On the heels of last year’s record-setting class of 10 U.S. Student Fulbright grantees, Temple again has an impressive crop of recipients: This year, 11 total students and recent graduates have won Fulbrights.

Fulbrights will take this year’s grantees around the world, including to Argentina, the Dominican Republic, Hungary, Mongolia and the United Kingdom. The most recent class of Fulbright finalists (as winners are referred) come from disciplines including anthropology, education, film and media arts, and history.

“The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a life-changing opportunity for our students and recent alumni. It offers them the opportunity to conduct independent research or creative projects, pursue graduate study, or teach English in over 160 countries,” said Barbara Gorka, director of scholar development and fellowship advising at Temple. “Fulbright students engage closely with their host communities, advance their language abilities and make global connections that last a lifetime. This prestigious award is known for creating global citizens who will go on to make a positive impact in the world. This year’s cohort is no exception.”

This year’s cohort of Temple’s student Fulbright grantees is:

• Xavier Burke, CLA ’15, a Spanish major who will pursue an English teaching assistantship in Brazil;
• Jasmine Costello, CLA ’14, a political science major who won a graduate degree grant to earn her master’s and conduct research in the United Kingdom at the Institute of Education at University College London;
• Colman Cumberland, CLA ’18, a Spanish and political science major who will pursue an English teaching assistantship in Mexico;
• Kathryn “Kay” Hannahan, TFM ’16, who earned a master of fine arts in film and media arts and will produce a documentary film in Hungary about prefabricated housing;
• Elaina Hawkins, EDU ’18, a secondary education and Spanish major who will pursue an English teaching assistantship in Spain;
• Maggie Lindrooth, CLA ’16, a Russian major who will pursue an English teaching assistantship in Mongolia;
• Eileen Owen, TYL ’10, an art history major who will study in Ireland at the Dublin City Gallery (declined award); 
• Dana Muñiz Pacheco, a PhD candidate in anthropology, who won a research grant to study identity and education among children in blended families in the Dominican Republic;
• Eric Perinovic, a PhD candidate in history, who won a research grant to study the F-104 Starfighter aircraft’s legacy in West German Service in Germany;
• William Schwaller, a PhD candidate in art history, who won a research grant to study transnational systems theories and experimental art in Argentina; and
• Alexander Voisine, CLA ’18, a Spanish and global studies major who won a grant to earn his graduate degree in Mexico at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Because two of the alumni finalists applied independently from Temple, nine of this year’s recipients are counted for Temple in the Fulbright’s official tally. Three Temple graduates were also selected as alternates, meaning if someone in their host country elects not to accept their grant, they will be awarded it.

"The mission of the Fulbright is to increase understanding between people of the United States and people of other countries through cultural exchange, and Temple students are a great fit,” Gorka said. “We are a globally minded campus with students who are committed to community engagement, research, teaching and leadership. Our students and alumni make excellent ambassadors of the United States, Philadelphia and Temple when they are abroad during their Fulbright year.”

Last year’s Fulbright class traveled to Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan, Slovakia, South Korea and Uruguay, among other countries, as a result of their grants. Earlier this year, Temple for the first time was named a top producer of Fulbright students. 

Gorka encouraged current students and recent alumni to apply for Fulbrights and other grants, citing Hazim Hardeman, Temple’s first-ever Rhodes Scholar, and Marcus Forst, Temple’s first Goldwater Scholar, both of whom won their prestigious awards within the last year.

To apply, students and alumni should connect with Scholar Development and Fellowships Advising. The Fulbright preliminary deadline is Aug. 20, and the final campus deadline is Sept. 7.