct transdisciplinary research in Nepal surrounding the role of Ganoderma mushrooms in collaboration with Dr. Shiva Devkota with the Gendaki Province Academy of Science and Technology. Brenna’s proposed research will shed light on the cultural role of the Ganoderma mushroom as well as generate biological data which Brenna will share with a local nonprofit conservation organization. Brenna hopes to co-develop affordable genomic technologies in Nepal. This work will directly inform Brenna’s dissertation on Ganoderma ethnobiology in the US and Nepal. After her Fulbright year, Brenna will complete her PhD and hopes to become an internationally-based professor working at the intersection of scientific and place-based knowledge.
Sahana Shah graduated in 2024 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Biophysics and minors in Chemistry and Spanish. With her proposed Fulbright, Sahana hopes to travel to Spain to join the Institute for Research in Biomedicine Barcelona with Dr. Xavier Salvatella and contribute to the institute’s research on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Sahana’s research will center on a protein that regulates over 200 genes involved in ASD development. Sahana will work as a part of Dr. Salvatella’s lab to investigate the use of a designed peptide to slow down the protein aggregation associated with the development of ASD. She hopes that her work will lead to a therapeutic development and enhanced social and cognitive function for individuals with autism. In the future, Sahana will pursue a career as a pediatric neurologist and continue research into mechanisms underlying ASD.
Hilary Wood graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in German, following a previous degree in Sociology. For her proposed Fulbright, Hilary hopes to travel to Germany and embark on work as an English Teaching Assistant. In the future, Hilary hopes to become a German teacher, so her work as a teaching assistant in Germany will directly help her develop her philosophy for her future career. In the future, Hilary hopes to obtain teaching licensure in Utah and work as a German teacher in secondary education.
2 additional semifinalists wished to remain anonymous.
In 2025-2026, more than 1,800 U.S. citizens will study, conduct research, and teach abroad for the academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected in an open, merit-based competition that considers leadership potential, academic and/or professional achievement, and record of service. As Fulbright alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 88 Pulitzer Prize recipients, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries, counter misunderstandings, and help people and nations work together toward common goals. Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and find solutions to shared international concerns. The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the Program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide. For further information about the Fulbright Program or the U.S. Department of State, please visit http://eca.state.gov/fulbright or contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Press Office by telephone 202-632-6452 or e-mail [email protected].
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered at Oregon State University through OSU National and Global Scholarships Advising office. For more information about applying for Fulbright or other national and international scholarships and fellowships, please contact Director LeAnn Adam at [email protected] and visit: http://topscholars.oregonstate.edu