February 9, 2016  

13 Purdue students, alumni are Fulbright U.S. Student Program semifinalists

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Thirteen Purdue University students and alumni are Fulbright U.S. Student Program semifinalists for the 2016-17 academic year. Finalists who are offered a Fulbright grant will be announced as results come in from each host country between March and June.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest U.S. exchange program offering opportunities for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program awards approximately 1,900 grants annually in all fields of study and operates in more than 140 countries worldwide.

"These semifinalists have successfully made it through a large pool of applicants for Fulbright's national screening committee and their applications are now in with the prospective host country for a final round of selection," said Rosanne Altstatt of Purdue's National and International Scholarships Office.

Altstatt said students undergo a rigorous application process through NISO, which is housed in Purdue's Honors College. NISO helps develop student-scholars' skills as they prepare their applications.

U.S. students interested in a Fulbright scholarship abroad during the 2017-18 academic year can participate in Fulbright Week, a series of events and information sessions through Thursday (Feb. 11). Freshmen and sophomores will be introduced to the Fulbright program, and juniors, seniors, graduate students and recent alumni will start their applications.

The Purdue Fulbright U.S. Student Program semifinalists for 2016-17 are:

* Ayat Abourashed, a senior from Frankfort, Illinois, studying pharmaceutical sciences. She is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Indonesia. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/abourashed-a.jpg

* Jessica Eisma, a graduate student from Lansing, Michigan, studying civil engineering. She is applying for an academic grant to study engineering in Tanzania. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/eisma-j.jpg

* Jonathan Freeman, a graduate student from Memphis, Tennessee, in American Studies. He is applying for an academic grant to South Africa. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/freeman-j.jpg

* Jackson Havens, a 2015 graduate with a bachelor's degree in linguistics, Spanish and sociology from Westfield, Indiana. He is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Spain. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/havens-j.jpg

* Kasey Kaisershot, a senior from Normal, Illinois, in the College of Education studying elementary education. She is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Mexico. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/kaisershot-k.jpg

* Kera Lovel, a graduate student from Albany, Georgia, in American Studies. She is applying for a Fulbright National Geographic fellowship to South Africa, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/lovell-k.jpg

* Brittany Mihalec-Adkins, a graduate student from Fort Wayne, Indiana, studying educational psychology. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology, law and society and forensics in 2015, and is applying for an academic grant to the Netherlands in psychology. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/adkins-b.jpg

* Elizabeth Mitchell, an alumna from New York City who received a bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism management. She is applying for an academic grant to Spain in business management. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/mitchell-e.jpg

* Megan O'Connell, a senior from Carmel, Indiana, in the College of Health and Human Sciences who is studying speech language and hearing sciences, Spanish and linguistics. She is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Peru. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/oconnell-m.jpg

* Grant Owen, a senior from West Lafayette, in the College of Liberal Arts who is studying anthropology. He is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Indonesia. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/owen-g.jpg

* Benjamin Rich, an alumnus who received his bachelor's degree in English and comparative literature in 2010. He is applying for an academic grant to South Korea in international relations. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/rich-be.jpg

* Gideon Singer, a graduate student from Reisterstown, Maryland, who is studying anthropology. He is applying for an academic grant to Australia in anthropology. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/singer-gi.jpg

* Kelsey Stummer, a senior from Aurora, Ohio, in the Education and Honors colleges who is studying elementary education. She is applying for an English teaching assistantship in Turkey. Photo: https://www.purdue.edu/uns/images/2016/stummer-k.jpg

 For more information on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program semifinalists, visit https://www.purdue.edu/niso/fulbright/2016-Fulbright-finalists.html 

News Service contact: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu

Source: Rosanne Altstatt, Dean's Fellow, National and International Scholarships Office, altstatt@purdue.edu   

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