By comparison, only 10 awards from 1993 through 2005

More than ever, Loyola students are on the move with prestigious Fulbright awards in hand. In the past 2 cycles (for work to be done in 2010-11 and 2011-12), nine Loyola undergraduates have earned Fulbrights.  A brief summary of their work is presented below.  The Fellowship Office congratulates each of them on their exceptional work.

If you are interested in becoming the next Fulbright Scholar from Loyola, please consult the Fulbright web site and this Fellowship Office site and for more information.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us and the Fellowship Office will be happy to assist you.

2011-12 AWARDEES:

CHANGE KWESELE graduated in May 2011 with a B.A. in Black World Studies and International Studies, and was awarded a Fulbright Full Research Grant for 2011-12 in Zambia. Her proposed research focuses upon the unfortunate fact that young women in Zambia disproportionately exit secondary schools at very high rates. She intends to study an organization that has had considerable success in keeping young women in school, by encouraging gender-responsive school environments. Change will conduct her work both as a student and participant observer to examine the impact of this organization on the attitudes, retention, and completion rates of female students. Her research supports the far-reaching implications of a generation of young women professionals and leaders who empower and educate their families and communities, and also contributes to the collection and dissemination of information on the benefits and importance of girls’ education.

ARMAAN SIDDIQI graduated in May 2011 with a B.A. in Anthropology and International Studies, and was awarded a Fulbright Full Research Grant for 2011-12 in Morocco. She will analyze Moroccan Muslim women's involvement in an Islamic social movement, specifically the Qadiri Boutchichi Sufi Order.  She plans to assess if and how it empowers female participants in modern society, and whether this has been a motivation for women to join the order. After returning from her Fulbright research, Armaan plans to attend graduate school with an emphasis on Middle Eastern Studies and to pursue an academic career focused on the themes involved in her proposed research study.

LAUREL YOHE graduated in May 2011 with a B.S. in Bioinformatics and was awarded a Fulbright Full Research Grant for 2011-12 in Vietnam. She will compare present distributional information of several bird species to past records from specimens in museum collections, as well as conduct field work in the Central and Southern Annamite mountains, to evaluate changes over time.  Her work will priortize areas in greatest need of conservation and expand Vietnam's knowledge base of biodiversity. Laurel's research provides her with the opportunity to enhance her career goals in biogeographical research, as well the ability to build ties with scientists abroad who are striving for the same goal of understanding the world around us and how to protect it.

LINDA (OANH) HO graduated in May 2010 with a B.S. in Psychology and was awarded an English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) for 2012 in Malaysia. Linda has a passion for learning and teaching about other cultures, and accordingly, has been working as an assistant for Loyola’s Office for International Programs. Although Linda had to decline the award, it is still an honor to be offered such a competitive award.

2010-11 AWARDEES:

ANDREA McKINLEY graduated in May 2010 with a B.S. in Elementary Education, and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in India. Andrea believes that the defining purpose of today’s teachers is to prepare students for an internationally integrated society.  As a teacher in India, she plans to assist a new generation to comprehend English, understand American culture, and become more educated world citizens. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she plans to research India’s educational system to compare and contrast teaching methodologies in the United States.

ERIC PORTS graduated in May 2010 with a B.A. in French and Political Science, and will conduct his Fulbright research in Morocco. Eric plans to study teaching farms, community-based efforts to support small farmers through education in sustainable agriculture. He will conduct interviews and other research in the field, as well as attend a class at the Agricultural Institute in Rabat. His work should deepen our understanding of community-based projects to promote more sustainable agriculture in North Africa and beyond, including the U.S.

MICHAEL STEICHEN graduated with a B.A. in Philosophy in May 2010 and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Germany. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, and using his musical talents and interests, Michael plans to promote cultural exchange by creating a jazz club or combo in his school and host community. He will also take some university courses in Philosophy. Michael should return to the U.S. with enhanced proficiency in German and invaluable teaching experiences, in preparation for his intended career as a teacher.

ALEXANDER LUCAS is a Ph.D. Candidate in Theology and was awarded a Fulbright Award to Germany.  He plans to work at Heidelberg University to explore evidence for contrasting constructions of Jewish identity and their relationships to inter- and intra-cultural tensions within first-century Rome. Insight into these tensions will not only have academic implications for the time period being studied, but will also serve as a resource for increased dialogue and mutual understanding of contemporary issues between and within different religions today.

TRACY (INGRAM) KARIM graduated in December 2007 with a BS in Elementary Education, and was awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship (ETA) in Morocco. She will teach English to third-year university students at Moulay Ismail University. While in Morocco, Karim will  continue her graduate studies, studying first-language acquisition at Northeastern Illinois University and will observe the use of language in bilingual or multilingual households that have children under 36 months of age.