News & Recipients

A RECORD TEN USF STUDENTS RECEIVE FULBRIGHT U.S. STUDENT PROGRAM AWARDS

A record ten University of South Florida (USF) students have been awarded grants from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program to spend the 2022-23 academic year abroad teaching English, undertaking an independent research project or pursuing graduate study.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program and aims to build lasting ties between the U.S. and other countries, awarding approximately 2,000 grants annually and operating in more than 160 countries across the globe.

Here’s a closer look at each of this year’s USF Fulbright U.S. Student Program recipients:

Gabriela Cuevas, a recent graduate from the USF College of Education’s Social Science Education master’s degree program, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Uruguay. Originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico, Gabriela is currently employed as a teacher in Hillsborough County Public Schools. In Uruguay, Gabriela will teach at two different placement levels for maximum exposure to the Uruguayan culture and its education environment. She is one of six U.S. students to teach English in Uruguay through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Yoel Gebrai, a current PhD student in the USF College of Engineering’s Civil Engineering graduate degree program, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Research Grant to Ghana. Originally from Snellville, GA, Yoel’s research project in Ghana will focus on Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera), a widely cultivated multifunctional crop. There he will develop a framework for assessing M. oleifera's social, economic, and environmental impacts in the country. He is one of three U.S. students to perform research in Ghana through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Sarah Glaser, a recent graduate from the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Public Health with bachelor’s degrees in political science and Public Health, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study Grant (to obtain a master’s degree) in the United Kingdom. Originally from Sarasota, FL, Sarah will undertake a master’s degree in Elections, Campaigns and Democracy at Royal Holloway, University of London. Sarah is one of 45 U.S. students to study for a master’s degree in the United Kingdom through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Sarah Harder, a recent Honors graduate from the USF College of Arts and Science’s MFA program in Creative Writing, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Norway. Originally from Miami, FL, Sarah has worked as a graduate teaching assistant and first year writing program curriculum developer for USF. In Norway, Sarah will teach students at the university level. She is one of four U.S. students to teach English in Norway through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Stephan Hassam, a current PhD student in the USF College of Arts and Science’s Ancient History and Archaeology graduate degree program has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program research grant to Italy. Originally from Mt. View, CA, Stephan’s research project in Italy will focus on collecting historical, cultural, 3D and spatial data, inputting them into a database, and creating a public GIS. The result of this research will be a georeferenced archaeological map of late antique Sicily to better understand the dynamics of social and economic change. He is one of two students to perform research in Italy through the specific Fulbright U.S. Student Program Fondazione CON IL SUD Award during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Margaret (Margo) Maliwat, a recent graduate from the USF College of Arts and Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in World Languages and Cultures, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to Spain. Originally from Largo, FL, Margo has served as an English teacher and mentor at the Hispanic Services Council. In Galicia Spain, Margo will teach at either the elementary or high school level. She is one of 41 U.S. students to teach English in Galicia, Spain through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Kylie (Ky) Pontious, an alumnus of the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree program in International Studies, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program English Teaching Assistantship to South Korea. Originally from Tampa, FL, Ky is currently employed by the Judy Genshaft Honors College as their Experiential Learning Assistant. In South Korea, Ky will teach students at the secondary level. She is one of 60 U.S. students to teach English in South Korea (secondary level) through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Sydni Schlosser, an alumnus of the USF Honors College and the College of Arts and Sciences bachelor’s degree programs in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Economics, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Study Grant (to obtain a master’s degree) in the Netherlands. Originally from New Port Richey, FL, Sydni will undertake a master’s degree in Health Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. She is one of eight U.S. students to study for a master’s degree in the Netherlands through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Glenda Vaillant Cruz, a recent graduate from the USF College of Arts and Sciences’ anthropology master’s degree program, has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program research grant to Spain. Originally from Orlando, FL, Glenda’s research project in Spain will study whether the country’s education policy is doing enough for migrant students. Through applied anthropological methods at secondary schools in the Andalusia region of Spain, the project will identify causes for an achievement gap and potential interventions that can shift policy in Spain. She is one of 24 U.S. students to perform research in Spain through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Dove Wimbish, a current PhD student in the USF College of Education’s Curriculum and Instruction graduate degree program has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program research grant to Ireland. Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Dove’s research project in Ireland will build on the body of knowledge surrounding Irish transgender and gender diverse equity praxis in education and develop a model of equitable praxis for transgender and gender diverse workforce students in postsecondary schools in the U.S., specifically focused on university teacher preparation program curriculum and data collection administration policy. Dove is one of two students to perform research in Ireland through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Current USF students and alumni who are interested in learning more about the Fulbright U.S. Student Program and applying, please contact USF Student Fulbright Program Advisor (FPA) Ms. Lauren Chambers at lschumac@usf.edu.