Twenty-nine students and recent graduates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have been selected as finalists for the 2024-2025 Fulbright U.S. Student Program. This is the highest number of Tar Heel awardees in the history of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
The UNC-Chapel Hill recipients are among more than 2,100 U.S. citizens who will study, conduct research or teach abroad for a year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, an initiative of the U.S. Department of State. Recipients are selected via a rigorous and competitive application process on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as their record of service and leadership potential in their respective fields.
Carolina students and alumni received Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for countries from five continents, including first-ever awards for Tar Heels to Jordan, Sierra Leone, the United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan. Fulbright awards will allow Tar Heels to earn a masters degree in creative writing in Ireland, develop cross-national business relationships in Mexico, teach English in Thailand, and film a documentary in Brazil.
“Every day, there are Tar Heels around the world building relationships and making a difference through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. I’m amazed by the depth and breadth of Fulbright awards this year,” said Marc Howlett, executive director of the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. “UNC-Chapel Hill is one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright U.S. Student Program finalists. To set an institutional record for recipients underscores Carolina’s role as a leading global public research university.”
Founded in 1946, this flagship international educational exchange program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and international communities with awards in more than 160 countries. After many years of successful management through the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs, the administrative home of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program at UNC-Chapel Hill has moved to the Office of Distinguished Scholarships within Honors Carolina.
“I’m thrilled to continue the incredible work done by Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, Emmy Grace, and others in UNC Global Affairs,” said Howlett. “To be a national leader in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program requires a campus-wide effort grounded in a broad network of faculty and staff to support the global aspirations of our amazing students.”
Interested graduating seniors, current graduate students, and alumni can learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and the UNC-Chapel Hill campus process by connecting with the Office of Distinguished Scholarships. The application period is currently open, and the campus deadline for this application cycle is September 8, 2024.
UNC-Chapel Hill Fulbright US Student Program Finalists for 2024-2025
Brazil
- Ann Licharew ’24 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Brazil
Bulgaria
- Stuart Williamson ’21 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Bulgaria
Bulgaria/Greece
- Amanda Ball, a doctoral student in classics, received a Fulbright Bulgaria-Greece Joint Research Award for Bulgaria & Greece
Chile
- Alexis Zucker ’23 (and current graduate student in public policy) received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Chile
Georgia
- Isabel Cosby ’22 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Georgia
- Lillian O’Toole ’23 (MPH) received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Georgia
Germany
- Elizabeth Bennett ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Germany
- Alex Chantilas ’22 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Germany
- Bradley Sadowsky ’24 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Germany
- Elton Smole, a graduate student in global studies, received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Germany
Greece
- Katherine Eltz ’23 (and current doctoral student in biomedical engineering) received a Fulbright/IKY Ph.D. Research Award for Greece
India
- Abel Abraham ’24 received a Fulbright-Nehru Open Study/Research Award for India
Ireland
- Parrish Finn ’20 received a Fulbright/University College Cork Master’s in Creative Writing Award for Ireland
Jordan
- Bilal Azzam ’24 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Jordan
Mexico
- Patrick Kaper-Barcelata ’24 received a Fulbright Binational Business Program Award for Mexico
- Stephanie Pierson ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Mexico
- Isabel Whelchel ’21 received a Fulbright Binational Business Program for Mexico
Netherlands
- Amber Amparo ’21 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for the Netherlands
Poland
- Claire Ashley ’20 (’22 MPH) received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Poland
Sierra Leone
- Georgina Adatsi ’23 (MPH) received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for Sierra Leone
South Korea
- Eleanor Murray ’22 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for South Korea
Spain
- Evelyn Gandy ’22 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Spain
- Mary Helena Shapard ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Spain
- Mary Stukenborg ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Spain
Taiwan
- Britney Hong ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Taiwan
Thailand
- Divya Patel ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Thailand
Turkey
- Annika Herlant ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Turkey
United Arab Emirates
- Akum Dhillon ’24 received a Fulbright Open Study/Research Award for United Arab Emirates
Uzbekistan
- Matthew Pierro ’24 received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award for Uzbekistan
*Note: this article was amended on August 5, 2024 to reflect a twenty-ninth Carolina recipient: Isabel Cosby.
