Miami semi-finalists selected for Fulbright awards

Five Miami University students, one faculty member and two alumni have been offered Fulbright awards for the upcoming academic year.

Congress created the Fulbright program in 1946 to foster international relationships in education and research. It is the largest U.S. exchange program for students and young professionals. 1,900 grants for study, research and teaching were given this year to send American students to positions in 160 countries.

"It's a tremendous opportunity for students," said Director of Global Partnerships Karla Guinigundo.

There is a set number of awards for each country, so some countries' positions are more selective than others.

"This is a strong year," Guinigundo said. "The last two years the number of applicants have increased. The program is more well-known on campus, which is pushing numbers up."

Graduate student Alexandra Fair is the first Miami student since 2010 to be granted a research/study award. Fair will be continuing her graduate work in history in the United Kingdom, the most popular country for U.S. applicants.

2017 graduate Jane Winsett was awarded a grant-at-large -- meaning she applied outside of a U.S. institution -- to be an English teaching assistant in Kosovo. 2018 graduate Cyrus Green will have the same position in Argentina.

The remaining students are all seniors who will be serving as English teaching assistants. Sarah Berg will be in South Korea, Madison Cook in Ecuador, Emily Erdmann in Russia and Lauren Voegtle in Brazil.

Global and Intercultural Studies assistant professor Tani Sebro was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Fellowship to research Thai migrants in Myanmar.

The amount of students who were awarded is a testament to Miami's nationally-ranked study abroad programs, Guinigundo said.

glynnee@miamioh.edu