Schuyler, Author at Fulbright Student Program Blog

Highlights from the 2016 Global Health Innovations Seminar

March 4, 2016

Fulbright Foreign Students attending the Global Health Innovations Seminar in Lexington, Kentucky

On February 24-28, 2016, the Fulbright Program, in partnership with the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health, hosted the second annual Global Health Innovations Seminar in Lexington, Kentucky. During the five day seminar, “Global Health and the UN Millennium Goals,” Fulbrighters had the opportunity to not only engage with fellow Fulbrighters, but with global health professionals and practitioners.

88 foreign students hailing from 47 different countries convened for a series of panels, workshops, and gatherings as they discussed pertinent topics in global health related to the success and lessons learned from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) focused on public health, namely MDG Goal 1 (Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger), Goal 4 (Reduce Child Mortality), Goal 5 (Improve Mental Health), and Goal 6 (Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria). Additional conversations were focused on how feedback from MDG target indicators will inform implementation of the recently United Nations adopted Sustainable Development Goals and the post-2015 agenda.

Fulbright attendees included an impressive sampling of students studying various science and health-related disciplines, a few of which are global health, health policy, pharmaceutical economics, international development, and medical entomology.

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U.S. Fulbright

Have You Seen Our Fulbright Top Producer Storify?

March 3, 2016

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U.S. Fulbright

The Land of the Unexpected

March 1, 2016

Peter Pellitier, 2014-2015, Papua New Guinea (left), poses for a picture with young friend while studying coral reef resilience in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea

In Papua New Guinea, the much too accurate national slogan is “the land of the unexpected.” Every morning, I awoke assured that my day would be far from boring, simple or easy. Encountering sharks, witnessing assistants maimed by venomous fish, and dealing with missing boats are just a few of the research challenges I faced while working abroad as a Fulbright U.S. Student in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea.

Working in the exquisitely bio-diverse land and seas of Papua New Guinea, the Fulbright Program provided me with the adventure and cultural experience of a lifetime. Swarms of fish flashing over the obtuse angles of coral 35 feet below the turquoise surface of the Coral Sea will forever be burned into my memory. The country is truly a biologist’s playground.

My research examined the ecological drivers of coral reef resilience to climate change, especially the functional role of Parrotfish in the reef ecosystem. A significant amount of my Fulbright project was spent diving and collecting data in the remote islands of New Ireland Province to understand this phenomenon. Some Parrotfish eat algae that can smother the reef, while others eat the coral itself. All functions are thought to be critical for coral “rejuvenation.” Understanding how Parrotfish and the reef interact is critical amid the two-pronged threat of ocean acidification and warming ocean temperatures that endanger coral reefs.

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Foreign Fulbright

A True Cultural Ambassador

February 26, 2016

Felismina Car’Reis, 2012-2014, Timor-Leste (left), answering the question “Where is Timor-Leste in this map?” with a student after her presentation on Timor-Leste’s 1999 conflict at Bushwick High school in Brooklyn (Photo Credit: Laura Tajima, One to World’s Global Classroom Coordinator)

Back in 2012, Fulbright introduced me to people from 33 countries on the first day I arrived at Drexel University to attend my pre-academic program. From day one of my grant, I also realized that not everyone knew where my country was on a map. Every time I introduced myself: “I’m Felismina, from Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor.” I got the same type of reaction: “Is that in South America?” “Is that a country?” “What? Istanbul?” “How do you spell it?” And so on.

They say first impressions count, so I decided to act as a cultural ambassador to share knowledge with everyone I met during my grant about my little island.

My Fulbright host institution was Montclair State University in New Jersey, where I pursued a master’s degree in applied linguistics. Coming from a multilingual community, I conducted research on the influence of home language (L1) on school language (L2) in elementary school children.

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Enrichment Foreign Fulbright

Highlights from the 2016 Denver Fulbright Enrichment Seminar

February 25, 2016

2015 Denver Fulbright Enrichment Seminar

Fulbright Foreign Students visiting Red Rocks Park during the Denver Fulbright Enrichment Seminar

The 2016 Denver Fulbright Enrichment Seminar held in Denver, Colorado brought students in direct conversation with U.S. electoral processes, traditions, and the practice of civic duty through volunteerism from February 18-21, 2016.

Over four exciting days the 129 foreign Fulbrighters gathered in the beautiful Rocky Mountains to discuss U.S. political values, participate in a wide range of volunteer activities, including working at food shelters and schools, and put “Democracy in Action” through a U.S. election simulation workshop.

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U.S. Fulbright