UA Students Receive U.S. Fulbright Program Awards for 2022-2023

• May 31st, 2022
• in Education Abroad International Main

From UA News | May 18th, 2022

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Fulbright Program has selected 18 University of Alabama students for various awards for the 2022-2023 academic year.

Five UA students received Fulbright Student Research Awards and 10 won Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Awards. In addition, three students won Fulbright Summer Study Awards to Canada.

“The Fulbright Program offers extraordinary opportunities for our students to deepen and expand the global learning experiences that they have on campus or through study abroad after they graduate,” said Dr. Teresa Wise, associate provost of international education and global outreach. “Our students’ time researching or teaching during their Fulbright year abroad has lasting impacts on their personal and professional lives.

“The cross-cultural dialogue and daily experiences that they share with the people of their host country help to build a better and a more peaceful world for us all. Congratulations to all our winners and alternates.”

Fulbright is the most prestigious United States international exchange program, offering opportunities for students, scholars and professionals. The Fulbright Award of the U.S. Department of State offers one-year grants for independent study and research, and for English teaching assistantships overseas. The highly competitive program selects approximately 1,500 award recipients from more than 11,000 applicants each year. UA has received national recognition as a Top Producing Institution for Fulbright U.S. Students five times in recent years.

“Our Fulbright team is proud to introduce each of these honorees to the public,” said Dr. Beverly Hawk, director of global and community engagement at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships. “Their Fulbright Awards are opportunities for them to share their U.S. culture and build ties with the people in their host communities.”

Fulbright Student Research Award recipients:

• Mathew Cieśla, of Northport, received a Fulbright Award in cognitive science to research “Early Neural Correlates of Adult Second Language Learning” at the University of Warsaw in Poland. He is a 2022 graduate with an interdisciplinary degree in psycholinguistics and foreign languages with studies in German and Polish.
• Andrew Deaton, of Auburn, Georgia, received a Fulbright Award to research “The Czech Hussite Wars and the Rise of Modernity” at the Centre for Medieval Studies in Prague and the Dissident Networks Project at Masaryk University, Brno, in the Czech Republic. A doctoral candidate in history at UA, he is a Blount Scholars Fellow and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree from UA.
• Ihuoma Ezebuihe, of Washington, D.C., received a Fulbright Award to research “Translation and Validation of the Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test (MDKT) in Nigeria” at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, College of Medicine. She is a third-year doctoral student in nursing science in UA’s Capstone College of Nursing. She holds a master’s degree in public health, master’s degree in community health and clinical doctorates in medicine and nursing practice.
• Tegan Murrell, of Western Springs, Illinois, received a Fulbright Award to the University of Oslo, Norway, to study how trauma has passed across the generations among immigrants. A 2021 UA summa cum laude graduate in mathematics with a minor in creative writing, she holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
• Samuel Watson, of Hazel Green, received a Fulbright Award to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Korean Studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea. A 2022 Honors College graduate in computer science with a minor in Korean language, he now holds the distinction of winning four highly competitive national awards: the Gilman Scholarship Award, Boren Scholarship Award, Critical Language Scholarship Award and Fulbright Award during his undergraduate years.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Awards offer U.S. students the opportunity to serve in an English classroom overseas, assisting the teacher and exchanging culture with the people of the host country.

Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Award recipients:

• Judson Braly, of Fairhope, a 2022 graduate in history with a minor in civic engagement, came to UA on an Army ROTC Three-Year (Active Duty) National Scholarship and will be commissioned as an Army aviation officer. He will teach English in Kenya.
• Nicholas Hayes, of Long Valley, New Jersey, a 2022 summa cum laude Honors College graduate with a bachelor’s degree in German with a minor in interdisciplinary linguistics and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics with minors in psychology and physics, Phi Beta Kappa member, has been selected to teach in Germany. Hayes is also one of 32 Americans this year to receive a Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. He is the 16th Rhodes Scholar in UA history.
• Sarah Homoky, of Kingsport, Texas, is a 2021 graduate in anthropology, biology and German, an Honors College Randall Research Scholar, and member of Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society and Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honor Society. She will teach in Germany.
• Lauren L’Etang, of Northport, is a 2019 summa cum laude Honors College graduate in Spanish and international studies with a minor in music. A Phi Beta Kappa member, she will teach in Mexico.
• John “Jack” Lombardo, of Schenectady, New York, was selected to teach in Germany. A secondary education and German major and member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Society, he plans to pursue a career in education.
• Marie Neubrander, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science with a minor in economics. A summa cum laude UA Honors College graduate, Randall Research Scholar and member of The XXXI, she will teach in Taiwan.
• Wesley Clay Richmond, of Cypress, Texas, a 2021 summa cum laude graduate in history with a minor in German, will teach English in Germany.
• Channler Dakota Smith, of Town Creek, a 2022 graduate in electrical engineering with a minor in math, will teach in Taiwan.
• Bryan Winkler, of York, Pennsylvania, earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish with a minor in global and cultural perspectives, summa cum laude, as well as a master’s degree in romance languages and a specialty in Spanish literature. He was recognized by UA with the Distinguished Undergraduate Scholar Award and George Griffen Brownell Sr. Award for excellence in Spanish. He will teach in Spain.
• Leona Yeager, of Northport, is an Honors College graduate and member of Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. A member of New College, she holds bachelor’s degrees in international studies and interdisciplinary studies, summa cum laude, with a focus on international relations in Asia and interdisciplinary health sciences. She will teach in Mongolia.

Additionally, four students were awarded alternate status in this year’s national competition and may have the opportunity to serve abroad if more funding becomes available or if a finalist is unable to participate. They are Makenna Berry (Israel), Castiel Lisko (Romania), Marco Pflanzen (Colombia) and Declan Smith(Ireland).

Three UA students were awarded Fulbright Canada – MITACS Globalink Internships for summer 2022. The Fulbright-MITACS Globalink is intended for U.S. students to undertake advanced research projects in Canada.

Fulbright Award to Canada recipients:

• Abigail Foes, of Rockford, Illinois, majoring in mathematics and chemistry with a minor in global health and the Randall Research Scholars Program and member of the UA Honors College, will be contributing to research in Quebec, Canada, titled “Monitoring exposure to food toxins using mass spectrometry.”
• Abbie Giunta, of Onalaska, Wisconsin, majoring in French and biology with a minor in the Randall Research Scholars Program and member of the Honors College, will be contributing to research in New Brunswick, Canada, titled “Les instruments territoriaux en contexte de gouvernance locale / Territorial policy instruments in local governance context.”
• Anna Kate Manchester, of Brentwood, Tennessee, majoring in history and political science with a minor in the Randall Research Scholars Program and member of the Honors College, will be contributing to research in Ontario, Canada, titled “Meaningful Stakeholder Engagement in Resource-Rich Communities: A Study of Global South and High North Cases.”

UA Fulbright advisers Megan Legerski, Dr. Matthew Feminella, Dr. Beverly Hawk and Dr. Lucy Kaufman aided students through the applications process for success in the national Fulbright competition.

Students with an interest in applying for next year’s Fulbright program can learn more at international.ua.edu and us.fulbrightonline.org, or email fulbright@ua.edu.

• Awards & Honors, Students

The University of Alabama, part of The University of Alabama System, is the state’s flagship university. UA shapes a better world through its teaching, research and service. With a global reputation for excellence, UA provides an inclusive, forward-thinking environment and nearly 200 degree programs on a beautiful, student-centered campus. A leader in cutting-edge research, UA advances discovery, creative inquiry and knowledge through more than 30 research centers. As the state’s largest higher education institution, UA drives economic growth in Alabama and beyond.

Kansai Gaidai Students Celebrate Earth Day

• April 22nd, 2022
• in English Language Institute International Main

Kansai Gaidai Students Celebrate Earth Day

Kansai Gaidai students from the Capstone International Center’s English Language Institute participated in Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International’s annual “Spring Greening” clean-up at the Narashino Grove in tribute to Earth Day.

The Narashino Grove is located in downtown Tuscaloosa just off Lurleen Wallace Boulevard between I-359 ramps, near McDonald’s restaurant. The cherry trees were a gift from Narashino to Tuscaloosa in 1986, when the partnership between the cities began. This year will mark the 36th anniversary of the partnership. Students trimmed the cherry trees as well as replenished the mulch at the base of the trees. They also picked up trash.

The Kansai Gaidai students have also volunteered at the 5^th Annual Tuscaloosa Heritage Festival and the 36^th Annual Sakura Cherry Blossom Festival where they practiced origami and Japanese calligraphy. Kansai Gaidai University is a private Japanese university known for its focus on foreign languages, study abroad, and Asian Studies programs. Their stay continues a long history between the University of Alabama and Kansai Gaidai University.

International Student Receives National Aerospace Fellowship

• February 11th, 2022
• in Capstone International Services

From: https://news.ua.edu/2022/02/ua-junior-receives-national-aerospace-fellowship/

A University of Alabama junior majoring in aerospace engineering was one of 51 students in the nation to earn a Brooke Owens Fellowship, a nationally acclaimed program that awards exceptional undergraduate women and gender minorities studying the field of aerospace.

Simran Dhoju, of Kathmandu, Nepal, will take part in the program that pairs each fellow with a summer internship at one of the leading aerospace companies, an executive-level mentor who are senior leaders in the aerospace industry and a peer-level mentor from the Brooke Owens Fellowship alumnae network. According to the organization, Dhoju will be part of the most diverse and competitive class to date.

“For me, receiving the Brooke Owens Fellowship has been the greatest honor of my life,” said Dhoju. “In a highly male-dominated aerospace industry, it is difficult to see representation. The Brooke Owens Fellowship will provide a lifelong network of women and gender minorities who are taking the industry by storm.”

Dhoju will work at Planet Labs as a systems engineering intern in the space systems division. Operating more than 200 earth observation satellites, Planet is the leading earth-imaging satellite company that uses satellite data for various humanitarian efforts in disaster management and response; tracking illegal activities; developing agricultural maps; and monitoring climate change.

“The mission at Planet is quite literally the reason why I pursued aerospace,” said Dhoju. “During the 2015 Nepal earthquake of 7.8 magnitude, I realized how the lack of Nepal’s own satellite caused delays in receiving satellite images to locate the victims. I always wondered how many more lives could have been saved if we had our own earth-imaging satellite.

“This experience introduced me to the aerospace industry, and I have not looked back ever since. One of my ultimate goals in life is to establish an earth-imaging satellite company in Nepal to help with disaster response and management. I think my time at Planet will be the steppingstone of my career.”

During her time at UA, Dhoju has been named an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Diversity Scholar and is currently a project manager with the Alabama Rocketry Association. As the leader of one of the group’s solid rocket teams, her team was selected to compete this summer in the Spaceport America Cup 2022, the largest intercollegiate rocketry competition in the world.

“I identify myself as a triple-minority: a woman in aerospace, an international student in aerospace and one of the few people from my country pursuing aerospace,” said Dhoju. “Receiving this fellowship means inspiring others who look like me to keep fighting and persevering for their dreams.

“It means being a role model that I wished I had growing up. This fellowship helps me celebrate my intersectionality and help others do the same.”

ELI and UA Student-Athletes

• December 21st, 2021
• in English Language Institute

 
During the Fall 2021 semester, the English Language Institute (ELI) had five UA student-athletes join its classes:

 
To support UA’s student-athletes beyond the classroom, the ELI scheduled an activity to root for Loeiza and the other women on UA’s Wheelchair Basketball Team. Around 30 ELI students and faculty members attended and cheered the team on to a win.

The ELI is proud to support UA’s student-athletes.

Fourteen UA Students Win Gilman Scholarships

• December 17th, 2021
• in Education Abroad International Main

Fourteen UA students have been awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to participate in study abroad programs.

“The Gilman Scholarship awards our Pell Grant students with an international opportunity that has the potential to transform their studies and lives,” said Dr. Carolina Robinson, director of Education Abroad at UA. “Fourteen winners are the most that UA has produced in one cycle, which reflects on Education Abroad’s commitment to advising and supporting interested students through the process.”

Scholarship winners are selected by the Institute of International Education through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs in the U.S. Department of State. The latest round of recipients includes:

• Kayleigh Burkette was selected to study in Australia
• Jacob Champion was selected to study in Italy
• Bailee Hughes was selected to study in the United Kingdom
• Kylie Lundy was selected to study in Hungary
• Sophia Molinari was selected to study in Italy
• Asia Moore was selected to study in the United Kingdom
• Quinn Power was selected to study in Ghana
• Cassidy Price was selected to study in the United Kingdom
• Channler Smith was selected to study in Japan
• Christine Thompson was selected to study in South Africa
• Samuel Wartel was selected to study in South Korea
• Shawn White was selected to study in Japan
• Jayna Whitehead was selected to study in Italy
• Brannon Zaner was selected to study in France

Gilman awardees receive up to $5,000 to apply toward their study abroad program costs, giving them the opportunity to gain a better understanding of other cultures, countries, languages and economies.

Students interested in educational opportunities around the globe can visit the UA Education Abroad website.

Contact: Bryant Welbourne, UA Strategic Communications, bryant.welbourne@ua.edu

Empowered by Doctorate, Graduate to Lead Road Research in Ghana

• December 2nd, 2021
• in International Main

From: https://news.ua.edu/2021/11/empowered-by-doctorate-graduate-to-lead-road-research-in-ghana/

Two years ago, William Agyemang left everything he knew — his wife, his four children, his home in Ghana and his job as a researcher at the Building and Road Research Institute — to pursue a doctoral degree in civil engineering at the Capstone.

Though the journey has been difficult, on Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. he’ll walk across Coleman Coliseum’s stage with his diploma in hand, mission accomplished.

“It had been my dream to continue on with my education to get my Ph.D.,” Agyemang said. “I went to a conference in Ghana where I met Dr. Steven Jones. I expressed my interest in furthering my education to him and it all came to fulfillment in 2019 with me arriving here and concluding in my graduation this December.

“It has not been easy to be away from my family. I would have liked to bring them here, but I could not. I’ve been able to visit them twice, around December each year. My family is very excited about me coming home.”

“He’s 53 years old and decided to leave his family in Ghana and come here by himself for two and a half years and be in classes with twenty-something-year-olds,” Jones said. “That told me how committed he was, that he was serious and that it’s important to his career. Jones, a James R. Cudworth professor of civil engineering and the deputy director of the Alabama Transportation Institution, said Agyemang is a fabulous student and a standup guy whom he’s now glad to call colleague as Agyemang returns home to become the deputy director of Ghana’s Building and Road Research Institute.

“I’m happy that I could help him and I’m proud of his work. I’m the deputy director of the Alabama Transportation Institute, which funded William’s research, and now my student is the deputy director of Ghana’s Building and Roads Research Institute. So, we have a UA graduate on the leadership team of the transportation institute of an entire country.”

Agyemang said he’s grateful that the knowledge and experience he acquired at UA helped him get the deputy director position. In his new role, he’ll use models to analyze vehicle crash data to gain a more detailed understanding of how crashes occur to ultimately help design safer roadways.

“My research and work will be made available to the national community, which I think will go a long way,” he said. “The hope is to use the data to analyze and cut down on crashes. I hope also to have a good relationship in the future with UA and partner with the University on some of this research.”

Some of Agyemang’s work is already scheduled to be presented to the national community. In mid-January, Jones will present some of Agyemang’s published research at the 101st Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in mid-January in Washington, D.C., which is a premier event in the transportation industry.

“My stay at The University of Alabama has been so interesting,” Agyemang said. “I learned a lot here. If you are focused, UA has the resources for you here and an environment for learning. In the future, I hope that more international students come to UA.”

UA’s Model UN Team Awarded at First Conference of the Season

• November 1st, 2021
• in International Main

With a strong start to the 2021-2022 season, the Alabama International Relations Club’s travelling Model United Nations team dominated at Florida State University’s first iteration of NoleMUN in September. After a long year of competing exclusively through online formats, the team was finally able to compete in a hybrid format, with eight delegates competing in person in Tallahassee, Florida, and twelve from in Tuscaloosa. Even with the time away from in-person competition, and a very young delegation, the 20 University of Alabama students proved that they deserve to be one of the top-ranked Model UN teams in the nation. The team spent the weekend debating a plethora of topics ranging from the State Constitution of Florida to the international exploration of outer space, from the rights of mining workers in West Virginia to the issues that plagued the Court of Archduke Ferdinand I.

In total, the team won seven individual awards and received the Best Large Delegation award at the conference. This is the first Best Delegation award in the team’s history but will surely not be the last.

In the United Nations General Assembly Special Political and Decolonization Committee, Sophomore Helen Flemming was awarded Best Delegate (1st Place) for representing the United States, and Freshman Emily Smith received a Verbal Commendation (4th Place) for representing South Africa.

In Blood and Coal: The Battle of Blair Mountain, 1921, Junior Tyler Tannehill received a Verbal Commendation (4th Place) for representing Frank Keeney a leader in the United Mine Workers Association.

In A More Perfect State: The 1968 Florida Constitutional Revision Committee, Senior Gibson Gray and Freshman Bennett Ogle both received Verbal Commendations (4th Place) for representing Florida Politicians working to better their state government.

In Avatar The Last Airbender: The Blitz of Ba Sing Se, Junior Thomas Blackwell received the Outstanding Delegate Award (2nd Place) for his portrayal of King Bumi of Omashu.

In the Director’s Ad-Hoc, Senior and Alabama Model UN Head Delegate Christopher McCarthy received the Best Delegate Award (1st Place) for his portrayal of Jiang Zemin, President of the People’s Republic of China during the year 2000.

We are incredibly proud of our Model UN team and are excited to see their continued success as they prepare for future conferences at Boston University and Georgetown University.

UA’s Model UN team is a part of the Capstone International Center’s Alabama International Relations Club. The Model UN team is the cornerstone of the AIRC, the premiere student-led global affairs organization at UA that continuously provides opportunities for its members to learn, develop, fund community and make an impact at the Capstone and worldwide.

The ELI Welcomes Fulbright Scholars from Argentina

• September 24th, 2021
• in English Language Institute

From ELI to UA

• August 9th, 2021
• in English Language Institute International Main

Paola Sanabria Penuela was on one of the last planes out of Colombia before the borders closed due to the pandemic in March 2020.

Paola, originally from Venezuela, spent the summer in Huntsville with her mother and stepfather before starting ELI classes in August.

Ten months later, Paola completed the entire ELI program with good grades and earned an ELI Certificate of Proficiency, which can replace the standardized English test score required for international admission to The University of Alabama.

Paola will begin her undergraduate degree at UA this fall and hopes to become a physiotherapist. For her, “UA is a great place to study because people are friendly, and the campus is amazing!”

Like Paola, every year a number of ELI students successfully complete their Intensive English studies and are accepted into UA.

UPDATE – Duration-of-Status Proposed Rule Withdrawn

• July 4th, 2021
• in Capstone International Services

UPDATE – JULY 6, 2021 – DHS WITHDRAWS PROPOSAL

On July 6, 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published their official withdrawal of the proposed rule to change F and J duration of status periods.

Below is a history of the now withdrawn proposal, and for more detailed information and resources, please see the NAFSA Page on this topic.

HISTORY OF PROPOSAL
On September 25, 2020 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a proposed rule to change the admission period of F and J nonimmigrants from the current “duration of status” (D/S) period (which is linked to the expiration date on your I-20 or DS-2019) to a date-certain I-94 Form (which provides an entry date and authorized period of stay).  The proposed rule was highly technical, and received a lot of feedback.  The following is a brief summary of how the withdrawn proposal would have impacted international students’ and scholars’ periods of admission.

• Would have limited period of status (or authorized stay) to 4 years.  Individuals seeking to enter in F-1, F-2, J-1 or J-2 visa status would be admitted into the United States for the length of time indicated on the I-20 or DS-2019, for a period not to exceed four years plus their grace period. This proposed rule also changes the F-1/F-2 grace period from 60 days to 30 days.  J-1/J-2 will continue to have a 30 day grace period. Extensions of stay may be applied for; see additional information below.
• Certain groups would be limited to 2-year periods of admission instead of 4-year periods of admission. Students limited to this initial 2-year period would have to apply for an extension to stay and complete programs. Those categories include:
  • Individuals from countries on the State Sponsor of Terrorism List (currently North Korea, Iran, Sudan, and Syria).
  • Individuals from countries with greater than 10 percent overstay rate (see table C-4). This list is subject to change and can be updated separately from this rule.
  • Based on U.S. National Interest, for example “students who are enrolled in specific courses of study, such as nuclear science”.
  • Unaccredited schools (F-1 only): The University of Alabama and its Intensive English Program are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools so this part of the rule will not impact UA students.
  • Schools or exchange programs not participating in E-Verify: The University of Alabama is an E-Verify employer so this part of the rule will not impact UA Students.
• Would have limited English as a Second Language study: F-1 students in language training would be restricted to a lifetime total limit of 24 months of language study, including breaks and annual vacations.
• Would have limited pursuing F-1 programs at the same educational level: DHS proposes to limit the number of times someone can get a degree at the same educational level (i.e. multiple masters programs) to three for the lifetime of the student
• Would have limited ‘reverse matriculation” for F-1s: While there are still no limits to how many times a student can change level to a higher degree level (for example, language study > Associates > Bachelors > Masters > PhD) students can only go down a degree level (for example from a PhD to a Master’s) once in F-1 status for the lifetime of the student.
• Would have required program extensions approved by USCIS instead of ISSS: With a date-certain I-94 record, program extensions would no longer be approved by ISSS and processed with an update to your F-1 I-20 or J-1 DS-2019, but instead would require an application (with fee) to USCIS after a “recommendation” by ISSS.
  • Changes the standard of review for approval of extension:  The new rule would eliminate references to “normal progress” as a grounds for seeking an extension and incorporates a new standard for acceptable reasons for requesting extensions  “1) compelling academic reasons; 2) a documented illness or medical condition; and 3) exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the alien.”  Again, granting extensions would be the sole authority of USCIS under this proposed rule.
  • Implements biometrics requirement for program extensions, meaning that after an application for an extension, F-1 and J-1 students would have to visit a USCIS facility for fingerprints and photographs.
• Would have created a series of “auto extensions” to account for processing times.  Processing times for Extensions of Stay are historically very long, with current posted processing times of 5 – 7 months.  To, account for long processing times, the proposal has automatic extensions of some authorizations:
  • On-campus employment: F-1 students able to continue to be authorized for on-campus employment while Extension of Stay (EOS) application is pending not to exceed 180 days.
  • Off-Campus Employment (such as Economic Hardship or Special Student Relief): automatic extension for up to 180 days.
  • No International Organization Internships, CPT or Pre-Completion OPT can be recommended or approved after the I-20 expiration date until the EOS has first been approved by USCIS
  • F-1 students applying for Post-Completion OPT must also submit an EOS request, and cannot begin OPT employment until both the OPT and EOS are approved.
  • F-1 students applying for STEM OPT also require an EOS application, but they are able to continue employment for 180 days while both the STEM OPT and EOS are being adjudicated.
  • J-1s would be able to continue working incident to their status while the EOS is pending for up to 240 days.
• Would have impacted those currently in the U.S.  F and J nonimmigrants who are properly maintaining their status would be authorized to remain in the United States in F and J status until the end date on their Form I-20 or DS-2019, not to exceed a period of 4 years from the final rule’s effective date, plus a grace period of 60 days for F nonimmigrants and 30 days for J nonimmigrants. If they need additional time to complete their current course of study or exchange visitor program, including requests for post completion optional practical training (OPT) or STEM OPT, or would like to start a new course of study, they would have to apply for an extension of stay.