February 22, 2023

We are thrilled to announce that ten Drexel students and recent alumni have been selected as semi-finalists for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program for 2023-24. These applicants spent considerable time developing research, study, and creative proposals, crafting application essays, and incorporating feedback from supportive readers.

After being chosen by Fulbright U.S. National Screening Committees, their applications have been passed to the host countries for final selection. They will hear in the coming months whether they receive the award. We wish them the best of luck!

Amber Bolli
biological sciences '23
Semi-Finalist for Study/Research Grant to the UK

Focusing on future studies in public health, Amber is a fifth year senior studying biological sciences with a concentration in pathobiology and a minor in Science, Technology and Society. She is most interested in improving healthcare accessibility for groups that have no health insurance or who are underinsured. To pursue these interests, she has worked as a patient advocate at Albert Einstein Medical Center and has also worked approving genetic tissue testing for children at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. These interests extend outside of the United States, where she spent a term abroad as a Gilman Scholar to both Ireland and the United Kingdom to learn more about accessibility.
Amber has been involved with the Pennoni Honors College through the Honors Program.

Neha Chongtham
biological sciences '23
Semi-Finalist for English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Program in Malta

Neha is majoring in biological sciences with a minor in Spanish. She has been involved with the Pennoni Honors College through the Honors Program, the STAR Scholars Program, and UREP Ambassadors.

Amanda Collins
biomedical engineering '23
Semi-Finalist for Study/Research Grant to the UK

Amanda Collins is a fifth-year biomedical engineering student concentrating in bioinformatics. She has worked for 3 years at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center as a research assistant studying canine olfaction and behavior. She plans to attend Cardiff University enrolled in their postgraduate Big Data Biology program, where she hopes to expand her knowledge of bioinformatics, study design, and genomic modeling. Her research will primarily focus on the effects rapid climate change and habitat fragmentation are having on the genomes of wildlife.
Amanda has been involved with the Pennoni Honors College as a two-time presenter at Nerd Night @ Drexel U.

Christopher Jang
secondary education '23
Semi-Finalist for ETA in South Korea

Chris applied to the Fulbright ETA program to gain further teaching experience after completing his student teaching. Teaching in South Korea would allow him to learn how another country approaches teaching English as a second language, and give him valuable insight into how he could become an ESL teacher in the U.S.

Daouda Njie
BS environmental science '22
Semi-Finalist for Study/Research Grant to Fiji

Daouda Njie is a 2022 environmental science graduate. As a Philly native and recipient of the Liberty Scholarship he entered Drexel as a biology major but soon found a home with the BEES department and Academy of Natural Sciences. During his time at Drexel, he studied abroad in Bioko for conservation work on primates on the Island. He also worked all along the West Coast with Drexel faculty investigating the effects of sea level rise on saltmarsh health. Continuing his professional career in marine ecosystems, he hopes to study sea grass meadows in Fiji through Fulbright.
Daouda was involved with the Pennoni Honors College as a 2018 STAR Scholar.

Jesse Stover
public health '23
Semi-Finalist for Study/Research Grant to South Korea

Jesse Stover is an undergraduate student at Drexel University and will graduate in 2023 with a degree in public health. During his time at Drexel, Jesse was accepted into the Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Scholars Program, where he designed a signal denoising algorithm for smart garments that monitor vital signs with passive RF. He also worked as a clinical informatics engineer with Moberg Analytics, Inc. and as a science writer at the University of Pennsylvania. Currently, Jesse works in the Department of Community Health and Prevention at the Dornsife School of Public Health as a research assistant where he aids the development and planning of UNICEF health communication programs. After graduation, he will pursue a Master of Public Health in community health and prevention and plans to pursue a career advocating for policies that support community programs for migrant and refugee populations.

This list does not include the students who declined to be publicized in this step of the process.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards funding for one academic year of self-designed study, research, creative projects, or teaching English in over 140 countries around the world. 

For more information please visit the Fulbright U.S. Student Program website or email fellowships@drexel.edu.

Special thanks to the Drexel faculty and staff members who worked with us during the summer and fall to advise individual applicants, review campus applications, and conduct preliminary review and campus interviews:

Lloyd Ackert, History
Jennifer Adams, Education
Stacey Ake, English & Philosophy
Bill Albertson, English Language Center
Pete Amato, English & Philosophy
Katie Barak, Pennoni Honors College Academic Programs
Ben Barnett, English Language Center
Melissa Bennett, Steinbright Career Development Center
Vikas Bhandawat, Biomedical Engineering
Ellana Black, Educational Leadership
Hilary Bonta, English Language Center
Monserrat Bores Martínez, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Octavio Borges-Delgado, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Michael Cimorelli, Chemical & Biological Engineering
Laura-Edythe Coleman, Arts Administration
Kimberly David-Chung, Drexel Online
Ryan Day, Education Abroad
Casey Devine, Education Abroad
Karen DeVose, College of Computing & Informatics
Brenda Dyer, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Alex Ezeh, Public Health
Reza Farasat, Chemistry
Theresa Fay-Hillier, Nursing
Josh Ford, Education Abroad
Tali Gidalevitz, Biology
Caryn Glaser, Biomedical Engineering
Cathy Hernandez, Arts Administration
Barbara Hoekje, Communication
Lee Hoffman, Chemistry
Gerald Hooper, Film
Kate Hughes, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Henry Israeli, English & Philosophy
Kristy Kelly, Education
Elizabeth Kimball, English & Philosophy
Emmanuel Koku, Sociology
Andres Kriete, Biomedical Engineering
Chris Laincz, Economics
Kari Lenhart, Biology
Beth Leonberg, Nutrition Sciences
Melinda Lewis, Pennoni Honors College Marketing & Media
Brent Luvaas, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Celeste Mann, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Maríadelaluz Matus-Mendoza, Global Studies & Modern Languages
Andrea Modica, Photography
Kristine Mulhorn, Health Administration
VK Narayanan, Management
Diana Nicholas, Design
Dagmar Niebur, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Abioseh Porter, English & Philosophy
Alex Quistberg, Public Health
Cyndi Rickards, Criminology and Justice Studies