(Corvallis, OR, February 6, 2019) Oregon State University is pleased to announce that ten students and recent graduates have been named semi-finalists for the 2019-2020 Fulbright U.S. Student Program by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Final selection of U.S. Student Fulbright awards will be confirmed in spring 2019.

Andrea Burton is a Ph.D. student in integrative biology with a certificate in college and university teaching. She has applied to be a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Romania. She hopes to engage with her students by sharing her love of the outdoors and exploring Romania’s national parks.

Maggie Exton is a Ph.D. student in engineering with a certificate in college and university teaching. Maggie proposes a research project in collaboration with the Bandung Institute of Technology to study vulnerability in post-tsunami coastal infrastructure in Palau, Indonesia. She will also collect a portfolio of tsunami survivor experiences to share with Indonesian engineering colleagues.

Greg Heinonen is a graduating senior earning an Honors Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in health promotion and health behavior. Greg proposes a research project in collaboration with the University of Copenhagen, Denmark to study factors of the Danish school and welfare systems that promote mental health and wellbeing in refugee adolescents. The project is part of the multi-country RefugeeWellSchool initiative.

Tyler Inberg graduated in 2018 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering and Innovation Management. For his Fulbright year, Tyler proposes an M.Sc. in design for interaction at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

Kristi Quillen is a Master of Fine Arts student with a concentration in creative writing and poetry. In collaboration with the University of Granada, Spain, Kristi proposes to examine experiences of migration. She will create a chapbook of poetic portraits which capture and reflect women’s experiences in the region, while evoking the global context.

Omar Sheikh is a master’s student in bioengineering. Omar proposes a research project in collaboration with the University of Alberta, Canada to investigate exon-skipping therapies for patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He will also partner with Muscular Dystrophy Canada to host outreach seminars for medical professionals.

Delaney Smith is a graduating senior in honors biochemistry and biophysics and education with a minor in chemistry. Delaney proposes a research project in collaboration with the University of Ghent, Belgium to investigate the pro-inflammatory receptor complex mediated by a signaling protein called Interleukin-31. She aims to advance understanding of mechanisms underlying human diseases and prepare for a future as a physician-scientist.

Allison Tep is a graduating senior with a double major in honors biology and public health with a concentration in health promotion and health behavior. Allison proposes a research project in collaboration with the Cambodian Community Dream Organization to analyze local healthcare intervention strategies and assess mental health needs in Siem Reap, Cambodia. She is also interested in exploring her Cambodian heritage through Apsara classical dance.

Lorraine “Mamo” Waianuhea graduated in 2018 with an Honors Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in fisheries and wildlife sciences. Mamo proposes to research Community-Based Conservation in collaboration with the University of Canterbury and the Department of Conservation in New Zealand. Her research will summarize Māori perspectives and values as well as contribute to recovery of a critically endangered native bird found only in New Zealand.

Miriam Wojtas is a graduating senior with a double major in honors women, gender, and sexuality studies and Spanish and minors in history and ethnic studies. In collaboration with the University of Wroclaw, Poland, Miriam aims to examine the way that Polish women’s identities are inherited and maintained through a national cuisine. The Polish kitchen will serve as the locus for understanding multigenerational attitudes about Polish society and politics, national identities and ideologies, and inherited memories of the past.

 

In 2019-2020, 1,900 U.S. citizens will study, conduct research, and teach abroad for the an academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Recipients of Fulbright awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.

Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. Over 1,900 U.S. students, artists, and early career professionals in more than 100 different fields of study are offered Fulbright Program grants to study, teach English, and conduct research annually in over 140 countries throughout the world. The primary source of funding for the Fulbright Program is an annual appropriation by the United States Congress to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations, and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.

For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit their website. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is administered at Oregon State University through LeAnn Adam, OSU Prestigious Scholarships Coordinator. For more information about applying for Fulbright or other national and international scholarships and fellowships, please contact LeAnn at [email protected] and visit the Prestigious Scholarships website.