The Fulbright U.S. Student Program has recognized 18 Vanderbilt students for the 2018-19 academic year. The Career Center and Graduate School advised these students on the application process. This marks a successful finish to the Career Center’s first year facilitating the application process for prestigious fellowships and scholarships for undergraduate students, professional students and alumni.
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided more than 380,000 participants—chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential—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.
This year, 26 Vanderbilt faculty and staff met with and endorsed 39 candidates, 24 of whom were named semi-finalists at the end of January—an increase of more than 15 percent over the previous year. Of this year’s group, 14 were offered grants (“finalists” in Fulbright parlance), and four students have been named alternates, an important designation as many alternates subsequently become grantees. The total number of finalists and alternates increased by 20 percent over last year.
Vanderbilt’s Fulbright finalists for 2018-19 are as follows:
- Adedeji Adeniyi, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Honor Scholarship, Asian studies and molecular and cellular biology ’18, English teaching assistantship, Taiwan
- Patrick Anthony, history Ph.D. student, research, Germany
- Marie Armbruster, Bruce and Bridgitt Evans, Class of 1981, Honor Scholarship, George W. F. Myers Scholarship, chemical engineering, chemistry and Spanish ’18, English teaching assistantship, Spain
- Amy Cui, human and organizational development and medicine, health and society ’18, English teaching assistantship, South Korea
- Mark Hines, Patterson Scholarships, educational studies and English ’18, English teaching assistantship, Taiwan
- Caroline Mulligan, Ingram Scholars Program, elementary education and human and organizational development ’18, English teaching assistantship, Malaysia
- Derek Price, German Ph.D. student, research, Germany
- Deepa Rajan, Chancellor’s Scholarship, neuroscience ’18, research, India
- Mary Smith, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Honor Scholarship, educational studies and second language studies ’18, English teaching assistantship, Malaysia
- Akshay Soni, Russell Lee Rua Honor Scholarship, anthropology ’18, English teaching assistantship, Brazil
- Adam Taylor, Chancellor’s Scholarship, human and organizational development and economics ’18, internship, Mexico
- Jamie Vescio, elementary education M.Ed. student, expected graduation: August 2018, English teaching assistantship, France
- Cynthia Vu, Quinq Scholarship, Anonymous Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, elementary education and second language studies ’18, English teaching assistantship, Vietnam
- Anna Warren, Virginia Haynes Redfield Scholarship, community development and action, M.Ed. ’18, English teaching assistantship, Senegal
Vanderbilt’s Fulbright alternates are as follows:
- Roberto Colon, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Honor Scholarship, public policy studies ’18, English teaching assistantship, Colombia
- Jacqueline Gottuso, human and organizational development ’18, internship, Mexico
- Alison Kreher, Chancellor’s Scholarship, human and organizational development ’18, English teaching assistantship, Sri Lanka
- Gabrielle Timm, history and political science ’18, English teaching assistantship, Azerbaijan
Vanderbilt undergraduate students, professional students and alumni interested in learning more about Fulbright opportunities and other prestigious fellowships and scholarships should contact the Career Center to discuss their interests and qualifications.
Because all candidates are interviewed for endorsement by faculty committees, the application deadline for all Vanderbilt candidates for next year’s Fulbright competition is Aug. 24. By July 2, interested candidates must email their resumes and intent to apply to careercenter@vanderbilt.edu. Many fellowships and scholarships have similar deadlines, so students are advised to contact the Career Center.
The Career Center welcomes faculty and staff recommendations of outstanding students and encourages them to email careercenter@vanderbilt.edu with their recommendations or have the students reach out to the Career Center. Faculty and staff interested in serving on interview committees in 2018-19 may email careercenter@vanderbilt.edu as well.
The Career Center values faculty and staff involvement and thanks the 43 faculty and staff members who participated in selection committees, campus evaluations and mock interviews in 2017-18.