UA Students Receive U.S. Fulbright Program Awards for 2024-2025

Sean Coffman Atchison, a native of Chatom, is a May 2024 summa cum laude graduate in Latin American studies through UA’s New College. Sean received a Fulbright award to research “Future Power Makers: Perceptions of Democracy among Brazilian College Students and the Impacts of U.S. Foreign Policy” at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Post-Fulbright, he plans to attend Georgetown University to pursue a master’s degree in Latin American studies.

Lucy Besch, of St. Louis, graduated in May 2024 with a master’s degree in economics and bachelor’s degree in economics and international studies, with minors in Spanish and social innovation and leadership through the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program.  She was selected to participate in the Binational Business Program, which consists of work at a Mexican company and international business classes at Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México in Mexico City.

Eden Blackwell, of Jackson, Mississippi, is a doctoral candidate in the department of anthropology, focusing on biocultural medical anthropology. She holds a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University. She will be conducting research on the holistic impacts of climate change on human wellbeing in agricultural communities in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

Jonathan Clayton, of Hartsville, Indiana, will research arsenic’s correlation with pressure variations in water distribution systems in cooperation with Eötvös Loránd University in Hungary. Graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from LeTourneau University and with a master’s degree in environmental engineering from UA, Jonathan is a third-year doctoral student focusing on water distribution system challenges. He also has a passion for teaching K-12 and university students about environmental engineering and water literacy.

Ania Gruchala, of Clarendon Hills, Illinois, received a Fulbright award to research “Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Floodplain-Peatland Ecosystems in Poland” at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. She is a May 2024 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and minor in social innovation and leadership through the Dr. Robert E. Witt University Fellows Program.

Morgan Holder, of Scottsboro, received a Fulbright award to study at the University of Roehampton in London, United Kingdom, where she will earn a Master of Fine Arts in dance and embodied practice. She plans to study the intersection of dance and neurodiversity. Morgan is a May 2024 summa cum laude graduate with her bachelor’s degree in dance and English, with honors, and minor in the Blount Scholars Program.

Brady Allen, of Montgomery Village, Maryland, graduated magna cum laude, earning his bachelor’s degree in environmental science with honors. Brady was selected to teach English in Indonesia.

Lukas Baltzer, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, graduated magna cum laude from UA with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in fall 2023. Lukas is currently an MBA candidate through UA’s STEM Path to the MBA program. He will be serving as an English teaching assistant in Lithuania.

Berwyn “Sierra” Dugger, of Montgomery, is a psychology and German major. She is a member of Delta Phi Alpha German Honor Society, St. Francis University Parish and Baby Steps at UA. Sierra plans to pursue a graduate degree in clinical psychology. She was selected to teach English in Germany.

Millie Dukes, of Millbrook, is a May 2024 summa cum laude Honors College graduate in economics with a minor in Spanish. She was a member of the Pre-Law Association and has been selected to teach English in South Korea.

Eric Fager, of Orange, Massachusetts, is a May 2024 summa cum laude Honors College graduate, and member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history and political science, with a minor in the Blount Scholars Liberal Arts Program. He was selected to teach English in Taiwan.

Kyrsten Myrup, of Lexington, Kentucky, is a May 2024 summa cum laude Honors College graduate and member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society. She earned dual degrees in French and environmental science, minoring in Russian and liberal arts through the Blount Scholars Program. Kyrsten was selected to teach English in Moldova.

Julian Wyatt, of Moundville, is a May 2023 graduate in international studies and German. Julian is a member of the Delta Phi Alpha Honor Society. He plans to pursue a career as a Naval officer. Julian was selected to teach English in Germany.