Six University of Nebraska–Lincoln students and alumni have earned Fulbright awards for the 2019-20 academic year, and three have been chosen as alternates.
The Fulbright Program, established in 1946 and funded by the U.S. Department of State, is designed to foster understanding between the United States and other countries. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program gives recent graduates, graduate students and young professionals the opportunity to conduct research, study or teach in one of 160 designated countries. Recipients are awarded the Fulbright on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as their potential for leadership.
There are two types of the nationally competitive award: the research/study award, which supports students working on a project in a foreign country; and the English Teaching Assistantship, which places recent graduates in classrooms abroad to provide assistance to local English-language teachers. The students are also cultural ambassadors for the United States.
Four of the 2019-20 Fulbright winners at Nebraska earned English Teaching Assistantships; the other two received research/study awards.
Following is a list of the university’s Fulbright winners by hometown, with their academic major(s), area of study or graduation month; country where they will teach and/or study; and Fulbright type.
Nebraska
Benkelman: Marnee Roundtree, doctoral candidate in ecology, Tanzania, research/study award.
La Vista: Sarah Vrtiska, global studies and German, Germany, English Teaching Assistantship.
Lincoln: Allison Black, economics, political science and sociology, Slovakia, English Teaching Assistantship.
Omaha: Katie Batenhorst, December 2018 graduate, Malaysia, English Teaching Assistantship.
Elsewhere
Madison, Wisconsin: Sofia Cranley, global studies, sociology and Spanish, Colombia, English Teaching Assistantship.
Renner, South Dakota: Jenna Brende, December 2017 graduate, the Netherlands, research/study award.
Following is a list of the university’s Fulbright alternates by hometown, with their academic major(s), country where they could teach and/or study, and Fulbright type.
Lincoln: Lee-Ann Sims, global studies, Kazakhstan, English Teaching Assistantship.
Omaha: Christopher Etheredge, German and English, Germany, English Teaching Assistantship; Jenna Purdy, elementary education, Sri Lanka, English Teaching Assistantship.
