17 UI students, alumni receive Fulbright awards to travel abroad in 2022-23

Seventeen University of Iowa students and alumni were chosen from about 10,000 Fulbright Award applicants nationwide to serve as representatives of the U.S. State Department to teach English abroad and to undertake public health research and creative writing projects in 16 countries during the 2022-23 academic year.

“Over the past year these hardworking applicants have written countless essay drafts, benefited from hands-on mentoring by our knowledgeable Fulbright team, and excelled in high-stakes interviews with foreign embassies and Fulbright commissions abroad,” says Karen Wachsmuth, UI Fulbright program advisor. “Their experiences at the University of Iowa have prepared them to join the prestigious Fulbright community worldwide that seeks global peace through mutual understanding.”

The UI is consistently named a top-producing institution of Fulbright students nationally. Nearly 100 UI students have received awards to more than 30 different countries, supported by faculty and staff mentors with world region and country expertise.

“This year’s high number of awardees is again testimony to the grit and talent of our candidates,” says Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs, which oversees the university’s Fulbright programs. “As we applaud their accomplishments, we also salute Fulbright Program Advisor Karen Wachsmuth, Fulbright assistant Ari Natarina, and the team of faculty mentors who guided our applicants through the submission process. Iowa’s continued success in winning Fulbright awards proves how far our institution has come in rebounding from the pandemic.”

The Fulbright Program is designed to increase understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries by providing participants the opportunity to study, teach, conduct research, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

“Recent events remind us how fragile our peace and human rights are,” says Bill Reisinger, UI Fulbright faculty mentor and professor of political science. “The Fulbright Program continues to be one of the best ways America responds to a complex world. Iowa’s impressive Fulbright awardees will not only have life-changing experiences and make lasting friendships, but will go on to strengthen America’s understanding of the world through careers in government service, the business sector, non-profits, research, health care, and the arts. The talent and dedication they have shown in winning this award give us reason to look to the future with great hope.”

For the past year, these Fulbright finalists have been encouraged by advisors, nominated by professors, and supported by those who have witnessed their academic dedication and service to the community.

Isabelle Davis, of LeClaire, Iowa, who will graduate in May 2022, credits her encouragement from the UI community for helping her secure multiple scholarships during her time at Iowa. 

“The support I have received from professors and staff led me to receive two Boren Awards and a Critical Language Scholarship,” says Davis. “Their encouragement gave me the confidence to apply for the Fulbright.”

In addition to the support of mentors, Fulbright finalists also shared gratitude for UI donors, such as the Stanley Foundation, who provide opportunities to students to undertake international research.

Adam Beaser, who will receive an MFA in fiction from Iowa in May 2022, was also the recipient of a Stanley Award for International Research in 2021, a grant he says played a large role in his Fulbright success.

“The Stanley Award was invaluable in helping me prepare for my Fulbright,” says Beaser. “It gave me the time and space to develop the project that would eventually become my Fulbright application.”

For many students, the application process itself comes with its own rewards.

“If you are even considering applying, do it,” says 2022-23 Fulbright awardee Hannah Haack. “Not only will you connect with faculty and students on campus, but you will also discover what you are truly passionate about and what experiences have shaped you into who you are today.”

The Fulbright competition is administered at Iowa through International Programs under the guidance Wachsmuth. Students interested in applying for the 2023–24 Fulbright competition should make an appointment to learn more about the application process. The deadline for the 2023-24 competition is Sept. 1, 2022.

This year’s recipients include:

Tartil Ali

Tartil Ali, of Iowa City, Iowa, will receive a Master of Clinical Anatomy from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright study/research grant in public health to Morocco, she will conduct research to help address disparities in prenatal care of women.

Adam Beaser

Adam Beaser, of New York City, New York, will receive an MFA in fiction from Iowa in May 2022. With his Fulbright study/research grant in creative writing to Hungary, he will research and write a novel that incorporates sections of his grandfather’s memoir about growing up as a Jewish prodigy violinist in Hungary and Romania during the Holocaust.

Greta Becker

Greta Becker, of Dubuque, Iowa, will receive Doctor of Medicine degree from Iowa in May 2023. With her Fulbright study/research grant in public health to Vietnam, she will research how exposure to motorcycle emissions alters the immune system and subsequent risk of tuberculosis infection in people living in Hanoi, the country’s capital city. 

Brittany Borghi

Brittany Borghi, of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, received a Master of Fine Arts degree in nonfiction from Iowa in 2018. With her Fulbright study/research grant in creative writing to Italy, she will travel to the villages of her Italian ancestors to write about identity, belonging, loss, and community

Andrea Childs

Andrea Childs, of North Liberty, Iowa, will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and English education from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Bulgaria, she will teach English to secondary students and organize a writing club.

Anna Correa

Anna Correa, of Clive, Iowa, will receive a Master of Public Health degree from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright study/research grant in public health to India, she will explore the mental health landscape and needs of the migrant laborer community in Bangalore.

Isabelle Davis

Isabelle Davis, of LeClaire, Iowa, will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Turkey, she will teach English to university students and organize online and in-person cultural exchanges.

Sallie Fullerton

Sallie Fullerton, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, received a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry from Iowa in May 2021. With her Fulbright study/research grant in creative writing to Canada, she will be writing a documentary poetry book of Montréal’s shifting lesbian social scene.

Hannah Haack

Hannah Haack, of Williamsburg, Iowa, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a minor in German from Iowa in May 2021. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Germany, she will teach English, provide interpretation services, and spend time assisting refugees.

Holly Harris

Holly Harris, of Waterloo, Iowa, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies and Portuguese with a minor in Spanish from Iowa in December 2021. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Brazil, she will teach English, volunteer at a nonprofit, and start a U.S. culture club.

Mastura Ibnat

Mastura Ibnat, of West Des Moines, Iowa, will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and international studies from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Taiwan, she will teach English and facilitate a book club.

Michaeljulius Idani

Michaeljulius Idani, of Atlanta, Georgia, will receive a Master of Fine Arts degree in fiction from Iowa in May 2022. With his Fulbright study/research grant in creative writing to Sierra Leone, he will work on a project focused on cultural resiliency and the Krio people.

Megan Lederman

Megan Lederman, of Bettendorf, Iowa, received Bachelor of Art degrees in French, English, and creative writing from Iowa in May 2019. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Vietnam, she will teach English and American culture and literature at high schools or universities.

Alia Mnayer

Alia Mnayer, of Waterloo, Iowa, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing from Iowa in May 2021. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Morocco, she will teach English and American culture and literature at a university in Morocco.

Sarah Nunez

Sarah Nunez, of Iowa City, Iowa, will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in social work from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Mexico, she will teach English and volunteer with an organization that assists individuals with disabilities.

Tessa Reed

Tessa Reed, of Spirit Lake, Iowa, received a Bachelor of Arts degree in global health studies and Spanish from Iowa in December 2021. With her Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award to Spain, she will teach English in La Rioja and establish a program that will provide assistance to refugees in the community.

McKenzie Toma

McKenzie Toma, of Detroit, Michigan, will receive a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Iowa in May 2022. With her Fulbright study/research grant in creative writing to Romania, she will explore censorship of queer literature and art in the communist country.

In addition, seven semifinalists from Iowa were named as alternates for 2022-23: 

• Abbie Eastman, of Nevada, Iowa, will graduate from Iowa in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and ethics and public policy.  
• Drew Etienne, of Iowa City, Iowa, graduated from Iowa in 2021 with a Master of Arts degree in painting.  
• Jasmine Graf, of Jersey City, New Jersey, graduated from Iowa in 2019 with a Master of Arts degree in printmaking. 
• Samantha Heuthorst, of Waterloo, Iowa, will graduate from Iowa in 2022 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in management.  
• Abigail Jordahl, of Ankeny, Iowa, will graduate from Iowa in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies and literature and culture.  
• Amelia Thoreson, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, will graduate from Iowa in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations.  
• Ian Zwaschka, of Iowa City, Iowa, graduated from Iowa in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and creative writing.