Eight Florida State University students are out in the world creating connections and learning new skills through the reputable Fulbright Program.
From teaching English abroad to researching historical narratives of 1917 France, sustainable development and mood regulation, these Fulbright students from FSU cover a wide range of disciplines.
“Fulbright awards present students with an amazing opportunity to research, study, teach and engage globally, making connections that will support their future endeavors while creating lasting ties between the United States, FSU and the world,” said Keith McCall, assistant director of the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards and lead Fulbright contact for graduate students. “This year’s FSU recipients represent the innovative, remarkable work and research done by students across FSU’s undergraduate and graduate programs.”
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to increase mutual understanding between U.S. citizens and people of other countries. The primary source of funding is an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Participating governments, host institutions, corporations and foundations in foreign countries and in the United States also provide direct and indirect support.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program grant recipients are selected based on academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields, with the program operating in over 160 countries worldwide.
“We are thrilled for our Fulbright recipients and are confident that their experiences abroad will be truly enriching,” said Bonnie Garcia-Gloeckner, assistant director of the Office of National Fellowships. “We are also eager to collaborate with current undergraduate students, graduate students and recent alumni on Fulbright applications for next year’s cycle — it’s never too early to contact us!”
The 2024-2025 Fulbright students from FSU are: Sydney Cole, Nella Delva, Samuel Granoff, Vashalice Kaaba, Korrin Sheahan, Danielle Wirsansky, Shovik Saha and JiaQi Trescott.
Nella Delva, a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the College of Medicine, will conduct research in Berlin at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, one of the world’s leading biomedical institutions, through the Fulbright Study/Research Award.
“The Fulbright Program’s emphasis on cross-cultural exchange and international collaboration enhances my research capabilities, aligning perfectly with my long-term professional goals of becoming a leader in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders,” Delva said. “This opportunity will not only advance my expertise but also allow me to contribute to global mental health solutions, fostering international scientific cooperation and understanding.”
Samuel Granoff, a Ph.D. student in the Department of English, will conduct research for his dissertation in Paris, primarily at the Center for Cultural History of Contemporary Societies through Fulbright’s Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award. The award allows students enrolled in a doctoral program in the U.S. to pursue research for their thesis for 10 months at the University of Paris-Saclay, a combined technological research institute and public research university south of Paris.
“Fulbright’s Université Paris-Saclay Doctoral Research Award is the perfect opportunity to pursue my Ph.D. dissertation,” Granoff said. “By researching accurately and writing honestly, my goal is to display the interconnectedness of human experience at wartime as a portrayal of the tenacity of our existence, while also establishing myself as a qualified writer of historical fiction.”
JiaQi Trescott, a recent graduate who earned a degree in international affairs from the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy last year, will be in Taiwan teaching English through the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) Program. The program places grantees in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker presence in the classrooms.
“Through Fulbright’s ETA program, I hope to experience personal and professional growth through cultural immersion,” she said.
Vashalice Kaaba, a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in library and information studies from the College of Communication and Information, will travel to Kenya through the Fulbright ETA Program. Kaaba will teach English while also learning Swahili. She will also further her “Library in a Box” initiative, which aims to enhance library services in underserved communities, and deepen her expertise in education development and cross-cultural communication.
“This Fulbright experience is pivotal for me as it aligns perfectly with my long-term professional aspirations of becoming an academic librarian and a leader in global librarianship,” Kaaba said. “Through this opportunity, I aim to deepen my expertise in educational development and cross-cultural communication, essential for my future role in advocating for global librarianship and accessible educational resources.”
Korrin Sheahan, a master’s student pursuing a degree in communication science and disorders from the College of Communication and Information, is also participating in the Fulbright ETA Program. She will travel to Psychiko, Greece, a suburb of Athens, to teach at Athens College, a co-educational private preparatory school.
“Becoming a Fulbright ETA in Greece will allow me to be a trailblazer within my field, experiencing a new culture and community while working with emerging bilingual/multilingual students,” Sheahan said. “This experience will greatly contribute to my personal and professional development upon returning to the United States.”
Danielle Wirsansky, a doctoral student pursuing a Ph.D. in history from the College of Arts and Sciences, will travel to Jerusalem to conduct archival research at Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to victims of the Holocaust, for her research focusing on the experiences of female agents of the Special Operations Executive during World War II.
“This opportunity is instrumental in advancing my research goals and contributing to a deeper understanding of gender dynamics and power relations in wartime settings,” Wirsansky said. “Ultimately, my Fulbright experience aligns perfectly with my long-term professional aspirations to continue research, writing and advocating for historical understanding and social justice.”
Recent graduate Sydney Cole is pursuing a master’s degree in sociology from Ghent University in Ghent, Belgium, through the Fulbright/Ghent University Award. The Fulbright Commission in Belgium, in partnership with Ghent University, offers two of these awards per year to students in all academic disciplines who are interested in graduate study and/or independent research.
Rising third-year student Shovik Saha participated in the UK Fulbright Summer Institute Program at the University of Exeter in England this summer. The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes are three-to-four-week programs for first- and second-year U.S. undergraduate students who have no or little travel experience outside North America. Born and raised in West Palm Beach, Saha is majoring in interdisciplinary social sciences with concentrations in public administration and geography.
Kaitlin Bell, a recent FSU graduate who earned a degree in business management and international affairs in spring 2024, was selected to participate in the Fulbright ETA Program in Turkey after earning a Boren Award, which allows students to study abroad for up to a year in areas of the world critical to U.S. national security. Bell is using the Boren Award to study Turkish in Azerbaijan, a nation and former Soviet Republic bound by the Caspian Sea and Causasus Mountains.For more information about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for undergraduates and alumni, visit onf.fsu.edu. To learn more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for graduate students, visit ogfa.fsu.edu.