Media contact: Yvonne Taunton
Three University of Alabama at Birmingham students and recent alumni have been selected to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, and an additional four students have been named alternates.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants to study, teach and conduct research in more than 160 countries. Award selections are made on the basis of academic and professional achievement, as well as record of service and leadership potential in applicants’ respective fields.
During their time with the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, UAB scholars will work, live with and learn from people in their host countries. The goal of the program is to promote mutual understanding through academic engagement, cultural exchange and community engagement.
With international travel suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some recipients from 2019-2020 were allowed to defer their awards, and as a result, the 2020-2021 cycle was more competitive as fewer spots were available. There were 11,728 applications submitted — a record high for the U.S. Student Program and an 11.9 percent increase over the previous cycle. More than 2,200 awards were offered.
“In a year of unprecedented uncertainty, applying for an award like Fulbright took courage and optimism,” said Michelle Cook, Ph.D., interim director of UAB’s Office of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships. “I am proud of how far these students came in the process. UAB has a lot to celebrate.”
Fulbright recipients address critical global challenges in all disciplines while building relationships, knowledge and leadership in support of the long-term interests of the United States. Fulbright alumni have achieved distinction in many fields, including 59 who have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 84 who have received Pulitzer Prizes, and 37 who have served as a head of state or government.
Recipients include:
- Parker Rose, philosophy, study/research scholarship, Sweden
- Garrett Sager, UAB Class of 2020, study/research scholarship, Germany
- Nitin Gharpure, public health, study/research scholarship, Germany
Alternates include:
- Zahrah Abdulrauf, individually designed major, English teaching assistant, Malaysia
- Hassanatu Blake, health education/promotion, Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowship in Public Health, Jamaica
- Allie Haynes, UAB Class of 2020, English teaching assistant, Malta
- Aleena Khan, individually designed major, study/research scholarship, the Netherlands
All recipients and three alternates are members or alumni of the UAB Honors College.
“Our scholars stood out in a highly competitive selection process and during an uncertain time,” said Pam Benoit, Ph.D., senior vice president for Academic Affairs and provost. “Their accomplishments speak volumes about their hard work as well as the unparalleled support and opportunities at UAB.”
Since its establishment in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas, the Fulbright Program has given more than 390,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists and professionals of all backgrounds and fields the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas, and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. In the United States, the Institute of International Education supports the implementation of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program on behalf of the United States Department of State, including conducting an annual competition for the scholarships.
For more information about the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.