A dozen UGA students win Fulbright scholarships

The University of Georgia once again hit double digits in the number of international travel-study grants offered to its students and recent alumni through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. With 12 students selected, this marks the sixth straight year—and 10th time in the past 11 years—that UGA has received 10 or more offers.

Of the 12, nine were able to take advantage of the opportunity. Four received academic and arts grants, and five will be teaching English.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program offers research, study and teaching opportunities in more than 140 countries to recent college graduates and graduate students. As the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and countries worldwide.

"We are proud of the 12 students who received offers and are excited for the nine who are able to participate," said Maria de Rocher, assistant director of the Honors Program and chair of the Fulbright selection committee at UGA. "It has been a tremendous honor to get to know all of these students, each representing such different academic interests and backgrounds but all of whom are clearly devoted to serving as cultural ambassadors and increasing our understanding of the wider world."

Four UGA students and alumni received Fulbright academic and arts grants. They are listed below with their study concentrations, host countries and UGA degree information.

Andrew Bonanno of Tivoli, New York, is a Ph.D. student in anthropology. He will spend his Fulbright year in Sierra Leone studying land tenure change and economic well-being.

Clémence Kopeikin of Le Mesnil Saint Denis, France, (and recently Alpharetta) graduated in August 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in international relations. She will work in Uberlandia, Brazil, in order to understand women’s perceptions of the institutional response to gender-based violence.

Vineet Raman of Marietta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in biology, Spanish and Latin American and Caribbean studies. He will be heading to India to research health inequities among tribal populations in southern Karnataka.

Cydney Seigerman of Detroit, Michigan, will conduct research in Ceará, Brazil. A Ph.D. student in anthropology and integrative conservation, she plans to study water insecurity at the individual and household levels, as well as the social and political relations that shape and are shaped by these experiences.

Five alumni received Fulbright English teaching assistantship awards. They are listed below alphabetically with their host countries and UGA degree information.

France: Magali Lapu of Atlanta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in French and international affairs. She will teach at Lycée Robert Doisneau in Grand Lyon and hopes to include conversations about race and social justice in her curriculum.

Germany: Kavi Pandian of Tucker graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in economics and sociology. The recipient of a Diversity Program placement, he will be assigned to a school with a significant number of minority or refugee students.

Turkey: Dorothy Rau of Atlanta graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Arabic. She hopes to get involved with the local artistic community while in Turkey and use her theater background to engage her students in the classroom.

South Korea: Hannah Sharpe of Marietta graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in history and a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in social studies education. She will spend her Fulbright year teaching at an all-boys high school in Mokpo, on the southwest coast.

Taiwan: Amanda Tysor of Douglasville graduated in May with bachelor’s degrees in international affairs and Chinese and a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in public administration. Beyond teaching English, she hopes to continue practicing her Mandarin and learn more about the relationship between Taiwan and China.