Two undergraduate students, two PhD students, and two Tulane alumni have been named Fulbright U.S. Student Program finalists for 2021-2022. Each grantee will receive funds from the Fulbright Student Program, the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program, to either study abroad, conduct an individually designed research project, or participate in an English Teaching Assistant Program outside the U.S.
Since its inception in 1946, the Fulbright Student Program has operated in 160+ countries and provided 400,000+ scholars the opportunity to learn, interchange ideas, and engage in cultural exchange with 8,000 annually awarded scholarships and grants.
“Tulane students, with their dedication to public service, academic excellence, and global citizenship, are uniquely well-suited to take advantage of the opportunities that the Fulbright program offers,” says Newcomb-Tulane College Dean Lee Skinner. “This year’s winners are outstanding representatives of Tulane and of the United States, and all of us at Newcomb-Tulane College are very proud of them. I can’t wait to hear about their adventures abroad!”
Ryan Braun and Alexander Quianzon, the two Newcomb-Tulane College undergraduate students selected, will each trek to Europe to work as English Teaching Assistants.
Quianzon will serve as an English Teaching Assistant in the Canary Islands. Outside the classroom, he will work with local grassroots legal organizations.
“Applying for a Fulbright award was something that I knew I wanted to do since my freshman year of college,” says Quianzon. “Completing the application, I found that the months I spent reflecting on my personal goals and interest in the ETA program allowed me to craft a deliverable I felt fully spoke to my abilities while demonstrating my passion and heart. This, paired with the support I received from mentors, recommenders, friends, family, and Dr. Beers helped me to ensure I submitted the best application I could. I received notification that I was selected for the award in April and I’m still in shock about it today. I am thrilled to be moving to Spain in September and look forward to making the most of this experience.”
Braun will be teaching in Andorra, one of the world's smallest countries nestled high up in the Pyrenees Mountains between Spain and France. His outside-of-classroom project will be looking at the similarities and differences between American and Andorran forms of pre-hospital emergency medicine.
“Even before I committed to Tulane, I knew I wanted to eventually apply for a competitive scholarship,” says Braun. “I gravitated toward the Fulbright Program because of its global breadth and impact on international diplomacy. Receiving a Fulbright Fellowship is a tremendous honor that speaks to both the strength of the degree and Tulane's scholarship advising program. For me, the opportunity to represent the United States abroad is one that culminates my 4 years of hard work and dedication here in New Orleans.”
Newcomb-Tulane College’s Office of Fellowship Advising offers students and faculty mentorship regarding prestigious scholarships, other post-baccalaureate opportunities, and the application process for each.
For more information about nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, contact Dr. Jennifer Beers, Coordinator for Nationally Competitive Scholarships, at jbeers@tulane.edu.
Tulane’s 2020-21 Fulbright Grantees
Current Students
Dara Bramson, PHD student in Anthropology, Research (India)
Ryan Braun, undergraduate student in Cell and Molecular Biology and History, English Teaching Assistant (Andorra)
Ruben Luciano, PHD student in History, Research (Dominican Republic)
Alexander Quianzon, undergraduate student in Economics, English Teaching Assistant (Spain)
Tulane Graduates
Darcy Gray, 2018 Graduate in Environmental Biology, Research (Kenya)
Austin Mankin, 2021 Graduate in History, English Teaching Assistant (Germany)
Five other Tulanians, four alumni and one master’s student, have been named alternates. They are still eligible to receive funding, as the program is continuing final notifications on a rolling basis.
Tulane’s 2020-21 Fulbright Alternates
Current Students
Angela Frisk, current SOPA Homeland Security Master’s Student, English Teaching Assistant (Uzbekistan)
Tulane Graduates
Kathryn Latham, 2021 Graduate in Finance, Political Science, and International Development, Study Grant (Netherlands)
Lydia Orfila, 2018 Graduate in Linguistics, Study Grant (Netherlands)
Julia Prager-Hessel, 2021 Graduate in History, English, and Philosophy, English Teaching Assistant (Czech Republic)
