May 20, 2024

Update: We are pleased to announce that two Drexel students and recent alumni have been selected as recipients and four as alternates for the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program for 2024-25. The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for one year of graduate study, research, creative projects or teaching English worldwide.

These students and alumni spent considerable time developing research, study, and ETA proposals, crafting application essays, and incorporating feedback from supportive readers. We're so proud of the hard work and commitment they have shown throughout the process. Congratulations to all of our honorees - we can't wait to see where the future takes you!

Abigail Briskin
BA global studies ’23, honors
Alternate for ETA to Uruguay

Abigail Briskin graduated Summa Cum Laude in Winter 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies and a concentration in Business, Economics, and Development while minoring in Asian Studies and Public Health. She spent two semesters abroad in Hong Kong and Switzerland and went on an ICA to Scotland. Abbie loves learning languages - alongside her native English and Russian she is learning Spanish, Mandarin, and (slowly) German. Abbie's dream is to pursue a career in international education and development in the Global South and she hopes to begin in Uruguay!

Abigail has been involved in the Pennoni Honors College through the Honors Program.

Bryan Eichen
BS/MS environmental science ’24
Study/Research Grant to Indonesia

Bryan is a 5th year BS/MS student in the BEES department. He participated in several different research labs at Drexel before finding his home in the entomology department at the Academy of Natural Sciences. Under the guidance of Dr. Jon Gelhaus, Bryan completed his undergraduate capstone research reclassifying six species of North American crane flies. Bryan loves to travel and is passionate about preserving the environment. He hopes to marry these interests through a career in international wildlife conservation.

Through the Fulbright Study/Research Grant to Indonesia, Bryan will be studying orangutan foraging behavior at a remote research station on Borneo.

Jack Ivie
BS/MS environmental science ’24
Study/Research Grant to Iceland

Growing up in his hometown in Texas, Jack spent summers at the Nature & Science center or at outdoor summer camps. His passion led to him seeking a career path in the natural sciences with his first steps being volunteering at a dinosaur dig in Montana the summer after his high school graduation. It was at this dig that Jack was first introduced to Drexel staff and eventually wound up on Drexel’s accelerated bachelors and masters degree program. Now, he is completing a research project with the lab of Dr. Katy Gonder and the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program (BBPP). This project is focused on the changes of sea turtle nesting populations over the last two decades. 

Through the Fulbright National Science Foundation Arctic Research Award, Jack will do research in Iceland using soil sampling, open source data, and tree species physiological constraints to construct maps that will show the suitability of areas for re-forestation.

Jack has been involved in the Pennoni Honors College as a 2021 STAR Scholar.

Anthony Lisi
BS chemistry ’24
Alternate for Study/Research Grant to Italy

Anthony Paul Lisi is a fifth-year student and proud first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor's degree in chemistry and a minor in biology on the pre-med track. As a freshman Star Scholar, he researched under Dr. Irwin Chaiken at DUCOM synthesizing therapeutics to prevent infection of HIV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 in humans; Anthony was honored to present this research at prestigious undergraduate research conferences.

Anthony’s first co-op at Adesis, Inc. granted him a look into the career of a PhD chemist, where he developed an understanding of organometallic chemistry. During his pre-junior year, Anthony and his mentor Dr. Olimpia Meucci worked diligently to coordinate the first exchange of an undergraduate student between DUCOM and Sant’Orsola Hospital of the University of Bologna, Italy (UniBo). Through this exchange, Anthony completed his second co-op investigating the biological mechanisms underlying vascular complications in chronic kidney disease patients. Anthony was welcomed back to UniBo for this third co-op to engage in shadowing in gastroenterology and vascular surgery. 

Post-graduation, Anthony intends to return to UniBo to study a novel robotic surgery platform. Together with a surgical team, he will study patient outcomes and the safety/practicality of the platform for surgeries that have not yet been approved in Europe.

Looking forward, Anthony’s goal is to be a physician-scientist, a global citizen, and an engaged international collaborator.

Anthony has been involved in the Pennoni Honors College as a 2020 STAR Scholar, 2020-21 Aspire Scholar, and Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant Recipient.

Kejsi Ruka
BA global studies ’24, honors
Alternate for Study/Research Grant to Croatia

Kejsi is an honors student pursuing a degree in global studies with minors in Spanish, political science, and law. Kejsi also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of Drexel’s independent student newspaper, The Triangle. Her research with Dr. Kristy Kelly studies the relationship between gender and corruption through a sociological feminist lens. Most recently, she attended the UN Convention against Corruption in Atlanta and networked with anti-corruption scholars, practitioners, and government officials. Kejsi has completed three co-ops with HIAS PA, The Welcoming Center, and Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts. Her professional interests include policy, law, and journalism. 

Kejsi has been involved with the Pennoni Honors College through the Honors Program, as a 2020 STAR Scholar, a 2020-21 Aspire Scholar, and an Undergraduate Research Mini-Grant recipient.

This list does not include honorees who declined to be publicized.

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:

Neville Vakharia, Design, Westphal
Pete Amato, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Ben Barnett, English Language Center
Valerie Booth, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Monserrat Bores Martinez, Global Studies and Modern Languages, CoAS
Travis Curtice, Politics, CoAS
Tali Gidalevitz, Biology, CoAS
Jessica Green, Writers Room
Cassandra Hirsch, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Kari Lenhart, Biology, CoAS
Brent Luvaas, Global Studies and Modern Languages, CoAS
Celeste Mann, Global Studies and Modern Languages, CoAS
Mariadelaluz Matus-Mendoza, Global Studies and Modern Languages, CoAS
Rachel Reynolds, Communication, CoAS
Donna Rondolone, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Gail Rosen, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Doreen Saar, English & Philosophy, CoAS
Simone Schlichting-Artur, Global Studies and Modern Languages, CoAS
Maria Volynsky, English & Philosophy, CoAS
VK Narayanan, Management, LeBow
Karen DeVose, CCI
Dorilona Rose, CoE
Casey Devine, Drexel Global
Emily Zimmerman, Law, Kline School of Law
Marisol Rodriguez-Morgenthal, LSAMP
Nielufar Varjavand, Medicine, DUCOM
Kristine Mulhorn, Health Administration, CNHP
Constance Perry, Health Administration, CNHP
Katie Barak, PHC
Lauren Davis, PHC
Kevin Egan, PHC
Melinda Lewis, PHC
Julia Wisniewski, PHC
Erin Durkin, Dornsife
Caryn Glaser, BIOMED
Adrian Shieh, Biomedical Engineering, BIOMED
Jillian Clark, Steinbright Career Development Center
Amanda Stagg, Steinbright Career Development Center
Sharde Johnson, Center for Black Culture
Jennifer Thorndike-Gonzales, Student Center for Diversity & Inclusion
David Appleton, Education, SoE
Ellana Black, Education, SoE
Kristy Kelly, Education, SoE
Valerie Klein, Education, SoE