Brown graduate students, recent alumni earn 35 Fulbright scholarships

This year’s Fulbright awardees will begin teaching and research assignments in 25 countries across five continents in Fall 2023.

Thirty-two recent Brown graduates and three current graduate students have received Fulbright awards for the 2023-24 academic year to conduct independently designed research projects or teach English in locations across the globe.

Brown has ranked as one of the top three student Fulbright producers in the nation for the past seven years, earning the highest spot on the list in 202120182017 and 2016; the No. 2 rank in 2019 and 2020; and the No. 3 spot in 2022. The U.S. Department of State, which oversees the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, will release data for the 2023-24 award cycle next spring.

Founded in 1946, the Fulbright program promotes international peace through intellectual and cultural exchange. Applicants are selected based on their academic and professional records, the quality and achievability of their proposals, and their capacity to engage culturally with their host communities.

“With its array of grants for teaching, research and graduate study, the Fulbright Program captures the generosity and advocacy, ambition and invention that uniquely characterize students at Brown,” said Joel Simundich, assistant dean of the College for fellowships. “I know this year’s recipients will live out Fulbright’s mission of fostering genuine, transformative cultural exchange, and I look forward to seeing all they will accomplish."

Brown’s newest cohort of Fulbright winners submitted project proposals to teach and conduct research in 25 countries across North and South America, Asia, Europe and Africa. Teaching placements include elementary schools, high schools and universities, where awardees will provide classroom instruction and share cultural perspectives between the U.S. and their host countries. Research award recipients will pursue projects in a range of academic fields, from economics to Africana studies and neuroscience.

International and Public Affairs alumni recognized as 2023-24 Fulbright Scholars:

  • Erik Brown (Germany)
  • Shantal Hernandez (Costa Rica)
  • Catherine Nelli (India)
  • Nina Theisen (Mexico)